This course continues the general introduction to English Linguistics from last semester, focusing on how to do empirical work in linguistics. Students will be introduced to the different ways, methods and tools to obtain, process and analyze linguistic data. The following topics will be covered: research methodology and design, types of data collection, experiments, corpus linguistics, online dictionaries, transcription, and quantitative approaches to data analysis.

Coursework and assessment

You are expected to read and prepare selected texts for each session. The coursework will focus on real-life linguistic data and exercises which are designed to help you apply selected methods and tools and critically discuss their usefulness. You are required to submit a portfolio comprising different data-based tasks ("worksheets") and other assignments that will be worked on in the course of the semester.


Basic introductory textbooks

Sealey, A. (2010), Researching English Language. A resource book for students. London: Routledge.
Wray, A. & A. Bloomer (2012), Projects in Linguistics and Language Studies. 3rd edition. London: Hodder Education.
E-book at http://lib.myilibrary.com/Open.aspx?id=368803

This course continues the general introduction to English Linguistics from last semester, focusing on how to do empirical work in linguistics. Students will be introduced to the different ways, methods and tools to obtain, process and analyze linguistic data. The following topics will be covered: research methodology and design, types of data collection, experiments, corpus linguistics, online dictionaries, transcription, and quantitative approaches to data analysis.

Coursework and assessment

You are expected to read and prepare selected texts for each session. The coursework will focus on real-life linguistic data and exercises which are designed to help you apply selected methods and tools and critically discuss their usefulness. You are required to submit a portfolio comprising different data-based tasks ("worksheets") and other assignments that will be worked on in the course of the semester.


Basic introductory textbooks

Sealey, A. (2010), Researching English Language. A resource book for students. London: Routledge.
Wray, A. & A. Bloomer (2012), Projects in Linguistics and Language Studies. 3rd edition. London: Hodder Education.
E-book at http://lib.myilibrary.com/Open.aspx?id=368803

Module convenor: Dr Jana Nittel (jnittel@uni-bremen.de)
Lecturers: Dr. Sukla Chatterjee and Dr. Jana Nittel

Introduction to English Literatures [Part 2] (3 CP)

This introductory course will attempt to offer students access to literary studies at university level and try to balance scholarly considerations with aesthetic enjoyment. As this is a continuation of the foundation module course “Introduction to English Literatures, Part I”, students will be asked to review the methodology of poetry, drama and narrative analysis. Having gathered historical and textual skills in dealing with various genres, this course will explore theoretical key concepts in literary and cultural studies.

The course will run as four groups. All course participants are required to register on Stud.IP for one of these four groups A, B, C or D by selecting the option “Participants/ TeilnehmerInnen” on Stud.IP, followed by “Functions/Groups”. Please select only one group and be aware that the number of students who are permitted to sign up for each group is limited (room size) and that your registration is mandatory (March, 15th 2019).

Please explore the sections “Information” and “Schedule” on Stud. IP. for further details such as requirements, weekly schedule, select bibliography, reference only section in the library, modes of assessment and the exam schedule. Erasmus Exchange Students and Free Movers - please check requirements as outlined.

Module description: http://www.fb10.uni-bremen.de/anglistik/ba2/module.aspx
Departmental extended reading list (Literatures in English): http://www.fb10.uni-bremen.de/anglistik/literaturwissenschaft/default.aspx

Students are expected to read and prepare selected texts for each session. You will need access to the following materials. Copies of the texts can be purchased at the bookstore on our campus (Universitätsbuchhandlung Bremen: www.unibuch-bremen.de). In addition, you will find copies in the reference-only section on the third floor of the library building and materials will be made available on Stud.IP.

Middeke, Martin, et al., editors. English and American Studies: Theory and Practice (Italics), Metzler, 2012.
Pope, Rob. Studying English Literature and Language: An Introduction and Companion (Italics). 3rd ed., Routledge, 2012.

Requirements:

• regular attendance, informed participation in class discussion,
• in-depth knowledge of the selected reading material and course materials,
• final written test at Test Center (University Boulevard).

