Fachbereich 05: Sprache, Literatur, Kultur - Anglistik - Lehramstudiengang (L3) ab Wintersemester 2023/24

Focusing on the grammar of the English verb phrase (tense and aspect, modality, non-finite constructions), this course is designed to help students solidify and extend their grasp of core areas of English grammar and make the transition from upper intermediate level to lower advanced level (B2 to C1). Making this transition not only involves getting a firm grip on the essentials (structures already covered at school but all too often either forgotten or never properly mastered in the first place), it also involves adding some of those finer points that need to be mastered on the steep and thorny way to advanced language competence.

Focusing on the grammar of the English verb phrase (tense and aspect, modality, non-finite constructions), this course is designed to help students solidify and extend their grasp of core areas of English grammar and make the transition from upper intermediate level to lower advanced level (B2 to C1). Making this transition not only involves getting a firm grip on the essentials (structures already covered at school but all too often either forgotten or never properly mastered in the first place), it also involves adding some of those finer points that need to be mastered on the steep and thorny way to advanced language competence.

Focusing on the grammar of the English verb phrase—tense and aspect, modality, and non-finite constructions—this course is designed to help students solidify and extend their understanding of core areas of English grammar as they transition from the upper-intermediate level to the lower-advanced level (B2 to C1). This transition not only requires a firm grasp of essential structures—those already covered in school but often forgotten or never fully mastered—but also the acquisition of finer grammatical points necessary for achieving advanced language competence.

Focusing on the grammar of the English verb phrase—tense and aspect, modality, and non-finite constructions—this course is designed to help students solidify and extend their understanding of core areas of English grammar as they transition from the upper-intermediate level to the lower-advanced level (B2 to C1). This transition not only requires a firm grasp of essential structures—those already covered in school but often forgotten or never fully mastered—but also the acquisition of finer grammatical points necessary for achieving advanced language competence.

This lecture explores the dynamic relationships between happiness, literature, and wellbeing, guiding students through an interdisciplinary examination of the good life. We begin with an introduction to the core concepts of happiness, literature, and wellbeing, followed by an exploration of research-based teaching and learning methods. Students will then consider literature not only as a mirror of society but as a laboratory for testing and experimenting with various forms of the good life.

The course further investigates the value of literature in the 21st century, with an emphasis on its enduring relevance in a rapidly changing world. The good life will be approached as an interdisciplinary project, drawing on ancient wisdom and philosophical traditions (from Eudaimonia to Stoicism), alongside contemporary insights from positive psychology, economics, and sociology. By examining both historical and modern perspectives, students will see how literature functions as a vast archive of ideas and lived experiences of the good life, while also critically interrogating these forms through literary critique.

Exam: In Pursuit of Happiness, Meaning, and Wellbeing – Literature and the Forms of the Good Life
Date: Tuesday, July 22, 2025.

Movies of the Twenty-First Century
This lecture is designed to familiarize students with the most important categories for the analysis of film on the basis of recent movies. In the first part of the lecture, we will look at meaning-making elements (such as the mise-en-scène, cinematographic elements, editing techniques, sound [effects], paratextual features, and so forth). We will also deal with the concept of the cinematic narrator, syntagmatic and paradigmatic relations, film metaphors, and the representation of consciousness (or character interiority) in movies. In the second part of the lecture, we will apply these concepts by analyzing and interpreting selected films from the twenty-first century (such as Barbie and Oppenheimer).

This course aims at familiarizing students with approaches to the study of human language in general and to the study of the English language in particular. Attention will be paid to important concepts and terminology from the core areas of theoretical linguistics (phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics) and to their relevance to the fields of applied linguistics, such as language acquisition, sociolinguistics and cognitive linguistics.

Exam / Modulabschlussprüfung (MAP): To be announced at the beginning of the semester

The study of the history of the English language offers highly relevant insights into how the language has changed over the course of the centuries and into how the English language is structured and functions all around the world today. Therefore, we will pay particular attention to the different periods in the history of the English language, i.e. Old English, Middle English, Early Modern English, Late Modern English and Present-day English, in order to follow the structural changes on the levels of phonology, lexis, syntax and semantics that have led to the English language as we use it today.

Exam/Modulabschlussprüfung (MAP): Will be announced at the beginning of the semester!

The study of the history of the English language offers highly relevant insights into how the language has changed over the course of the centuries and into how the English language is structured and functions all around the world today. Therefore, we will pay particular attention to the different periods in the history of the English language, i.e. Old English, Middle English, Early Modern English, Late Modern English and Present-day English, in order to follow the structural changes on the levels of phonology, lexis, syntax and semantics that have led to the English language as we use it today.

Exam/Modulabschlussprüfung (MAP): Will be announced at the beginning of the semester!

This lecture course surveys the sounds of English, primarily those of American and British accents. The lecture focuses on the characteristic articulation of English sounds (esp. speech organs, sound classes, places and manners of articulation) as well as the systems used for the phonetic description of vowels and consonants. We will also have a look at phonemes and allophonic distribution, phonological processes and connected speech phenomena such as word stress and intonation. Attention is also paid to those areas of articulation that tend to be problematic for German speakers. Students will also learn to read and broadly transcribe English sounds using International Phonetic Association (IPA) transcription.

Course book:
Lorenz, Frank. 2013. Basics of phonetics and English phonology. With IPA transcription. 2nd. ed. Berlin: Logos Verlag. (available as e-book through universitay library)

Registration:
FlexNow.

