Fachbereich 05: Sprache, Literatur, Kultur - Anglistik - Bachelor of Arts (Studienbeginn bis Wintersemester 2019/20)

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.

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.

This course aims to develop students' communicative competence in reading and writing for academic purposes at the C1 level of the CEFR. Through engagement with discipline-specific topics, students will practice decoding primary and secondary sources and articulating their ideas in academic prose that is both formally and functionally appropriate for term papers. Special attention will be given to refining mediation skills (adapting and conveying complex information to suit a specific audience’s needs) and metacognitive skills (monitoring one’s own writing process).

This course aims to develop students’ communicative competence in reading and writing for academic purposes at the C1 level of the CEFR. Through engagement with discipline-specific topics, students will practice decoding primary and secondary sources and articulating their ideas in academic prose that is both formally and functionally appropriate for term papers. Special attention will be given to refining mediation skills (adapting and conveying complex information to suit a specific audience’s needs) and metacognitive skills (monitoring one’s own writing process).

This course aims to develop students’ communicative competence in reading and writing for academic purposes at the C1 level of the CEFR. Through engagement with discipline-specific topics, students will practice decoding primary and secondary sources and articulating their ideas in academic prose that is both formally and functionally appropriate for term papers. Special attention will be given to refining mediation skills (adapting and conveying complex information to suit a specific audience’s needs) and metacognitive skills (monitoring one’s own writing process).

This course aims to develop students’ communicative competence in reading and writing for academic purposes at the C1 level of the CEFR. Through engagement with discipline-specific topics, students will practice decoding primary and secondary sources and articulating their ideas in academic prose that is both formally and functionally appropriate for term papers. Special attention will be given to refining mediation skills (adapting and conveying complex information to suit a specific audience’s needs) and metacognitive skills (monitoring one’s own writing process).

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.

This course aims to develop students' communicative competence in reading and writing for academic purposes at the C1 level of the CEFR. Through engagement with discipline-specific topics, students will practice decoding primary and secondary sources and articulating their ideas in academic prose that is both formally and functionally appropriate for term papers. Special attention will be given to refining mediation skills (adapting and conveying complex information to suit a specific audience’s needs) and metacognitive skills (monitoring one’s own writing process).

This course aims to develop students’ communicative competence in reading and writing for academic purposes at the C1 level of the CEFR. Through engagement with discipline-specific topics, students will practice decoding primary and secondary sources and articulating their ideas in academic prose that is both formally and functionally appropriate for term papers. Special attention will be given to refining mediation skills (adapting and conveying complex information to suit a specific audience’s needs) and metacognitive skills (monitoring one’s own writing process).

This course aims to develop students’ communicative competence in reading and writing for academic purposes at the C1 level of the CEFR. Through engagement with discipline-specific topics, students will practice decoding primary and secondary sources and articulating their ideas in academic prose that is both formally and functionally appropriate for term papers. Special attention will be given to refining mediation skills (adapting and conveying complex information to suit a specific audience’s needs) and metacognitive skills (monitoring one’s own writing process).

This course aims to develop students’ communicative competence in reading and writing for academic purposes at the C1 level of the CEFR. Through engagement with discipline-specific topics, students will practice decoding primary and secondary sources and articulating their ideas in academic prose that is both formally and functionally appropriate for term papers. Special attention will be given to refining mediation skills (adapting and conveying complex information to suit a specific audience’s needs) and metacognitive skills (monitoring one’s own writing process).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.