In this seminar, students get an introduction to the history of English, i.e. Old English, Middle English and Early Modern English. In the second half of the seminar, we study the major varieties of British and North American English as well as other world varieties 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. In the second half of the seminar, we study the major varieties of British and North American English as well as other world varieties 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 class attempts to introduce students to varieties of (spoken) English in the Mediterranean, a linguistically diverse area encompassing numerous islands and nation states with differing national languages, cultures and histories. Given differing roles and statuses of English in the Mediterranean countries, they are commonly considered either Outer or Expanding circle countries (Kachru '85).
Principal focus of this seminar will be on varieties of English spoken in Spain, Gibraltar, Cyprus and Malta. Students will examine spoken data (at times also written texts) and conduct linguistic analyses with a special focus on phonologic and phonetic analyses, utilizing PRAAT where applicable. Further, theoretical concepts central to language change and contact (e.g. ENL-ESL-ESF/standard/national/first language) will be encountered and critically debated. Moreover, current models of Word Englishes (e.g. Kachru ‘85, Schneider ‘07, Mair ‘16) and their possible application to the Mediterranean context will be reviewed.

Requirements:

WD-2a: Studienleistung [pass/fail]
• Active participation: obligatory readings, some homework, some in-class (group) tasks, short presentation +
• Oral presentation (20 min)


WD-2c: Prüfungsleistung [grade]
• Active participation: obligatory readings, some homework, some in-class (group) tasks, short presentation +
• Oral presentation (30 min) + 1 Worksheet + Reading assignment

This course offers a general vision of those aspects related to vocabulary acquisition and learning in a second/foreign language. First, we will present some psycholinguistic questions on lexical knowledge and development (structure and organization), what it means to know a word (receptive and productive levels), types of associations (syntagmatic and paradigmatic), implicit and explicit learning, as well as other factors that influence vocabulary learning (collocations, categories and meanings). Secondly, we will deal with different research topics in the field focusing especially on testing: how to elicit various types of lexical knowledge, which tests formats are more adequate, how to measure lexical richness, obtain vocabulary profiles or estimations of vocabulary size and the use of frequency lists and specialised vocabulary.

We will also see the relationship between vocabulary and receptive/productive linguistic abilities: speaking, listening, writing and reading (e.g. graded books or text coverage). Finally, some pedagogical implications of research findings on teaching and on the design of language learning programmes will be shown (e.g. the planning of the lexical component of a language course).

Assessment:

You can choose to write either a short term paper (based on a small-scale empirical research) or an oral presentation. The oral presentation should also be based on some empirical project and should be presented in the context of the one-day Bremen Student Conference in English Linguistics. More information will be provided in due time.

The purpose of this seminar is to introduce students to the flourishing genre of science plays. In recent decades, playwrights show an increasing interest in portraying science and scientists on the theatrical stage. While the interaction between science and theater is not a new phenomenon, as examples such as Christopher Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus prove, there exists a veritable boom of science playwriting in recent decades.

In this course we will discuss selected science plays from different English-speaking countries and periods that embrace a variety of scientific fields, ideas, (historic) persona, and moments in the history of science in order to gain an impression of this interdisciplinary genre, its different manifestations, its historical development, and the conditions of its production and reception. In addition to an in-depth analysis and interpretation of the selected texts, we will look at science plays in the context of the history of science, gender theory, literary history, ethics in science, as well as science communication and popularization.

Requirements:
- regular attendance and active participation
- in-depth knowledge of the reading material
- presentation (and handout) and/or final paper

A detailed syllabus will be handed out in the first session. Please note that this is a four-day seminar taking place on April 12 (12 - 3 pm), May 3, 4, and 10 (10 am - 5 pm).

Please purchase your own copies of the following plays:
Auburn, David. Proof. New York: Dramatists Play Service: 2001. ISBN: 9780822217824
Marlowe, Christopher. Doctor Faustus. New York and London: Norton Critical Edition. 2005. ISBN: 0393977544
Stephenson, Shelagh. An Experiment with an Air Pump. London: Bloomsbury Methuen Drama, 1998. ISBN: 9780413733108
Ziegler, Anna. Photograph 51. New York: Dramatists Play Service, 2011. ISBN: 9780822225089

It would be great if we could all work with the same editions. Should you experience any trouble with purchasing the plays, please contact me.

Please note that prior enrolment via Stud.IP is mandatory.