Credit:
Graded: Final exam 100%

Final exam:
- ICB and Anglophone Studies (MAP): last week of lecture period, dates tba.
- all others: 22.07.2025

This lecture course surveys the sounds of English, primarily those of American and British accents. The lecture focuses on the characteristic articulation of English sounds (esp. speech organs, sound classes, places and manners of articulation) as well as the systems used for the phonetic description of vowels and consonants. We will also have a look at phonemes and allophonic distribution, phonological processes and connected speech phenomena such as word stress and intonation. Attention is also paid to those areas of articulation that tend to be problematic for German speakers. Students will also learn to read and broadly transcribe English sounds using International Phonetic Association (IPA) transcription.

Course book:
Lorenz, Frank. 2013. Basics of phonetics and English phonology. With IPA transcription. 2nd. ed. Berlin: Logos Verlag. (available as e-book through universitay library)

Registration:
FlexNow.

Credit:
Graded: Final exam 100%

Final exam:
- ICB and Anglophone Studies (MAP): last week of lecture period, dates tba.
- all others: 24.07.2025

This course offers an introduction into the qualitative and quantitative methods for analyzing English language structures on the various levels of linguistic description. We will not only provide an overview of these methods, but will also make sure that you have ample opportunities to practice their application to small-scale studies (with the help of data analysis software and simple statistical measures). We will also place an emphasis on how to discuss and present empirical findings.

The contents of this course will be part of the module exam "MAP: Introduction to English Linguistics II". Please note that the date for that exam will be announced at the beginning of the semester!

This course offers an introduction into the qualitative and quantitative methods for analyzing English language structures on the various levels of linguistic description. We will not only provide an overview of these methods, but will also make sure that you have ample opportunities to practice their application to small-scale studies (with the help of data analysis software and simple statistical measures). We will also place an emphasis on how to discuss and present empirical findings.

The contents of this course will be part of the module exam "MAP: Introduction to English Linguistics II". Please note that the date for that exam will be announced at the beginning of the semester!

This course offers an introduction into the qualitative and quantitative methods for analyzing English language structures on the various levels of linguistic description. We will not only provide an overview of these methods, but will also make sure that you have ample opportunities to practice their application to small-scale studies (with the help of data analysis software and simple statistical measures). We will also place an emphasis on how to discuss and present empirical findings.

The contents of this course will be part of the module exam “MAP: Introduction to English Linguistics II”. Please note that the date for that exam will be announced at the beginning of the semester!

This course offers an introduction into the qualitative and quantitative methods for analyzing English language structures on the various levels of linguistic description. We will not only provide an overview of these methods, but will also make sure that you have ample opportunities to practice their application to small-scale studies (with the help of data analysis software and simple statistical measures). We will also place an emphasis on how to discuss and present empirical findings.

The contents of this course will be part of the module exam "MAP: Introduction to English Linguistics II". Please note that the date for that exam will be announced at the beginning of the semester!

This course offers an introduction into the qualitative and quantitative methods for analyzing English language structures on the various levels of linguistic description. We will not only provide an overview of these methods, but will also make sure that you have ample opportunities to practice their application to small-scale studies (with the help of data analysis software and simple statistical measures). We will also place an emphasis on how to discuss and present empirical findings.

The contents of this course will be part of the module exam "MAP: Introduction to English Linguistics II". Please note that the date for that exam will be announced at the beginning of the semester!

This lecture will focus on Pidgin and Creole Englishes, varieties that have resulted from a special case of language contact. Pidgins emerge as a lingua franca ("Behelfssprache") when speech communities who do not share a common language have to communicate. That is, pidgins are nobody's first language and they are used for restricted purposes only (such as trading). They draw their word-stock mainly from one of the languages in contact but show a different, in many respects simplified grammar. When pidgins are acquired by children as their mother tongue, creolization takes place, which also leads to the structural evolvement of grammar. Pidgin and Creole Englishes came into existence through the contact of English with unrelated languages (e.g. in Africa), mainly in the age of British overseas expansion from the 17th century onwards.
The lecture will look at the theory, history, structure and sociolinguistics of Pidgins and Creoles. It will provide, among others, definitions of different kinds of contact languages, information on the sociohistorical contexts of their emergence, theories of Pidgin and Creole Genesis, as well as the continued development of creole languages. We will also look at the linguistic structure of Pidgin and Creole Englishes and compare them to their various input languages.

Ungraded credit only.

Corpus linguistics has become an increasingly popular method of linguistic analysis in the past 30 years. A linguistic corpus is a large collection of computerized texts, sampled to be representative of a certain variety of language and used for linguistic studies. The advantage of such corpora is that they can be electronically searched and analyzed, usually with the help of special corpus software. Because corpora are usually very large (often consisting of several million words), they ideally lend themselves to the quatitative study of language variation and change.
This course is intended as an introduction to the methods of corpus linguistics and their application to the study of English. We will familiarize ourselves with important synchronic and diachronic corpora, such as those in the so-called ICAME collection. There will also be a section on the different ways that such text collections can be compiled and used (including an introduction to corpus analysis software such as AntConc and statistical methods to test the validity of one's results).

Requirements for un/graded credit tba in the course.

In this course we will discuss the period of English known as "Early Modern English" in depth. We will not only put a focus on social and cultural developments of the period, but also take a closer look at its distinguishing linguistic features and highlight prominent research devoted to this period, in particular from the diachronic corpus linguistic view.

