In this module, you’ll explore texts produced for (and by) children and young people from the perspectives of language, literature, and childhood studies. You’ll study a range of texts, including novels, poems, picturebooks, oral storytelling, video games, and comics. You’ll consider how children and young people acquire and use languages and literacies, why literature is important for them, and how childhood is socially constructed and represented in literature. Key topics include ‘concepts of childhood,’ ‘representations of children in language and illustration,’ and ‘multilingual practices.’ Throughout the module, you’ll take a critical, reflective approach to texts, developing your independent study skills.
What you will study
Language, literature and childhood is ideal if you’re interested in the disciplines of English language and/or applied linguistics, English literature, and childhood studies. You may have studied one or more of these areas previously, but support is available if you have not studied these subjects before.
The module is organised into four blocks, each with a particular focus:
Block 1:Contexts and Readers
This introductory block invites you to ask questions such as: How do children acquire and use languages and literacies? Why (and how) is language important in children's literature? What is the difference between literature for children and literature for adults? Why (and how) is literature important for children and young adults? How is childhood socially constructed? And how is the child represented in literature?
Block 2:Voice, Representation and Identity
In Block 2, you’ll study a diverse range of texts for children and young adults, including video games and digital media, non-fiction, narrative fiction and poetry. You’ll consider issues such as ‘What do adult writers expect from their child readers?’ ‘How do texts for children challenge or maintain representations of social groups and communities?’ and ‘What tools and techniques do writers for children draw on in their work’.
Block 3:Practices and Performance
Block 3 is designed to expand your understanding of ‘what counts’ as literature or as reading. You’ll focus on the practices of children or of those who seek to delight and/or instruct children. A recurring theme is the ‘struggle’ between adult- and child-directed practices: this builds on ideas around child agency and relates to the fundamental tensions between instruction and delight in children’s literature.
Block 4: Trends and Futures
In Block 4, you’ll explore how trends in texts produced for children emerge and change. You’ll reflect on the role of storytelling for social change and you’ll consider the role of the publishing, creative and media industries in shaping trends and futures.
Entry requirements
There are no entry requirements for this module.
This is an OU level 3 module. OU level 3 modules build on study skills and subject knowledge acquired from studies at OU levels 1 and 2. They are intended for students who have recent experience of higher education in a related subject, preferably with the OU, such as our level 2 module, English in the world (L201).
Preparatory work
You could get a head start on the module by reading the Set Books:
Tom’s Midnight Garden by Philippa Pearce
Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor
Holes by Louis Sachar
Tender Earth by Sita Brahmachari
Julian is a Mermaid by Jessica Love (Picturebook)
It’s a No Money Day by Kate Milner (Picturebook)
Teaching and assessment
Support from your tutor
You’ll get help and support from an assigned tutor throughout your module.
They’ll help by:
marking your assignments and offering detailed feedback to help you improve
providing individual guidance, whether that’s for general study skills or specific module content
guiding you to additional learning resources
facilitating online discussions between your fellow students in the dedicated forums.
Online tutorials run throughout the module. While they’re not compulsory, we strongly encourage you to participate. Where possible, we’ll make recordings available.
Assessment
Course work includes:
4 Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs)
End-of-module assessment
What's included
You’ll learn through a mix of print and online materials. You'll have access to a module website, which includes:
a week-by-week study planner
course-specific module materials
audio and video content
assessment materials
access to student and tutor group forums.
Where possible, the materials are also available in other formats – which may include PDF, EPUB, interactive ebook (EPUB3), Kindle ebook and Microsoft Word – to enable you to study on the move.
You’ll also receive four printed books – one book for each block of study.
Computing requirements
Primary device – A desktop or laptop computer with at least 8 GB of RAM and a quad-core processor (2.4 GHz minimum speed). It’s possible to access some materials on a mobile phone, tablet or Chromebook; however, they will not be suitable as your primary device.
Peripheral device – Headphones/earphones with a built-in microphone for online tutorials.
Operating systems – Windows 11 or the latest supported macOS.
Internet access – Broadband or mobile connection.
Browser – Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge are recommended; Mozilla Firefox and Safari may be suitable.
Our OU Study app operates on supported versions of Android and iOS.
Software – Any additional software will be provided or is generally available for free.
Software – You will be required to use PowerPoint as part of an assessment. This is provided as part of Office 365.
If you have a disability
The OU strives to make all aspects of study accessible to everyone, and this Accessibility Statement outlines what studying L301 involves. You should use this information to inform your study preparations and any discussions with us about how we can meet your needs.
To find out more about what kind of support and adjustments might be available, contact us or visit our Disability support website.
Future availability
Language, literature and childhood (L301) starts once a year – in October.
This page describes the module that will start in October 2027.
We expect it to start for the last time in October 2036.