This course (VAK: 10-76-4-D2/WD2-01) welcomes students who wish to complete the following modules: M.A. TnL Profilmodul I: Literatur 10-M83-2; MA TnL Vertiefungsmodul 10-M83; M.A. E-SC ExMo 2 - Extension Module 2; B.A. E-SC “Key Topics in Literature”- D2-c; WD-2a and WD-2b and
for students registered in the study programme M.A. TnL, M.A. E-SC and B.A. E-SC who wish to participate in our summer excursion to London from August 5th to August 12th, 2019.

This course seeks to familiarise students with a number of selected authors, poets and writers, in general, who have held lifelong connections with London, may it be historic or contemporary. We will aim to discuss their continued engagement with the city by exploring a selection of excerpts clustered around five major topic choices: Queer London; Women Writers and London; London’s Imperial Past and Postcolonial Present; London Theatreland and the Shakespearean Stage; London and Crime, and London and the Long Eighteen Century. By virtually tracing forgotten as well as prominent landmarks of the urban centre, we seek to connect the literary representations of the city with historical and cultural developments, present and past. During the summer excursion we will continue our exploration in London.

Since some of the participants are required to submit a research paper, we will use parts of our seminar discussions to the development of topics, the formulation of a thesis statement, as well as considerations about the methodological approaches of writing such a paper.

Additional secondary sources can be accessed in the “Semesterapparat”, a reference only section on the third floor of the library building. A reader with selected secondary text materials will be made available for download on Stud. IP. Please be aware that your registration on Stud. IP. is mandatory (deadline March 15th, 2019). You may wish to check the sections "Information" and "Schedule" further details such as requirements, weekly schedule, select bibliography and modes of assessment.
For Non-E-SC students and academic exchange students: Please contact me if you require more than 3 credit points.

Requirements and Assessment
• Interest in the topics discussed and ideally a regular attendance and informed participation in class discussion (not part of your formal assessment);
• in-depth knowledge of the selected reading material,
• homework assignments,
• group projects and presentation of research paper proposals;
• Research-based term paper.
The requirements as formulated above may vary depending on your overall degree program.

This seminar focuses on one play performed in early seventeen-century Renaissance England: William Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Overall this course wishes to enable students to explore language, form, genre, and style of the individual play, as well as to critically engage with themes, issues, and key concepts in Renaissance drama. On the way, our focus will shift from a discussion of the fundamental features of dramatic composition and stage history to issues such as the political structures of Renaissance England, gender roles and relations, power, love and sexuality; witchcraft, and modern adaptations.

Since some of the participants are required to submit a research paper, we will use parts of our seminar discussions to the development of topics, the formulation of a thesis statement, as well as considerations about the methodological approaches of writing such a paper.

Additional secondary sources can be accessed in the “Semesterapparat”, a reference-only section on the third floor of the library building. A reader with selected secondary text materials will be made available for download on Stud. IP. Please be aware that your registration on Stud. IP. is mandatory (deadline March 15th, 2019). You may wish to check the sections "Information" and "Schedule" further details such as requirements, weekly schedule, select bibliography and modes of assessment.

For Non-E-SC students and academic exchange students: Please contact me if you require more than 3 credit points.
Requirements and Assessment
• Interest in the topic discussed and ideally a regular attendance and informed participation in class discussion (not part of your formal assessment);
• in-depth knowledge of the selected reading material,
• homework assignments,
• group projects and presentation of research paper proposals;
• Research-based term paper.
The requirements as formulated above may vary depending on your overall degree program.
Required reading materials (you will need a copy of these books for class):
Shakespeare, William, and Robert S. Miola, editors. Macbeth. (Italics) Second Edition, W.W. Norton & Company, 2014.
Copies are available for purchase at the bookstore on our campus (Universitätsbuchhandlung Bremen: www.unibuch-bremen.de)

This course welcomes students who wish to complete the following modules: B. A. E-SC “Key Topics in Literature”- D2-c; WD-2a and WD-2b. For Non-E-SC students and academic exchange students: Please contact me if you require more than 3 credit points.