Exam: July 23, 2025
or Term Paper: Sept. 30, 2025

Was the will really written by the deceased or is it more likely that one of the family members faked it? Were the WhatsApp messages really sent by Jackson's runaway girlfriend or was she murdered and the messages were sent by her murderer? Do the protocols of a murder confession represent exactly what the alleged murderer said or may the protocols have been tampered with by a police officer? Was this person drunk when they gave the interview?
All these questions stem from the very heart of forensic linguistics, i.e. the usage of linguistic concepts and methods in legal contexts. In forensic linguistics, two areas are generally differentiated: the forensic linguist describing the language of law and the forensic linguist producing objective evidence based on the structures found in particular text for legal purposes.
In the course of the seminar, we will familiarise ourselves with different types of linguistic evidence (phonetic, lexical, syntactic, stylistic) in the context of legal examinations and seek to critically establish what role this type of linguistic evidence can and may be allowed to play in legal matters.

Prerequisites: Successful completion of the "Introduction to English Linguistics" course.
Reading: Reading material will be provided via Stud.IP.
Registration: Please register with FlexNow.

Ungraded credit: Regular attendance, completion of reading and homework assignments and active participation in class.
Graded credit: In addition to the above, a final exam (22 July 2025) or a term paper (by 15 September 2025).

This seminar aims at introducing the main concepts, theories and methods of psycholinguistic and cognitive linguistic research and, in doing so, provides a broad overview of this particular linguistic field. Furthermore, this seminar will put a special focus on issues pertaining to L2 acquisition and teaching.

Exam: July 22, 2025
or Term Paper: Sept. 30, 2025

In the broadest sense, semantics is the study of meaning. In this class we will expore what that exactly entails on various levels and from different perspectives. For instance, we will outline the core concepts concerning lexical semantics, i.e. word meaning and the relationship between words of a language, and phrasal/sentential semantics, i.e. sentence meaning. We will also consider in more detail how the study of meaning is variously approached by taking a structural semantic perspective vs. a cognitive semantic perspective.

Exam: July 21, 2025
or Term Paper: Sept. 30, 2025

Sociolinguistics studies the effects social factors have on language use and language structures.
In this seminar, students will learn about some of the regional, social, and functional factors that determine differences in language use on all linguistic levels.

Registration: Please register with FlexNow.
Credit: Final Exam (23 July 2025) or Term Paper (by 15 September 2025)

In this seminar, we will examine Standard English from two different perspectives: in a diachronic approach, we will explore how it developed from Old English over time to become the variety we all know as Standard English today. Then, taking a synchronic approach, we will investigate different standards that have developed in the anglophone world. We will examine standardization processes on different structural levels (such as phonology, lexis, grammar, etc.), ongoing processes of normative (re)orientation and speakers' attitudes and perceptions toward their own and other standard varieties.

Exam date: July 21st, 2025

Syntax is the part of grammar which deals with the ways words are combined into sentences. We will first look at some key concepts in syntax from a structuralist perspective, starting with smaller syntactic units such as the word and the notion of different word classes. Phrases are another key concept syntactically superordinate to words, which function as constituents in clauses. In this context, it will be of pivotal importance to keep the dichotomy of form and function in mind. Apart from analysing different types of clauses (and sentences) and different ways of ordering elements in a clause (and a sentence), we will also examine the semantic roles of clause elements to discover the close connection between syntax and meaning. We will then briefly look into other approaches to syntax (valency grammar, functional sentence perspective, generative grammar), before we explore syntactic variation in selected varieties of English and the differences between spoken and written grammars.

Prerequisites: Successful completion of the ‘Introduction to English Linguistics’ course.

Reading: Reading material will be made available for download from Stud.IP.

Registration: Please register with FlexNow.

Ungraded credit: Regular attendance, completion of reading and homework assignments and active participation in class.
Graded credit: In addition to the above, a final exam or a term paper.

Exam period: Final exam on 23 July 2025; deadline for term paper submission: 15 September 2025.

World Englishes encapsulate first- and second-language varieties such as regional varieties in Africa, America, Asia, Australia, the Southern Pacific and various other places. Asian Englishes are generally divided into two geographical subgroups, i.e. South Asian Englishes and Southeast Asian Englishes. The South Asian Sprachraum comprising Bangladesh, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka constitutes a particularly intriguing case in the study of World Englishes since the respective regional varieties of English develop in linguistically complex contact scenarios with e.g. indigenous languages, but also the common core of English (cf. Quirk et al. 1985: 16). In a similar vein, language contact is also characteristic of and a driving factor behind the emergence of structurally distinct Southeast Asian Englishes (e.g. Hong Kong English, Malaysian English, Singapore English). America, Australian and South Pacific Englishes as well as others can be differentiated from Asian Englishes by the higher share of first-language users in the regions concerned while the influence of other (formerly local) languages on the respective varieties of English should not be underestimated.

Prerequisites: Successful completion of the ‘Introduction to English Linguistics’ course.

Reading: Reading material will be made available for download via Stud.IP.

Registration: Please register with FlexNow.

Ungraded credit: Regular attendance, completion of reading and homework assignments and active participation in class.

Graded credit: In addition to the above, a final exam or a term paper.

Exam period: Final exam on 23 July 2025; deadline for term paper submission: 15 September 2025.

This seminar will cover the diversity of English found in North America from a sociolinguistic point of view. We will not only focus on regional varieties and major dialect areas, but also consider various other social factors that contribute to the linguistic landscape of North America. There will also be an opportunity to dive into various case studies and methodological approaches, in particular corpus linguistic approaches commonly used in variationist linguistics.

