UGC NET 2022: 7 important topics, preparation tips for English Literature paper 2 exam

By Neerja Raheja, faculty at BYJU’s Exam Prep
NEW DELHI: The National Testing Agency (NTA) will be conducting the University Grants Commission-National Eligibility Test (UGC NET 2022) phase 2 exams from tomorrow. The UGC NET 2022 admit card for phase 2 December 2021 and June 2022 merged cycles were issued on September 16 on the official website, ugcnet.nta.nic.in.

As per the UGC NET exam dates 2022, the English Literature paper is scheduled to be held on September 30. Candidates appearing for the UGC NET 2022 English Literature subject have a vast syllabus covering various topics. Knowing the important topics to revise and having a last-minute preparation strategy will help aspirants ace the exam. Here are 7 points to remember before an aspirant starts their revision.

The right resources for the first 4 units

Skim through the 100 best companions on drama, poetry and novel by Daniel S Burt to cover and revise some important works that frequently appear in the exam. This will enable you to comfortably revise your first three units, namely drama, poetry, short story and fiction.

Strengthen your grasp on British Literature

Read History of English Literature by Edward Albert and The Routledge History of Literature in English: Britain and Ireland, to get a bird’s eye view about the development of British Literature and the scope of writers which are commonly tested in your exams. These two books will acquaint you with the gist of British literature and will give you a firm contextual knowledge. Post a tour of these two it is ideally recommended that you cement your knowledge by covering A History of English Literature: Traversing the Centuries by Aditi Chowdhury and Rita Goswami and World Literature in your Fist by Prem Shankar Pandey.

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UGC NET previous years’ question paper

It’s ideally recommended that you reserve some time to cover previous years questions of UGC NET. The best way to do that would be to ensure that you first take a few mock tests of the same. Then revisit the topics from which the questions have been asked. Go over the option choices rigorously. For instance, if you have attempted a question on a structuralist theorist then ensure that you revisit the entire unit of structuralism, revise the key thinkers, the key concepts associated with structuralism and other similar types of questions like your segmented questions test on the BYJU’S Exam Prep platform as a part of your classroom program.

Literary criticism, theory and cultural studies

For a basic run through of literary theory and criticism, go over Pelagia Goulimari Literary Criticism and Theory (Routledge), From Text to Theory: A Handbook of Literary and Cultural Theory by Pramod K Nayar and Literary Theory: A Complete Introduction by Sarah Upstone. Additionally, complement your understanding by referring to Oxford Companion to Critical theory and A Reader’s Guide to Contemporary Literary Theory by Raman Selden. If time permits, do immerse yourself into reading MEG 05 (this is the IGNOU books for Literary Theory and Criticism) which is easily available on the egyankosh portal. Create a laundry list of theorists of cultural studies and go over their key ideas.

The unit on language

Pay special attention to covering the development of English language and two main resources that can prove exceptionally helpful for you are- A History of the English Language by Albert C Baugh and Thomas Cable and An Outline History of The English Language by Frederick T Wood. This will enable you to answer questions related to the origin of words and the development of the English language.

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Indian Literature and the evolution of English in India

For covering the portion on English Studies in India, look at topics like the Institutionalization of English Studies in India, Beginnings of Indian English Writing, Beginnings of the Indian English Novel, Different Englishes, Problems of Teaching and Learning English Literature, Questioning the Canon, Evolutions of Canons in Indian English Writing, Decolonising the Mind, Indian Writers in English, Postcolonial Writers, Diasporic Writers. Know about topics like Indian Drama, make short crisp notes on Indian Poets, Indian women writers, Indian Diasporic Writers.

Just breathe and take it easy

Lastly, never be overwhelmed with the information overload, just try to segregate your studies well. Know the basics of Research Aptitude in English and never forget to apply the same to your own research for all the relevant topics for the NET exam. Cover World Literature through UGC NET previous year questions or alternatively divide your writers into categories and subcategories. For instance, cover world literature by segmenting it into categories like European Literature, which can be further subdivided into French writers, Russian writers, Italian literature, Spanish and Irish writers.