Crime Fiction is overwhelmingly popular and yet, much of the narrative literature that involves crime of some kind or another is often not regarded as ‘literature’ at all. This course is designed to familiarise students with the contemporary critical and theoretical arguments concerning popular fiction and genre studies, as well as to enable all participants of this course to relate to the genre’s wider social, historical and political contexts while discussing the individual narratives in terms of form, language and imagery. Seeking to promote an analytical, creative and imaginative engagement with the complexities of literary and cultural discourses, the focus will be predominantly on excerpts of both detective- or transgressor-centred narratives from the Second World War onwards, including examples of the police procedural (e.g. Ian Rankin); of female detectives and the feminist appropriation of the hard-boiled story (e.g. Sara Paretsky); the psychothriller (e.g. Patricia Highsmith), Afro-American crime fiction, here the examination of literary representations and other cultural manifestations of the the Black Diaspora and discussing the relevance of this form of genre fiction to the Black experience of American Life (e.g. Walter Mosley), Canadian crime fiction (e.g. Louise Penny and Scott Young), and the postmodern mystery (e. g. Paul Auster).

Since some of the participants are required to submit a research paper, we will use parts of our seminar discussions to the development of topics, the formulation of a thesis statement, as well as considerations about the methodological approaches of writing such a paper. Additional secondary sources can be accessed in the “Semesterapparat”, a reference-only section on the third floor of the library building. A reader with selected secondary text materials will be made available for download on Stud. IP. Please be aware that your registration on Stud. IP. is mandatory (deadline March 15th, 2019). You may wish to check the sections "Information" and "Schedule" further details such as requirements, weekly schedule, select bibliography and modes of assessment.
Requirements and Assessment
• Interest in the topic discussed and ideally a regular attendance and informed participation in class discussion (not part of your formal assessment);
• in-depth knowledge of the selected reading material,
• homework assignments,
• group projects and presentation of research paper proposals;
• research-based term paper.
The requirements as formulated above may vary depending on your overall degree program.
Reading materials (we will read excerpts of these novels in class):
Auster, Paul. The New York Trilogy, Faber and Faber, 1987.
Highsmith, Patricia. Strangers on a Train, Vintage, 1999, 1950.
Meyer, Deon. Blood Safari, Grove Press, 2010.
Mosley, Walter. Devil in a Blue Dress, Serpent's Tail, 2001, 1991.
Paretsky, Sara. Blacklist: A V.I. Warshawski Novel, Signet Book, 2004.
Penny, Louise. How the Light gets in: A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel, Minotaur Books, 2013.
Rankin, Ian. Knots & Crosses: Inspector Rebus Novel, Orion, 2005, 1998 1.
Young, Scott. Murder in a Cold Climate. 1st American ed., Viking, 1989, 1988.
Young, Scott. The Shaman's Knife, Penguin Group, 1994, 1993.
Copies of some but not all novels are available for purchase at the bookstore on our campus (Universitätsbuchhandlung Bremen: www.unibuch-bremen.de)

This seminar will take as its focus of research and seminar discussion two novels, Caryl Phillips' CAMBRIDGE and Valerie Martin's PROPERTY. Both text address the historical issue of transatlantic slavery (the interests and actors who created and sustained it, as well as the resistance against it by black and white people, enslaved and free), and the question of representation: how to write about the propertization, commodification and thingification of Black life and being.
Please have copies of those two novels IN HAND at the beginning of the semester.
For secondary reading requirements/suggestions and specific seminar layout please check in on STUD IP regularly.

Everybody used to agree that Britain is a class society – until Prime Minister Thatcher in the 1980s declared collective concepts such as ‘class’ and ‘society’ as no longer existent: individual responsibility was to replace community ties and release the state from its function as provider of welfare and guarantor of social equity. Recent cultural studies textbooks have followed suit, no longer containing chapters on class. While ‘race’ and gender, queer and postcolonialism define today’s preferred theoretical perspectives on the analysis of culture, class has dwindled to little more than an afterthought in intersectional critical practices. All the while, British films abound in images and narratives of a nostalgic country-house England, and TV shows invite consumer savvy audiences to laugh at ‘chavs’. This course aims to revive attention to ‘class’ as a critical category in understanding contemporary Britain. We shall read some classical and recent attempts to categorize social difference, look at some historical examples of figuring class identities, and will discuss how contemporary films draw on, negotiate and frame class narratives and stereotypes. Topics may range from pubs to palaces, from accents to make-over shows on TV, covering public schools, the demise of the coal industry and the social geography of Brexit referendum results on the way.