Exam: July 24, 2025
or Term Paper: Sept. 30, 2025

Course Description: ICC is one of the key competencies in modern EFL classes. In this course we will examine aspects of teaching ICC for different anglophone countries and their cultures, such as the UK and the Republic of Ireland, the U.S.A., Canada, Australia and New Zealand as well as South Africa and India and work out the crucial aspects the learners need to acquire. Students will create readers including teaching material and essential information which they will be able to use in their subsequent teaching career, and explore the possibilities of including different skills by planning relevant and motivating tasks for the EFLC.

Prerequisites:
Successful completion of Module TEFL I.

Required Reading:
A comprehensive course bibliography will be made available on Stud.IP.

Credit:
Regular attendance, active participation in class; term paper

Exam period:
Term paper must be handed in until 15th September 2025.

Registration: Flex-Now

What do teachers want at the end of the day? To do their jobs and go back home with a little bit of their sanity intact. In this seminar we will try to explore ways to manage and create a classroom environment that is ideal, or, maybe, just allows for students and teachers to co- exist and work well with each other. We will be investigating topics such as language, behavior, discipline, challenging students, anger, rules and social forms and focus on providing solutions or just insight into some pressing classroom issues. Just be aware: there is no single magic solution. Establishing yourself as a teacher is something that comes with experience, self-reflection and developing a thicker skin. Students will be expected to actively participate, read the texts, reflect and share their thoughts and ideas. Throughout the seminar they will also be expected to work together to complete mini projects that would complement practically the deeper understanding of the different topics. The participants will have to use the knowledge acquired in the first sessions to create their own instruction processes and a manual to be used alongside these, for all the tasks and activities. Finally, to further benefit from that experience students would record their impressions and learning journey on a log that would be reviewed by the lecturer.

Prerequisites:
Successful completion of Module TEFL I.

Required Reading:
A comprehensive course bibliography will be made available on Stud.IP.

Credit:
Regular attendance, active participation in class; term paper

Exam period:
Term paper must be handed in until 15th September 2025.

Registration: Flex-Now

What if we no longer consider films in the ELF classroom as a stopgap, but rather as a multi-faceted opportunity to look for new ways of teaching and learning a foreign language? Films possess broad educational potential and are nowadays a very present, attractive, and popular medium for our pupils in everyday life. In this lecture, we want to find out together where this potential lies as well as to what extent the use of films can contribute to language acquisition in our English lesson. To this end, we will first look at different film genres and examine the central educational aspects of receptive film work with regard to the appropriate methodological approach. In a further step, we will look at interactive, production-oriented approaches to foster competences and we will then try out practical ways of implementing them in the classroom.

Prerequisites:
Successful completion of Module TEFL I.

Required Reading:
A comprehensive course bibliography will be made available on Stud.IP.

Credit:
Regular attendance, active participation in class; term paper

Exam period:
Term paper must be handed in until 15th September 2025.

Registration: Flex-Now

Especially young learners show a lot of interest in writing. However, it can be frustrating when you have difficulties expressing yourself in a foreign language.
This course focuses not only on teaching writing to primary school but also more advanced students. We will also work on the general issue of motivating students. Furthermore, we will have a closer look at the transition of year 4 to 5. The aim is to develop material for lessons as well as projects including ideas for creative writing etc.

Prerequisites:
Successful completion of Module TEFL I.

Required Reading:
All texts will be made available on Stud.IP.

Credit:
Regular attendance, active participation in class; term paper

Exam period:
Term paper must be handed in until 15th September 2025.

Registration: Flex-Now

Help your pupils dive into the world of stories! Authentic literary texts can enrich with their broad potential the EFL classroom in various ways. By strongly engaging the personal-affective dimension of the learner, they foster linguistic-communicative, literary, intercultural and intertextual competences. In this course, we want to explore this potential by focusing on a literary genre which teens are very passionate about as well as by examining didactic-methodological principles of narrative literature in foreign language learning and teaching. Besides working with well-loved English literary works and providing motivating examples for learners at different levels, we will also look at the central role played by factors such as identity, personal growth, conflicts and values.

Prerequisites:
Successful completion of Module TEFL I.

Required Reading:
A comprehensive course bibliography will be made available on Stud.IP.

Credit:
Regular attendance, active participation in class; term paper

Exam period:
Term paper must be handed in until 15th September 2025.

Registration: Flex-Now

The year 1925 marked a significant juncture in the development of literary modernism. This seminar explores the role played by publishing houses and their editors who lastly curated and promoted a new literary culture. By examining key figures such as Virginia and Leonard Woolf at the Hogarth Press and T.S. Eliot at Faber and Faber, we delve into the strategic decisions and creative processes that fostered an era of experimental writing. Reading some of the seminal publications of 1925, we will explore how they challenge traditional narrative forms, experiment with language, and define modernist literature. From Virginia Woolf’s Mrs Dalloway to T.S. Eliot's poetry, we aim to understand not only their aesthetic impact but also their cultural significance, shedding light on how they reflected and shaped the social, political, and intellectual climate of the 1920s. A reader with texts will be available through StudIP from the beginning of term, students are asked to buy Virginia Woolf’s Mrs Dalloway (any edition).

This course will be taught in cooperation with Bonn University and there will be a joint component on the weekend of June 27th/28th where students must take part in a intensive weekend session / student conference (please keep these dates free).

This course exlores the captivating intersection of historical narratives and visual storytelling in graphic novels. We will discuss how they depict pivotal moments from the past and analyse how artists bring historical events to life through dynamic illustrations and powerful narratives. Students will critically examine graphic novels that offer fresh perspectives on history and challenge traditional historiography.

