JAMB 2017 Syllabus: Literature in English

After completing your JAMB registration, the CBT centre will give you a JAMB CD.

That CD contains (among other things) JAMB’s 2017 syllabus.

But there is a problem:  It’s not working on computer.

Moreover, not everybody has a laptop (or desktop).  That’s what most people (including our group members) are complaining about.

So I’ve broken into the CD and extracted the JAMB 2017syllabus for you. 

In all, they are 25 subjects.

But I wanted our group members to get access to the ones that concern them as quickly as possible.

So, I decided to get them online one-by-one.

To know which ones to work on first, I asked them.  Based on their reply, I’m working on their subjects of choice and getting them online one-by-one.

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Please Note: I’m working on an article that will show you how to dramatically increase your chance of getting admission this year – even if you’ve filled your form.

When it’s ready, I will announce it in my e-mail list and  our Facebook group. So drop your e-mail and phone number and join the group. That way, you won’t miss out. I'm also on twitter.

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My OBSERVATION: 2017 JAMB syllabus is practically the same with that of last year.

Nothing changed.

In fact, in Use of English, for example, they still wrote, “The Last Days at Forcados High School” as the recommended text.

Below is JAMB syllabus for Literature in English.

Some of your friends and followers on social media may be writting JAMB too. So why not share this post with them on Facebook or re-retweet it? They will appreciate it.

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LITERATURE IN ENGLISH

GENERAL OBJECTIVES

The aim of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) syllabus in Literature in English is to prepare the candidates for the Board’s examination. It is designed to test their achievement of the course objectives, which are to:

·         stimulate and sustain their interest in Literature in English;

·         create an awareness of the general principles of Literature and functions of language;

·         appreciate literary works of all genres and across all cultures;

·         apply the knowledge of Literature in English to the analysis of social, political and economic events in the society.

DETAILED SYLLABUS

TOPICS/CONTENTS/NOTES

OBJECTIVES

1. DRAMA a. Types: i.                    Tragedy ii.                  Comedy iii.                Tragicomedy iv.                Melodrama v.                  Farce vi.                Opera etc. b. Dramatic Techniques i.                    Characterisation ii.                  Dialogue iii.                Flashback iv.                Mime v.                  Costume vi.                Music/Dance vii.              Décor/scenery viii.            Acts/Scenes ix.                Soliloquy/aside x.                  Lighting etc. c. Interpretation of the Prescribed Texts i.                    Theme ii.                  Plot iii.                Socio-political context iv.                Setting 2. PROSE a. Types: i.           Fiction ·         Novel ·         Novella/Novelette ·         Short story ii.       Non-fiction ·         Biography ·         Autobiography ·         Memoir iii.     Faction: combination of fact and fiction b. Narrative Techniques/Devices: i.         Point of view ·         Omniscent/Third Person ·         First Person ii.      Characterisation ·         Round, flat, foil, hero, antihero, etc iii.     Language c. Textual Analysis i.         Theme ii.       Plot iii.     Setting (Temporal/Spatial) iv.     Socio-political context 3. POETRY a. Types: i.              Sonnet ii.            Ode iii.          Lyrics iv.          Elegy v.            Ballad vi.          Panegyric vii.        Epic viii.      Blank Verse, etc. b. Poetic devices i.         Structure ii.       Imagery iii.     Sound (Rhyme/Rhythm, repetition, pun, onomatopoeia, etc.) iv.     Diction v.       Persona c. Appreciation i.      Thematic preoccupation ii.    Socio-political relevance iii.  Style. 4. GENERAL LITERARY PRINCIPLES a. Literary terms: foreshadowing, suspense, theatre, monologue, dialogue, soliloquy, symbolism, protagonist, antagonist, figures of speech, satire, stream of consciousness, synecdoche, metonymy, etc, in addition to those listed above under the different genres. b. Literary principles i.      Direct imitation in play; ii.    Versification in drama and poetry; iii.  Narration of people’s experiences; iv.  Achievement of aesthetic value, etc. c. Relationship between literary terms and principles. 5. LITERARY APPRECIATION Unseen passages/extracts from Drama, Prose and Poetry.

