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What students say about the module

From anonymous module feedback

‘Teaching was very engaging and I enjoyed the seminars — time always flew!’

‘It has been useful to learn more about scansion and versification as this was a topic I have struggled with in the past. The booklet detailing how to analyse poetry in this way was a great resource.’

‘Great tutor: very engaging and gets everyone involved, very nice and approachable.’

‘There have been opportunities to delve into and discover new poets and new styles and types of poetry I would not naturally be inclined to, and this module has been excellent for broadening my horizons.’

‘The tutor made this module interesting and challenging, even though I really don’t like poetry.’

‘The translation exercise was very interesting because we discovered the issues that both languages carry. This increased our knowledge of both the English and French language.’ (Visiting student, Erasmus programme)

‘The module is great. I LOVED IT!’

‘This is the most engaging of my seminars. I enjoy the weekly sessions and I appreciate the basic grounding the module provides in English and French poetry.’

‘I thought the range of poems fantastic — I enjoyed all of them. I, for one, knew very little about poetry before (it wasn’t on the syllabus at my school) and overall, it’s been my favourite module this year and has inspired me to study more French poetry in the future.’

‘I really miss Approaches… Please, can I come and sit in on a class for old times’ sake before I finish university this year?’

Past students reflecting on the module

‘I really enjoyed studying this module in my first year. It helped improve my close reading and analysis of poetry in the two languages. It also enhanced my French language abilities and my translation skills from French into English. In addition, this module was a great opportunity to get to know other first years studying the English and French degree combination.’

‘I took AREF as an outside student as part of my first year studying Philosophy, Politics & Economics at Warwick, because it complemented my interest in poetry and at the same time I could practise my French skills in a literary context rather than following a "standard" Language Centre module. It was a welcome break from my PPE studies and I always looked forward to the Thursday seminars. The module tutor is excellent and has won three awards for her teaching. It ignited my interest in comparative literature and consequently I could not recommend it highly enough.’

‘Approaches to Reading in English and French is a distinctive module; it is one of a few opportunities to explore poetry in an innovative manner. This module offers a creative, enjoyable and incomparable experience of getting stuck into poetry in both your native and target languages. Despite realising how confusing and, sometimes, utterly strange some poems can be, this module never failed to nurture my growing love of poetry. This module is the right choice for anyone who wants a new and unconventional way of being exposed to new material.’

’When I came into my first session of Approaches to Reading in English and French, I was a bit uneasy because it was all about poetry – and I really, really, didn’t like poetry. However, the way in which the tutor talked about poetry and challenged our preconceptions about it really changed my attitude towards poetry for the better. Having taken this module, I’ve developed an appreciation for a literary form that I never really tackled properly at school. The poems are interesting and cover a variety of schools of thought and poetic forms, so you’ll always be kept on your toes – it’s a really fun, eye-opening module that is certainly worth taking.’