This seminar aims to explore the various ways contemporary music is represented in anglophone fiction. Following a general introduction to the field of musico-literary intermediality, we will analyze several novels that deal with popular music, rock, metal, and hip-hop. For this, we will examine how these musical genres are portrayed in literature and what functions they serve. We will delve into the specific literary techniques used to integrate musical elements into the narrative structure, as well as the cultural and social contexts in which these representations emerge.

We will discuss texts such as Rachel Cohn and David Levithan's "Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist" (2006), John Darnielle's "Master of Reality" (2008), Nick Hornby's "Juliet, Naked" (2009), and Jennifer Egan's "A Visit from the Goon Squad" (2011).

Relevant primary and secondary literature will be uploaded to Stud.IP at the beginning of the semester. However, participants are expected to ensure they have access to appropriate listening devices for individual work sessions and in-class group assignments (e.g., smartphone, laptop or tablet with internet access, and some type of headphones). Regular course attendance, active in-class participation, and submission of assignments are expected.

Exam for Listen Closely - Musico-Literary Intermediality in Contemporary English and American Fiction: Monday, July 21, 2025.

Sweeney Todd, "the demon barber of Fleet Street", is one of the most captivating literary creations of the Victorian Age. This course explores his multifaceted existence across diverse mediums and genres. We will discuss how this iconic character has been reimagined, adapted, and transformed over time, shedding light on the creative liberties taken while preserving the essence of a timeless villainous figure on page, stage and screen.

On 19 February 1942, shortly after Japan’s attack on the U.S. Naval Station Pearl Harbour, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed executive order 9066, authorising the removal of all Japanese Americans living in the Pacific Coast region. This resulted in the forced evacuation of over 120,000 persons of Japanese ancestry to internment camps in America’s interior regions. One month later over 22,000 Japanese Canadians living in British Columbia would be forcibly relocated and interned in a similar manner, this number making up over 90% of the entire Japanese Canadian population at the time. While the internment of Japanese Americans and Canadians was justified as a reactionary and necessary wartime measure against enemies of these nations, the fact remains that approximately two thirds of the internees were Nisei and Sansei, second- and third-generation American-born citizens. It would later become clear that the community posed no real security risk, and that internment was a result of xenophobia and economic paranoia on both accounts.

The governments’ decisions to exclude citizens on the basis of race, to deny their civil rights, and to displace them during the war had an irreversible effect on the community, resulting in the loss of language, cultural practices, and dissolution of families. This seminar will explore how three books on internment propose to answer the central question of what it means to be ethnically Japanese in North America’s multicultural environment, as informed by a history of internment, marginalisation, and racial injustice. Here we will evaluate how contemporary fiction narratives are able to step into dialogue with historical discourse and challenge the silencing rhetoric that informed internment in North America.

After a generalised introduction to internment, we will be reading Joy Kogawa’s seminal novel Obasan (1981), before moving on to John Okada’s No-No Boy (1957) and George Takei’s They Called Us Enemy (2019).

Secondary sources will be uploaded to Stud.IP. Participants are expected to read the relevant primary sources in advance of the sessions. Regular course attendance, active in-class participation, and submission of assignments are expected.

This seminar invites students to embark on a critical exploration of how authors have depicted England and its regions throughout literary history. It challenges traditional notions of a singular 'England' by examining the diverse ways writers have engaged with place, region, and nationhood. We will analyze how literary works construct and contest spatial identities, exploring themes such as regional identity, national belonging, and the power dynamics embedded in representations of space. A reader with all set texts will be available through StudIP from the beginning of term.

This course will provide an introduction to the literary genre of science fiction, with a particular focus on how this literature deals with the nature of, and relationship between, the human and the nonhuman. We will discuss the features and history of the genre, and we will analyze texts by Isaac Asimov, Stanisław Lem, Arthur C. Clarke, Ursula K. Le Guin, James Tiptree Jr. (pseudonym of Alice Sheldon), Greg Egan, Ted Chiang, and Kim Bo-Young. By delving into some of the most important theoretical issues that animate the field of science fiction studies, such as the theory of cognitive estrangement (Darko Suvin) and the genre’s relationship with the scientific imagination, we will investigate the various ways in which science fiction is able to question, reconfigure, and generate new perspectives on the human, the alien, and everything in between.

Course Description
This seminar explores the development of Anglophone poetry from the Middle Ages to the present day. By engaging in close readings and contextual discussions, students will trace the evolution of poetic forms, themes, and functions. The course highlights how poetry has responded to and shaped cultural, historical, and political movements, from medieval manuscript culture to 17th century political revolutions, 18th century satire, Mid-19th century confessional poetry, to contemporary digital poetry in anglophone cultures. Students will develop analytical skills through textual interpretation and comparative discussion, considering how poetic voices across centuries resonate with or challenge one another. We will also discuss poetry’s ongoing relevance and explore together what differentiates reading poetry cognitively from engaging with other media, highlighting its unique stance as an art form. Finally, students willing to engage in creative practices will be invited to write their own poetry, as the seminar concludes with its very own Poetry Slam in the final session.

Learning Objectives
By the end of the course, students will:
- Understand the major periods, forms, and movements in Anglophone poetry.
- Analyze poetry in relation to historical and cultural contexts.
- Develop close reading and interpretive skills.
- Engage critically with poetic language, form, and aesthetics.
- Explore the role of poetry in articulating personal, national, and global identities.