Candidates should be able to: i.          identify the various types of drama; ii.        analyse the contents of the various types of drama; iii.      compare and contrast the features of different dramatic types; iv.      demonstrate adequate knowledge of dramatic techniques used in each prescribed text; v.        differentiate between styles of selected playwrights; vi.      determine the theme of any prescribed text; vii.    identify the plot of the play; viii.  apply the lessons of the play to everyday living ix.      Identify the spatial and temporal setting of the play. Candidates should be able to: i.             differentiate between types of prose; ii.           identify the category that each prescribed text belongs to; iii.         analyse the components of each type of prose; iv.         identify the narrative techniques used in each of the prescribed texts; v.           determine an author’s narrative style; vi.         distinguish between one type of character from another; vii.       determine the thematic pre-occupation of the author of the prescribed text; viii.     Indicate the plot of the novel; identify the temporal and spatial setting of the novel. ix.         identify the temporal and spatial setting of the novel x.           Relate the prescribed text to real life situations. Candidates should be able to: i.          identify different types of poetry; ii.        compare and contrast the features of different poetic types: iii.      determine the devices used by various poets; iv.      show how poetic devices are used for aesthetic effect in each poem; v.        deduce the poet’s preoccupation from the poem; vi.      appraise poetry as an art with moral values; vii.    Apply the lessons from the poem to real life situations. Candidates should be able to: i.       identify literary terms in drama, prose and poetry; ii.     identify the general principles of Literature; iii.   differentiate between literary terms and principles; iv.   Use literary terms appropriately. Candidates should be able to: i.       determine literary devices used in a given passage/extract; ii.     provide a meaningful inter-pretation of the given passage/extract; iii.   Relate the extract to true life experiences.

UTME

HARMONIZED PRESCRIBED TEXT BOOKS (LITERATURE IN ENGLISH)

2016-2019

Drama:

African:

i.        Frank Ogodo Ogbeche                               :                       Harvest of Corruption

Non African:

i.        William Shakespeare                                 :                       Othello

Prose:

African:

i.        Amma Darko                                             :                       Faceless

ii.      Bayo Adebowale : Lonely Days

Non-African:

i.        Richard Wright                                          :                       Native Son

Poetry:

African:

i.        Birago Diop                                               :                       Vanity

ii.      Gbemisola Adeoti                                      :                       Ambush

iii.    Gabriel Okara                                            :                       Piano and Drums

iv.    Gbanabam Hallowell                                 :                       The Dining Table

v.      Lenrie Peter                                               :                       The Panic of Growing Older

vi.    Kofi Awoonor                                           :                       The Anvil and the Hammer

Non African:

i.     Alfred Tennyson                                       :                       Crossing the Bar

ii.   George Herbert                                          :                       The Pulley

iii. William Blake                                            :                       The School Boy

iv.  William Morris                                                           :                               The Proud King

RECOMMENDED TEXTS

1. ANTHOLOGIES

Gbemisola, A. (2005)Naked Soles, Ibadan: Kraft

Hayward, J. (ed.) (1968) The Penguin Book of English Verse, London: Penguin

Johnson, R. et al (eds.) (1996) New Poetry from Africa, Ibadan: UP Plc

Kermode, F. et al (1964) Oxford Anthology of English Literature, Vol. II, London: OUP

Nwoga D. (ed.) (1967) West African Verse, London: Longman

Senanu, K. E. and Vincent, T. (eds.) (1993) A Selection of African Poetry, Lagos: Longman

Soyinka, W. (ed.) (1987) Poems of Black Africa, Ibadan: Heinemann

2. CRITICAL TEXTS

Abrams, M. H. (1981) A Glossary of Literary Terms, (4th Edition) New York, Holt Rinehalt and Winston

Emeaba, O. E. (1982) A Dictionary of Literature, Aba: Inteks Press

Murphy, M. J. (1972) Understanding Unseen, An Introduction to English Poetry and English Novel for Overseas Students, George Allen and Unwin Ltd.

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