文学是一门审美的课程，也是培养学生讲品格、讲格调、讲责任的课程。在国内英语专业的本科教学中，文学类课程一直是不可或缺的核心课程。但大部分高校为英语专业生开设的是《英国文学史》与《美国文学史》等简史类课程，单独开设《英语文学导论》的高校较少。这门课程的主要目的是让学生熟悉英语文学中的三大体裁：小说、诗歌、戏剧。通过对文学要素的介绍与文学文本的分析，帮助其更好地理解作品，理解英语文学中小说、戏剧及诗歌各文类的特征，包括各文类的定义与特征、故事与情节、人物与人物塑造、背景与主题、象征与讽喻以及各文学流派等等。
为积极响应国家低碳环保政策， 2021年秋季学期开始，中国大学MOOC平台将取消纸质版的认证证书，仅提供电子版的认证证书服务，证书申请方式和流程不变。
电子版认证证书支持查询验证，可通过扫描证书上的二维码进行有效性查询，或者访问 https://www.icourse163.org/verify，通过证书编号进行查询。学生可在“个人中心-证书-查看证书”页面自行下载、打印电子版认证证书。
完成课程教学内容学习和考核，成绩达到课程考核标准的学生（每门课程的考核标准不同，详见课程内的评分标准），具备申请认证证书资格，可在证书申请开放期间（以申请页面显示的时间为准），完成在线付费申请。
认证证书申请注意事项：
1. 根据国家相关法律法规要求，认证证书申请时要求进行实名认证，请保证所提交的实名认证信息真实完整有效。
2. 完成实名认证并支付后，系统将自动生成并发送电子版认证证书。电子版认证证书生成后不支持退费。
要求具备一定的英文阅读能力和文学素养。
Chapter 1 Fiction
1.3.6 Themes in Sherwood Anderson’s “The Egg”
1.4.1 Setting, Style and Technique Analysis in Hemingway’s “In Another Country”
1.2.1 General Introduction to Plot
1.3.2 Theme Analysis of D.H. Lawrence's "Ticket, Please"
1.7.2 Characterization and Style in James Joyce’s “The Dead”
1.6.2 Characters and Theme in Amy Tan’s “Half and Half”
1.6.3 Analysis of Estelle in Margaret Atwood’s “Rape Fantasies”
1.6.1 General Introduction to Character and Characterization
1.3.1 General Introduction to Theme and Theme Analysis of "The Yellow Wallpaper"
1.5.1 General Introduction to Narrators and Narrative Structure
1.3.5 An Analysis of Phoenix Jackson and the Symbolism of "A Worn Path"
1.5.2 Narrator and images in Hemingway’s “In Another Country”
1.3.3 Conflict in Bharati Mukherjee’s “A Father”
1.7.3 Themes in James Joyce’s “The Dead”
1.1 What is Literature?
1.2.2 Plot Analysis of "The Yellow Wallpaper"
1.3.4 Plot and Theme Analysis of Eudora Welty’s “A Worn Path”
1.7.1 Symbolic Analysis of the Setting in James Joyce's “The Dead”
Test for Chapter 1 Fiction
Chapter Two Drama
2.9.1 Metaphors in Sam Shepard and The God of Hell I
2.2.2 The Merchant of Venice II
2.4.1 The Father-daughter Relationship in King Lear I
2.5.2 A Doll's House II
2.10.2 Blues in August Wilson’s Ma Rainey's Black Bottom II
2.1 Understanding Drama
2.10.1 Blues in August Wilson’s Ma Rainey's Black Bottom I
2.2.1 The Merchant of Venice I
2.3.2 Midsummer Night's Dream II
2.5.1 A Doll's House I
2.9.2 Metaphors in Sam Shepard and The God of Hell II
2.3.1 Midsummer Night's Dream I
2.6.2 Waiting for Godot & S. Beckett
2.6.3 Waiting for Godot
2.8.1 Lala's Self-conflict in Alfred Uhry's The Last Night of Ballyhoo I
2.7.2 Mrs. Warren's Profession
2.8.2 Lala's Self-conflict in Alfred Uhry's The Last Night of Ballyhoo II
2.4.2 The Father-daughter Relationship in King Lear II
2.6.1 The Theater of the Absurd
2.7.1 Mrs. Warren's Profession & Shaw
Test for Chapter 2 Drama
Chapter Three Poetry
3.1 Understanding Poetry
3.7.2 Theme Ⅱ
3.8.1 Sound and Rhythm in Poetry I
3.9.1 Metaphor in Poetry Ⅰ
3.5 Symbol
3.9.3 Metonymy and Synecdoche in Poetry
3.4.1 ImageryⅠ
3.7.1 ThemeⅠ
3.9.4 Irony in Poetry
3.2.1 Voice in Poetry Ⅰ
3.6 Syntax
3.8.2 Sound and Rhythm in Poetry Ⅱ
3.10.2 Key Points of Read poems aloud Ⅱ
3.4.2 Imagery Ⅱ
3.10.1 Key Points of Read poems aloud Ⅰ
3.2.2 Voice in Poetry Ⅱ
3.3 Diction
3.9.2 Metaphor in Poetry Ⅱ
Test for Chapter 3 Poetry