On 19 February 1942, shortly after Japan’s attack on the U.S. Naval Station Pearl Harbour, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed executive order 9066, authorising the removal of all Japanese Americans living in the Pacific Coast region. This resulted in the forced evacuation of over 120,000 persons of Japanese ancestry to internment camps in America’s interior regions. One month later over 22,000 Japanese Canadians living in British Columbia would be forcibly relocated and interned in a similar manner, this number making up over 90% of the entire Japanese Canadian population at the time. While the internment of Japanese Americans and Canadians was justified as a reactionary and necessary wartime measure against enemies of these nations, the fact remains that approximately two thirds of the internees were Nisei and Sansei, second- and third-generation American-born citizens. It would later become clear that the community posed no real security risk, and that internment was a result of xenophobia and economic paranoia on both accounts.

The governments’ decisions to exclude citizens on the basis of race, to deny their civil rights, and to displace them during the war had an irreversible effect on the community, resulting in the loss of language, cultural practices, and dissolution of families. This seminar will explore how three books on internment propose to answer the central question of what it means to be ethnically Japanese in North America’s multicultural environment, as informed by a history of internment, marginalisation, and racial injustice. Here we will evaluate how contemporary fiction narratives are able to step into dialogue with historical discourse and challenge the silencing rhetoric that informed internment in North America.

After a generalised introduction to internment, we will be reading Joy Kogawa’s seminal novel Obasan (1981), before moving on to John Okada’s No-No Boy (1957) and George Takei’s They Called Us Enemy (2019).

Secondary sources will be uploaded to Stud.IP. Participants are expected to read the relevant primary sources in advance of the sessions. Regular course attendance, active in-class participation, and submission of assignments are expected.

This course will provide an introduction to the literary genre of science fiction, with a particular focus on how this literature deals with the nature of, and relationship between, the human and the nonhuman. We will discuss the features and history of the genre, and we will analyze texts by Isaac Asimov, Stanisław Lem, Arthur C. Clarke, Ursula K. Le Guin, James Tiptree Jr. (pseudonym of Alice Sheldon), Greg Egan, Ted Chiang, and Kim Bo-Young. By delving into some of the most important theoretical issues that animate the field of science fiction studies, such as the theory of cognitive estrangement (Darko Suvin) and the genre’s relationship with the scientific imagination, we will investigate the various ways in which science fiction is able to question, reconfigure, and generate new perspectives on the human, the alien, and everything in between.

Course Description
This seminar explores the development of Anglophone poetry from the Middle Ages to the present day. By engaging in close readings and contextual discussions, students will trace the evolution of poetic forms, themes, and functions. The course highlights how poetry has responded to and shaped cultural, historical, and political movements, from medieval manuscript culture to 17th century political revolutions, 18th century satire, Mid-19th century confessional poetry, to contemporary digital poetry in anglophone cultures. Students will develop analytical skills through textual interpretation and comparative discussion, considering how poetic voices across centuries resonate with or challenge one another. We will also discuss poetry’s ongoing relevance and explore together what differentiates reading poetry cognitively from engaging with other media, highlighting its unique stance as an art form. Finally, students willing to engage in creative practices will be invited to write their own poetry, as the seminar concludes with its very own Poetry Slam in the final session.

Learning Objectives
By the end of the course, students will:
- Understand the major periods, forms, and movements in Anglophone poetry.
- Analyze poetry in relation to historical and cultural contexts.
- Develop close reading and interpretive skills.
- Engage critically with poetic language, form, and aesthetics.
- Explore the role of poetry in articulating personal, national, and global identities.

On 19 February 1942, shortly after Japan’s attack on the U.S. Naval Station Pearl Harbour, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed executive order 9066, authorising the removal of all Japanese Americans living in the Pacific Coast region. This resulted in the forced evacuation of over 120,000 persons of Japanese ancestry to internment camps in America’s interior regions. One month later over 22,000 Japanese Canadians living in British Columbia would be forcibly relocated and interned in a similar manner, this number making up over 90% of the entire Japanese Canadian population at the time. While the internment of Japanese Americans and Canadians was justified as a reactionary and necessary wartime measure against enemies of these nations, the fact remains that approximately two thirds of the internees were Nisei and Sansei, second- and third-generation American-born citizens. It would later become clear that the community posed no real security risk, and that internment was a result of xenophobia and economic paranoia on both accounts.

The governments’ decisions to exclude citizens on the basis of race, to deny their civil rights, and to displace them during the war had an irreversible effect on the community, resulting in the loss of language, cultural practices, and dissolution of families. This seminar will explore how three books on internment propose to answer the central question of what it means to be ethnically Japanese in North America’s multicultural environment, as informed by a history of internment, marginalisation, and racial injustice. Here we will evaluate how contemporary fiction narratives are able to step into dialogue with historical discourse and challenge the silencing rhetoric that informed internment in North America.

After a generalised introduction to internment, we will be reading Joy Kogawa’s seminal novel Obasan (1981), before moving on to John Okada’s No-No Boy (1957) and George Takei’s They Called Us Enemy (2019).

Secondary sources will be uploaded to Stud.IP. Participants are expected to read the relevant primary sources in advance of the sessions. Regular course attendance, active in-class participation, and submission of assignments are expected.