Core reading material will be made available on Stud.IP. Films will be put on restricted loan for you in the Mediathek.

Requirements:
# active participation in class discussions
# in-depth knowledge of the viewing and reading material
# team presentation of a self-researched topic or film
# portfolio of worksheets, each 2-3 pages long (graded in WD-2b)
# for a grade in D-2a: an additional long term paper of 10-12 pp., topic to be agreed

Prior enrolment via Stud.IP is mandatory.

Taking its cue from Paul Gilroy’s famous observation, 'There ain’t no Black in the Union Jack‘, this seminar is going to explore the impact migration and diasporic communities have on the notion of British national identity. We shall view a range of recent films projecting images of 'old' and 'new' ethnicities in order to investigate how British national identity is getting (re)conceptualised in the days of globalisation and multiculturalism. Course discussions will focus on the interrelations between individual and political identities, and will analyse how these films narrate and negotiate the multiply intertwined transitions from being black in Britain to being a Black Briton. -
Students are required to invest much time and dedication into week-to-week preparations that include not just the viewing of films before each session but also a high amount of reading. A list of films will be agreed upon in the first session, and will be put on restricted loan for you in the Mediathek.

Reading material will be made available on Stud.IP.

Requirements:
# regular attendance and active participation
# in-depth knowledge of the viewing and reading material
# team presentation of a film
# portfolio of worksheets (graded in WD-2b)
# for a grade in D-2a: an additional term paper of 10-12 pp.

Prior enrolment via Stud.IP is mandatory.

In this course we will critically explore concepts of race and racism. Race cannot be grounded biologically but is a social contruct ingrained in economic, political and cultural interests. We will look at race-based theories and discourses to examine race and racism from various perspectives.
The course includes weekly reading assignments and requires active participation in discussions based on a thorough preparation of the required reading and occasional film viewing. In addition, you must always bring at least one question or comment about the required reading with you to class (in hard copy). Students will give an oral presentation including a handout and may write a term paper.
A reader with course material will be made available at the beginning of the class. You will also find a choice of books on reserve shelf in the SUuB, 3rd floor.
Requirements:
Oral participation
In-depth knowledge of the reading material
Oral presentation and handout
Final paper (optional)
Please note that prior enrollment via Stud.IP is mandatory

This course aims to provide students with a critical perspective on Hollywood films that deal with and at the same time construct an imaginary "orient". We will deal with basic features of orientalism and postcolonial theory, film theory and film analysis. Using a number of examples we will engage in a a discussion of Hollywood's orientalism: How is the "east" visualized, how are femininity, masculinity, and sexuality presented, how is interracial romance portrayed and restricted? What kind of fears and anxieties, desires and wishes are hidden behind the narrative and visual schemes of the films?
The course includes weekly reading assignments and requires active participation in discussions based on a thorough preparation of the essential reading and film viewing. In addition, you must always bring at least one question or comment about the required reading to class (in hard copy). Students will give an oral presentation including a handout and may write a term paper.
Additionally to our weekly seminars students are required to watch a number of films. Copies of these films are to be found in the Mediathek of our library on the fourth floor. Overnight checkout is possible.
Essential readings will be available for download on Stud-IP. You will also find a choice of books on reserve shelf in the SUuB, 3rd floor.
Please note that prior enrollment via Stud.IP is mandatory.

Contemporary TV series are one of the most discussed narrative artefacts both in the media as well as by scholarly attention. Their diversity, quantity and (not only popular but also critical) success is the starting point of this seminar, providing a linguistic and multimodal perspective on this success by asking for its meaning-making and entertaining strategies.

We will in particular look at theories and methods for the detailed analysis of semantic and pragmatic patterns in recent examples of serial storytelling and thereby focus on the multimodal arrangement of a variety of semiotic resources. By examining the interplay of visual and auditory levels, including the use of specific camera techniques, dialogue, sounds or music, the aim is to find out more about the strategies of creating serial narratives. Questions to be addressed in the seminar are thus, for example: Which audio-visual features are significant for the construction of seriality? How are characters developed throughout several episodes or seasons in TV series? Which role does music play for the understanding and interpretation of the narrative?

