This lecture will provide an overview over the history of American literature through the various periods of literary and social development. The lecture will introduce students to some of the most important writers and selected texts of their oeuvre and will discuss the literary aesthetics and genres that are usually influenced by historical events. Mandatory texts to read are assigned for each lecture, from the early beginnings of American literature to contemporary times.

For the Basic module Introduction to English Literatures (Part 2), students can choose between History of British Literature and History of American Literature; students can attend both lectures if interested but have to finish one with a written exam. Students may not write the exam in both and choose the better result; students have to choose the exam beforehand.

All reading and information material will be made available through Stud.IP; hence prior enrollment via Stud.IP is mandatory.
Requirements are regular attendance, in-depth knowledge of reading material, and active class discussion. Reading the texts is mandatory.

This course offers a concise overview of British literary history from the Middle Ages to the present. Individual sessions address the majors concerns of specific literary periods, introduce students to some of the most important writers and their oeuvre in their historical context, and discuss significant socio-cultural and historical events, as well as aesthetic shifts and the developments of different genres. Excerpts (compulsory reading) are used to illustrate these shifts and period characteristics.

Required Reading:
A reader will be available on Stud.IP. The Norton Anthology of English Literature is a good investment for the entire course of your studies.

For the Basic module Introduction to English Literatures (Part 2), students can choose between History of British Literature and History of American Literature; students can attend both lectures if interested but have to finish one with a written exam. Students may not write the exam in both and choose the better result; students have to choose the exam beforehand."

In this course we will look at some key historical events that have impacted the historical development, standardisation, global expansion and diversification of the English language around the world. The course aims to help you to understand and explain how the linguistic development of the English language is related to events in the political and social history of the British Isles and beyond, and, as a future teacher, how apparent irregularities in Present-Day English which are, in many cases, remnants of earlier, regular patterns, can be explained historically. We will also examine the reasons for the the global expansion and diversification of English in various cultural contexts that has given rise to an enormous linguistic variation across English-speaking cultures around the world.

For an entertaining and insightful quick introduction see the series of short videos "The History of English in Ten Minutes" produced by the Open University: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLA03075BAD88B909E

In this seminar, students get an introduction to the history of English, i.e. Old English, Middle English and Early Modern English. This class includes weekly discussions and tasks. In the second half of the seminar, we continue to study the historical events, current status of major varieties and differences of world varieties from North America, Australia to Africa and Asia with a focus on their structural and phonological features. We will follow the debates about English as a cause of language death, and talk about the place of English in language policies and language planning.

In this seminar, students get an introduction to the history of English, i.e. Old English, Middle English and Early Modern English. This class includes weekly discussions and tasks. In the second half of the seminar, we continue to study the historical events, current status of major varieties and differences of world varieties from North America, Australia to Africa and Asia with a focus on their structural and phonological features. We will follow the debates about English as a cause of language death, and talk about the place of English in language policies and language planning.

This semester will allow you to develop your academic writing skills in terms of both structure and
language. To this purpose, we will look at 2 key writing strategies, namely problem/solution and
comparison/contrast, in order to explore the essential elements of academic writing such as
formulating a strong thesis statement and providing a clear writing structure for the reader. We will
also discuss the need for good citation skills as well as how to avoid plagiarism when writing
academic texts.
In terms of language competence, we will be working with key areas of language in order to improve
the areas of syntax, grammatical accuracy and lexical choice. These are all important aspects of all
good writing and will be the foundation upon which to build language practice and improve linguistic competence. We will also look at how you can yourself can move forward and improve as an autonomous learner by accessing relevant learning materials

This class will give you the opportunity to improve confidence and competence when using English in the context of the primary school classroom. We will be exploring a variety of materials that can be directly applied to the classroom setting whilst at the same time developing individual language skills in terms of pronunciation and intonation, important skills as a role model for your future pupils. In this way, the work you do this semester will be largely hands-on and practical, relating to the specific needs you have as future primary school teachers.
We will look into areas of vocabulary necessary at this primary level of learning and explore different strategies and methods for presenting them to young learners. For example, is the best way to teach
the parts of the body through a physical activity game or a craftwork task? How might these
approaches work differently for different pupils and does it have to be one or the other? You will be
able to explore the advantages and challenges of different approaches as you move forward to
develop your own teaching style.
In addition to this teaching-related content, we will also focus on spoken language itself, on the
correct pronunciation of important terms and words as well as how to use intonation as a teaching
tool. Through storytelling and reading, and group and pair work you will be able to improve fluency
and confidence in speaking. We will also discuss practice language and phrases used for classroom
discourse and management.

This lecture will provide an overview over the history of American literature through the various periods of literary and social development. The lecture will introduce students to some of the most important writers and selected texts of their oeuvre and will discuss the literary aesthetics and genres that are usually influenced by historical events. Mandatory texts to read are assigned for each lecture, from the early beginnings of American literature to contemporary times.

For the Basic module Introduction to English Literatures (Part 2), students can choose between History of British Literature and History of American Literature; students can attend both lectures if interested but have to finish one with a written exam. Students may not write the exam in both and choose the better result; students have to choose the exam beforehand.

All reading and information material will be made available through Stud.IP; hence prior enrollment via Stud.IP is mandatory.
Requirements are regular attendance, in-depth knowledge of reading material, and active class discussion. Reading the texts is mandatory.

This course offers a concise overview of British literary history from the Middle Ages to the present. Individual sessions address the majors concerns of specific literary periods, introduce students to some of the most important writers and their oeuvre in their historical context, and discuss significant socio-cultural and historical events, as well as aesthetic shifts and the developments of different genres. Excerpts (compulsory reading) are used to illustrate these shifts and period characteristics.

Required Reading:
A reader will be available on Stud.IP. The Norton Anthology of English Literature is a good investment for the entire course of your studies.

For the Basic module Introduction to English Literatures (Part 2), students can choose between History of British Literature and History of American Literature; students can attend both lectures if interested but have to finish one with a written exam. Students may not write the exam in both and choose the better result; students have to choose the exam beforehand."

In this course we will look at some key historical events that have impacted the historical development, standardisation, global expansion and diversification of the English language around the world. The course aims to help you to understand and explain how the linguistic development of the English language is related to events in the political and social history of the British Isles and beyond, and, as a future teacher, how apparent irregularities in Present-Day English which are, in many cases, remnants of earlier, regular patterns, can be explained historically. We will also examine the reasons for the the global expansion and diversification of English in various cultural contexts that has given rise to an enormous linguistic variation across English-speaking cultures around the world.

For an entertaining and insightful quick introduction see the series of short videos "The History of English in Ten Minutes" produced by the Open University: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLA03075BAD88B909E

In this seminar, students get an introduction to the history of English, i.e. Old English, Middle English and Early Modern English. This class includes weekly discussions and tasks. In the second half of the seminar, we continue to study the historical events, current status of major varieties and differences of world varieties from North America, Australia to Africa and Asia with a focus on their structural and phonological features. We will follow the debates about English as a cause of language death, and talk about the place of English in language policies and language planning.

In this seminar, students get an introduction to the history of English, i.e. Old English, Middle English and Early Modern English. This class includes weekly discussions and tasks. In the second half of the seminar, we continue to study the historical events, current status of major varieties and differences of world varieties from North America, Australia to Africa and Asia with a focus on their structural and phonological features. We will follow the debates about English as a cause of language death, and talk about the place of English in language policies and language planning.