The year 1925 marked a significant juncture in the development of literary modernism. This seminar explores the role played by publishing houses and their editors who lastly curated and promoted a new literary culture. By examining key figures such as Virginia and Leonard Woolf at the Hogarth Press and T.S. Eliot at Faber and Faber, we delve into the strategic decisions and creative processes that fostered an era of experimental writing. Reading some of the seminal publications of 1925, we will explore how they challenge traditional narrative forms, experiment with language, and define modernist literature. From Virginia Woolf’s Mrs Dalloway to T.S. Eliot's poetry, we aim to understand not only their aesthetic impact but also their cultural significance, shedding light on how they reflected and shaped the social, political, and intellectual climate of the 1920s. A reader with texts will be available through StudIP from the beginning of term, students are asked to buy Virginia Woolf’s Mrs Dalloway (any edition).

This course will be taught in cooperation with Bonn University and there will be a joint component on the weekend of June 27th/28th where students must take part in a intensive weekend session / student conference (please keep these dates free).

This course exlores the captivating intersection of historical narratives and visual storytelling in graphic novels. We will discuss how they depict pivotal moments from the past and analyse how artists bring historical events to life through dynamic illustrations and powerful narratives. Students will critically examine graphic novels that offer fresh perspectives on history and challenge traditional historiography.

This seminar aims to explore the various ways contemporary music is represented in anglophone fiction. Following a general introduction to the field of musico-literary intermediality, we will analyze several novels that deal with popular music, rock, metal, and hip-hop. For this, we will examine how these musical genres are portrayed in literature and what functions they serve. We will delve into the specific literary techniques used to integrate musical elements into the narrative structure, as well as the cultural and social contexts in which these representations emerge.

We will discuss texts such as Rachel Cohn and David Levithan's "Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist" (2006), John Darnielle's "Master of Reality" (2008), Nick Hornby's "Juliet, Naked" (2009), and Jennifer Egan's "A Visit from the Goon Squad" (2011).

Relevant primary and secondary literature will be uploaded to Stud.IP at the beginning of the semester. However, participants are expected to ensure they have access to appropriate listening devices for individual work sessions and in-class group assignments (e.g., smartphone, laptop or tablet with internet access, and some type of headphones). Regular course attendance, active in-class participation, and submission of assignments are expected.

Exam for Listen Closely - Musico-Literary Intermediality in Contemporary English and American Fiction: Monday, July 21, 2025.

This seminar invites students to embark on a critical exploration of how authors have depicted England and its regions throughout literary history. It challenges traditional notions of a singular 'England' by examining the diverse ways writers have engaged with place, region, and nationhood. We will analyze how literary works construct and contest spatial identities, exploring themes such as regional identity, national belonging, and the power dynamics embedded in representations of space. A reader with all set texts will be available through StudIP from the beginning of term.

"Modernism, War, and the Mind" uses British literary testimonials to think about the profound impact of war on the modernist imagination, exploring how writers of this era grappled with the psychological aftermath of conflict. By analyzing texts characterized by fragmented narratives and philosophical introspection, we aim to uncover the complex ways in which writers navigated the psyche's response to war. We will look at selected texts, both poetry and selected prose responses, a reader with all set texts will be available through StudIP from the beginning of term.

Juvenilia are literary works written by authors during their youth. In this course we will discuss a wide range of texts in various genres written during the long nineteenth century by British authors like Jane Austen, the Brontës and Virginia Woolf.

This seminar explores the intersections between postcolonial theory, cosmopolitanism, and world literature, offering a critical lens to examine the complexities of cultural exchange and global literary production in the modern era. By engaging with key concepts such as hybridity, translatability, and cultural dialogue, we aim to unpack the ways postcolonial contexts shape and challenge traditional notions of literary study. We will look at definitions of key concepts and read core theories, considering questions of identity, belonging, and the ethics of representation across diverse cultural landscapes. A reader with all set texts will be available through StudIP from the beginning of term.

This course is designed to introduce students to poetry analysis. We will start out by discussing what poetry is and why it matters. We will then move on to explore ways of reading and understanding poetry, looking at different technical matters and a broad range of examples. At the end of the course, we will consider different ways of writing about poetry and students will practise their writing skills.

Sweeney Todd, "the demon barber of Fleet Street", is one of the most captivating literary creations of the Victorian Age. This course explores his multifaceted existence across diverse mediums and genres. We will discuss how this iconic character has been reimagined, adapted, and transformed over time, shedding light on the creative liberties taken while preserving the essence of a timeless villainous figure on page, stage and screen.

The year 1925 marked a significant juncture in the development of literary modernism. This seminar explores the role played by publishing houses and their editors who lastly curated and promoted a new literary culture. By examining key figures such as Virginia and Leonard Woolf at the Hogarth Press and T.S. Eliot at Faber and Faber, we delve into the strategic decisions and creative processes that fostered an era of experimental writing. Reading some of the seminal publications of 1925, we will explore how they challenge traditional narrative forms, experiment with language, and define modernist literature. From Virginia Woolf’s Mrs Dalloway to T.S. Eliot's poetry, we aim to understand not only their aesthetic impact but also their cultural significance, shedding light on how they reflected and shaped the social, political, and intellectual climate of the 1920s. A reader with texts will be available through StudIP from the beginning of term, students are asked to buy Virginia Woolf’s Mrs Dalloway (any edition).

This course will be taught in cooperation with Bonn University and there will be a joint component on the weekend of June 27th/28th where students must take part in a intensive weekend session / student conference (please keep these dates free).

This course exlores the captivating intersection of historical narratives and visual storytelling in graphic novels. We will discuss how they depict pivotal moments from the past and analyse how artists bring historical events to life through dynamic illustrations and powerful narratives. Students will critically examine graphic novels that offer fresh perspectives on history and challenge traditional historiography.