There will be room for students to express preferences and make suggestions as to which series we will actually talk about. A complete overview of the examples to be discussed will be given in the first two weeks of the seminar then.

This course is one of the specific colloquia designed for Bachelor students planning their BA-thesis (PO 2011/2015) in the field of literary studies. We shall look at a number of strategies for planning, structuring and writing longer pieces of work and this programme will also include formal issues such as format and layout of the final assignment. Please note that registration for this course is mandatory (March, 15th 2019).

All students, who are planning to write their final dissertation in the field of literary studies are welcome to join my course. In addition, I am happy to take on the role of a supervisor or co-supervisor for projects that correspond to my research and teaching focus, in other words, students who have a supervisor or co-supervisor that is not me are also welcome to join this course. I would therefore be interested in supervising students whose B.A. thesis deals with topics located in the following areas of research:
• 18th – 21st Century British, Anglo-American and Anglo-Canadian Literatures;
• Film and Media studies;
• Postcolonial theory/transcultural studies;
• Gender Theory/ Literary Masculinity studies;
• Gender- and genre-specific developments in anglophone crime fiction and film;
• Postcolonial and transcultural perspectives in anglophone travel literature (13th-21st Century).

At some point during the semester, you will be expected to present your thesis project, or a selected part of it, to the whole group. In terms of thematic scope the weekly schedule will be arranged in the first session, when every participant will have to name and briefly outline his or her topic. Given the underlying division and the structure of the colloquium, it is, therefore, absolutely vital for you to have a rough idea of your project. Please follow the link to explore the department's website “Literatures in English” http://www.fb10.uni-bremen.de/anglistik/literaturwissenschaft/default.aspx and the department’s guidelines on BA dissertations: http://www.fb10.uni-bremen.de/anglistik/ba2/bachelorarbeit.aspx

This colloquium is designed for Bachelor students planning to write their BA-thesis in the field of cultural history. We will discuss theoretical and methodological approaches, develop outlines and structures as well as strong thesis statements in order to focus your search for information, to tackle your subject and to specify your argument. Students will be expected to present and discuss their project in various stages of progression both in class as well as in individual monitoring sessions.
We will follow the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, eighth edition.

This colloquium is designed for Bachelor students planning to write their BA-thesis in the field of (multimodal and/or computational) linguistics and its application to treatments of mixed media artefacts or performances: for example, film, comics, graphic novels, advertisements and so on. Particularly focused are areas where language (spoken or written) works together with visual representations of any kind. We will discuss theoretical and methodological approaches for characterising combinations of language and visual information, develop outlines and structures of the thesis, and consider how to construct strong thesis statements in order to focus your search for information, to tackle your subject and to construct your argument. Students will be expected to present and discuss their project in various stages of progression both in class as well as in individual monitoring sessions as well as to give input to others. Standard styles of presenting work within linguistics will be discussed as well as ways of addressing and analysing data and showing that analyses are adequate.

This course is designed as a colloquium for young researchers. Depending on particpants and their research topics, we will read theoretical texts suggested by the participants. Participants are invited to present their research topic, proposal, table of contents and/or written chapters and get constructive feedback in plenum discussions.

Students of the Master program English-Speaking Cultures can participate in the conference organisation and get CP for the module AWE1:

1 CP for conference participation on all three days;
2 CP for conference participation with a poster within the framework of this conference;
2 CP for supporting the organisation of the conference and participating in the conference (write an email to wildfeuer@uni-bremen.de to sign up for this);
3 CP for organisation and for participation with poster presentation in the conference.

All details for poster presentations and conference organisation will be discussed in a first meeting of the group in May 2019 and a second meeting in June (see schedule on Stud.IP).

The Bremen Conferences on Multimodality are annual events with speakers from all over the world discussing and presenting recent topics of multimodal research. As an interdisciplinary and international symposium, each conference offers a place to think about developments and advancements in the topic of multimodality and the disciplines connected to this field of research. The BreMM19 conference will focus on empirical inroads in multimodality research and will feature a rich program including more than 30 talks in long and short format, several poster presentations, and 1 special project demo. The conference set-up will provide room for presentations on recent, empirically-oriented research projects, and discussions of the problems and challenges in conducting empirical multimodal analyses.