This seminar aims to explore the various ways contemporary music is represented in anglophone fiction. Following a general introduction to the field of musico-literary intermediality, we will analyze several novels that deal with popular music, rock, metal, and hip-hop. For this, we will examine how these musical genres are portrayed in literature and what functions they serve. We will delve into the specific literary techniques used to integrate musical elements into the narrative structure, as well as the cultural and social contexts in which these representations emerge.

We will discuss texts such as Rachel Cohn and David Levithan's "Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist" (2006), John Darnielle's "Master of Reality" (2008), Nick Hornby's "Juliet, Naked" (2009), and Jennifer Egan's "A Visit from the Goon Squad" (2011).

Relevant primary and secondary literature will be uploaded to Stud.IP at the beginning of the semester. However, participants are expected to ensure they have access to appropriate listening devices for individual work sessions and in-class group assignments (e.g., smartphone, laptop or tablet with internet access, and some type of headphones). Regular course attendance, active in-class participation, and submission of assignments are expected.

Exam for Listen Closely - Musico-Literary Intermediality in Contemporary English and American Fiction: Monday, July 21, 2025.

This seminar invites students to embark on a critical exploration of how authors have depicted England and its regions throughout literary history. It challenges traditional notions of a singular 'England' by examining the diverse ways writers have engaged with place, region, and nationhood. We will analyze how literary works construct and contest spatial identities, exploring themes such as regional identity, national belonging, and the power dynamics embedded in representations of space. A reader with all set texts will be available through StudIP from the beginning of term.

"Modernism, War, and the Mind" uses British literary testimonials to think about the profound impact of war on the modernist imagination, exploring how writers of this era grappled with the psychological aftermath of conflict. By analyzing texts characterized by fragmented narratives and philosophical introspection, we aim to uncover the complex ways in which writers navigated the psyche's response to war. We will look at selected texts, both poetry and selected prose responses, a reader with all set texts will be available through StudIP from the beginning of term.

Juvenilia are literary works written by authors during their youth. In this course we will discuss a wide range of texts in various genres written during the long nineteenth century by British authors like Jane Austen, the Brontës and Virginia Woolf.

This seminar explores the intersections between postcolonial theory, cosmopolitanism, and world literature, offering a critical lens to examine the complexities of cultural exchange and global literary production in the modern era. By engaging with key concepts such as hybridity, translatability, and cultural dialogue, we aim to unpack the ways postcolonial contexts shape and challenge traditional notions of literary study. We will look at definitions of key concepts and read core theories, considering questions of identity, belonging, and the ethics of representation across diverse cultural landscapes. A reader with all set texts will be available through StudIP from the beginning of term.

This course is designed to introduce students to poetry analysis. We will start out by discussing what poetry is and why it matters. We will then move on to explore ways of reading and understanding poetry, looking at different technical matters and a broad range of examples. At the end of the course, we will consider different ways of writing about poetry and students will practise their writing skills.

Sweeney Todd, "the demon barber of Fleet Street", is one of the most captivating literary creations of the Victorian Age. This course explores his multifaceted existence across diverse mediums and genres. We will discuss how this iconic character has been reimagined, adapted, and transformed over time, shedding light on the creative liberties taken while preserving the essence of a timeless villainous figure on page, stage and screen.

Focusing on the grammar of the English verb phrase (tense and aspect, modality, non-finite constructions), this course is designed to help students solidify and extend their grasp of core areas of English grammar and make the transition from upper intermediate level to lower advanced level (B2 to C1). Making this transition not only involves getting a firm grip on the essentials (structures already covered at school but all too often either forgotten or never properly mastered in the first place), it also involves adding some of those finer points that need to be mastered on the steep and thorny way to advanced language competence.

Building on Speaking and Listening I, this course aims to develop students’ communicative competence in speaking and listening for academic purposes at the C1 level of the CEFR. Engaging with discipline-specific topics in cultural studies, literary criticism, education, and/or linguistics, students will continue to practice decoding aural input and effectively communicating ideas orally in an academic setting.

This advanced-level course focuses on orally mediating information from complex academic sources—both spoken and written—with a strong emphasis on audience orientation. To achieve this, special attention will be given to features of complex oral texts that facilitate aural comprehension, including register and style, coherence and cohesion, introductions, and the explication of textual support.

Building on Speaking and Listening I, this course aims to develop students’ communicative competence in speaking and listening for academic purposes at the C1 level of the CEFR. Engaging with discipline-specific topics in cultural studies, literary criticism, education, and/or linguistics, students will continue to practice decoding aural input and effectively communicating ideas orally in an academic setting.

This advanced-level course focuses on orally mediating information from complex academic sources—both spoken and written—with a strong emphasis on audience orientation. To achieve this, special attention will be given to features of complex oral texts that facilitate aural comprehension, including register and style, coherence and cohesion, introductions, and the explication of textual support.

Building on Speaking and Listening I, this course aims to develop students’ communicative competence in speaking and listening for academic purposes at the C1 level of the CEFR. Engaging with discipline-specific topics in cultural studies, literary criticism, education, and/or linguistics, students will continue to practice decoding aural input and effectively communicating ideas orally in an academic setting.

This advanced-level course focuses on orally mediating information from complex academic sources—both spoken and written—with a strong emphasis on audience orientation. To achieve this, special attention will be given to features of complex oral texts that facilitate aural comprehension, including register and style, coherence and cohesion, introductions, and the explication of textual support.