This course is dedicated to thorough readings of essential theoretical interventions. Students will study a variety of theoretical approaches and frameworks that can give them a better understanding of texts, artifacts and media objects. A list of required readings will be uploaded before the beginning of the lecture period.

In this class we will first learn about approaches and tools to literary analysis before we look at how we read texts specifically from a postcolonial perspective. We will then read and discuss two postcolonial novels: 1. The Caribbean text Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys (here the Norton Critical Edition) and the Nigerian text Oil on Water by Helon Habila. Please purchase and read both texts, they are available at the university bookstore on Universitätsboulevard for 11 € each at the beginning of April. All other texts are provided via StudIP.
Class requirements are regular attendance, in-depth knowledge of reading and viewing material, and active class discussion. Reading the texts and watching the films is mandatory. Please note that prior enrollment through StudIP is mandatory.

Language in context has traditionally been studied within the context of one culture, i.e. British or US American English. Variation on the sociopragmatic level, e.g. Speech Act Theory, Politeness Theory, Conversation Analysis principles, has been applied to speech communities all over the world, and a previously ethnocentric perspective has made way for research that demonstrates different communicative strategies in different English speaking cultures. First, this class introduces the major analytical frameworks that are applied in pragmatics. Second, we will look at selected studies which cover the variation in Englishes around the world.

In this class we will look critically at various forms of tourism in our globalized world. We will have approximately six guest speakers/presentations of the INPUTS Forum lecture series integrated into our class. And we will read some critical texts, literary texts and watch one or two documentary films.
Class requirements are regular attendance, in-depth knowledge of reading and viewing material, and active class discussion. Reading the texts and watching the films is mandatory. Please note that prior enrollment through StudIP is mandatory.

Starting with an exploration of critical approaches to tourism and tourist films in a transnational world we will analyze contemporary narrative films and how they construct and exploit touristic fantasies. We will critically examine narrative tropes such as postcolonial encounters, romantic entanglements and sexual adventures; we will assess the consumer-oriented aesthetics of these films; and moreover, we will reflect on the particular ideologies that come into play when the tourist experience becomes the focus of a filmic text.
Essential readings will be available for download on Stud-IP. You should also consult the 'Semesterapparat' (SuUB) for further readings.
Please note that prior enrollment via Stud.IP is mandatory.

This course gives an overview of current research trends in the areas of multimodal linguistics and media studies, focusing on recent advancements in the application of linguistic (and other) frameworks to a variety of artifacts and performances. We will discuss various communicative situations in our daily lives, resulting from the use of social media and gaming applications (Instagram, Snapchat, Pokemon Go, etc.), challenged by fake news and global Trumpism and influenced by architecture, design and spatial environments around us.

The course will start with a theoretically and methodologically oriented overview of newest multimodality research. Students will learn how to discuss approaches for characterizing combinations of semiotic modes in different contexts and to develop concrete research questions and analytical approaches for examining the discussed examples.
In the second half of the semester, international guest researchers with multimodal expertise will present their current research project and discuss them with the group. Students will be asked to actively engage in the discussion and develop own research questions and project outlines from these discussions.

This course examines posthumanism as lived experiences, shifting discourses, and dynamic processes co-evolving with the nonhuman turn. Contemporary issues from climate change, war, to cultural heritage centrally involve human-nonhuman entanglements. The course discusses posthumanism in relation to such nonhuman phenomena as technological devices and systems capable of nonconscious cognition; human-robot relationships; and in varied degrees anthropocentric implications on animals and the environment. Our focus lies in articulating how meaning and affects arise with and through machines. The course intersects theories, practices, and fictions in three phases. First, to problematize perspectives privileging humans as above their species others, the course provides an overview of interacting intellectual movements (e.g. critical posthumanism, transhumanism, and speculative posthumanism). Second, participants encounter various media, including digital games, to reflect on posthumanizing effects of technologies. Third, participants engage with crucial debates on posthumanism, cultural practices, and imaginaries to envision sustainable futures for and shaped by (post)humans and nonhumans alike.