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."

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 methods and tools to collect, process and analyze linguistic data. In this course, we focus on observation and diaries as well as corpus studies.

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. By the end of the term, you are required to submit a portfolio comprising three data-based tasks, and participate in linguistic experiments.

Literature
Rose, Heath & Jim McKinley & Jessica Briggs Baffoe-Djan. 2020. Data Collection Research Methods in Applied Linguistics. Bloomsbury Academic.
Wray, Alison & Aileen Bloomer. 2012. Projects in Linguistics and Language Studies. 3rd edition. London: Hodder Education.

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 basic statistics.

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 the methods and tools and critically discuss their usefulness. Participants 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.

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, linguistic fieldwork, and transcription.

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.

NOTE: This course will only commence on the 17th of April, meaning there will be NO class on the 10th of April.


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.

This course builds on the general introduction to English Linguistics from last semester, focusing on conducting empirical research in linguistics. Students will explore various methods, tools, and approaches for obtaining, processing, and analyzing linguistic data. Topics covered include research methodology and design, data collection methods, experimental approaches, corpus linguistics, critical discourse studies, conversation analysis, basic statistics, and transcription.

Coursework and Assessment
Students are expected to read and prepare selected texts for each session. Coursework will involve analyzing real-life linguistic data through hands-on exercises designed to apply selected methods and critically evaluate their effectiveness. Assessment is based on a portfolio comprising data-based tasks ("worksheets") and other assignments completed throughout the semester.

Basic Textbooks:
Sealey, A. (2010). Researching English Language: A Resource Book for Students. London: Routledge.
Wray, A. & Bloomer, A. (2012). Projects in Linguistics and Language Studies (3rd ed.). London: Hodder Education.

This is the second part of the foundation module. It provides an introduction to the history of the English language from Old English to Present-Day English, the spread and transplantation of English to other parts of the world as well as the subsequent diversification of the English language into World Englishes.

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.

From mythological sirens to ocean explorers, women’s relationships with the sea have been shaped by both cultural constraints and acts of resistance. This seminar examines historical and cultural representations of girl- and womanhood and bodies of salt (and fresh) water in the English-speaking world, with a focus on Turtle Island, i.e., the North American continent, in the world ocean. Through the analysis of various cultural objects, such as motion pictures, art, as well as nature, autobiographical, and fictional writing, students will explore key themes at the intersection of feminist cultural criticism, gender studies, and the blue humanities. In addition to deepening their knowledge of cultural history and cultural analysis, students will also refine their academic reading, writing, and presentation skills.
The class is open to B.A. E-SC students studying D2a, WD2b, and WD2c as well as international exchange students and students doing ‘Freiwillige Zusatzleistungen,’ general studies, or ‘Ersatzleistungen.’ Prior enrolment via Stud.IP is mandatory and admission is limited to a maximum of thirty-five students. Please check Stud.IP regularly for updates.
Requirements
• active participation in weekly in-person meetings,
• in-depth study of the primary and secondary material (including extensive weekly reading assignments) in preparation for each session,
• graded or ungraded assignment in accordance with the respective module requirements.

In Germany, “Gendern” is a hotly debated topic. Everyone has an opinion about it. As a linguist, could you convince your discussion partner with a good argument for or against the necessity to use gender-friendly language? In this class, we will study different attitudes and perspectives on this matter, and you will find your own view on this topic, and learn to defend it. How much do you want to include the gender aspect in your way of speaking and writing, and how can you do this in an elegant way?
We will investigate the differences in the English and German language systems (and any other language spoken by the students in class) when it comes to reference to people of all kind of genders. There will be reading to do, discussions and practical tasks to analyse or re-write discourse. All genders and opinions are welcome.

Studienleistung for D1 or D2 modules: submission of three assignments
Prüfungsleistung for D1 or D2 modules: submission of three assignments and 10-page term paper

Literature recommendation (no need to buy any)
Angouri, Jo & Judith Baxter (eds.). 2021. The Routledge Handbook of Language, Gender, and Sexuality. Routledge.
Montell, Amanda. Wordslut. A feminist guide to taking back the English language. Harper Wave, 2019.

Seminar description

This introductory seminar focuses on one of the most practical areas of applied linguistics – language assessment. In this seminar, we review the central theoretical concepts and practical considerations in language assessment.
As a seminar participant, you will gain an understanding of what role authentic language assessment plays for different purposes. Expanding on the assessment quality, you will become familiar with construct, validity, reliability, and practicality concepts. Additionally, you will learn about the development of assessment tasks and rating approaches. Finally, the seminar will also cover recent trends in the use of technology for language assessment, as well as the main concepts in fairness and ethics of language assessment.
You will also get a chance to apply the knowledge gained by developing and presenting your small-scale project at the end of the seminar.

Aims of the seminar:
• developing a holistic understanding of the main areas of interest in language assessment
• gaining the knowledge of terminology used in language assessment and being able to apply it in the context of the seminar and outside of it
• developing competence in the critical evaluation of the existing assessment tasks
• gaining insights about methods for research in language assessment
• developing competencies in assessment task development
Overview of seminar content:
• familiarisation with the role of language assessment and its purposes
• familiarisation with qualities of effective assessment systems
• familiarisation with the main stages and principles of assessment instrument development
• familiarisation with language assessment for different purposes and of different skills
• familiarisation with recent trends in applying technology in language assessment
• familiarisation with main fairness and ethics considerations in language assessment

Note: This is a seminar in linguistic approaches to metaphor. Participants must be willing to prepare readings on in-depth linguistic theory.

Requirements:

• active participation in class and thorough preparation of the weekly readings
• carrying out a mini-study

Assessment:
SL (pass/fail): oral presentation
PL (grade): term paper

More info will follow soon.

This class focuses on the sociolinguistics of language contact by looking at the Central American country of Belize, a former colony of the British Empire. We will look at the prevalent multilingualism of Belizeans and think about how the languages spoken by Belizeans, amongst others, Kriol and English, interact. We will discuss language ideologies and how these language ideologies manifest in public and private domains. We will also look at contact phenomena in language use, including lexical borrowing, structural influence, and code-switching.

Students will develop their own research projects to investigate selected aspects of sociolinguistics of language contact in Belize.

Note: This course will only commence on the 17th of April, meaning there will be no class on the 10th of April.

Systemic Functional Grammar (Halliday & Matthiessen 2004) is a theory of language that assumes that whatever we say or write has a function. These functions can be grouped into three superordinate groups, so called metafunctions; the ideational, interpersonal and the textual metafunction. Students in this course will get a thorough revision of word classes, phrases and clauses. You will learn to analyse the functions of the constituents of a clause according to the metafunctions. In the last third of the course we will study how Systemic Functional Grammar can help us to judge the quality of the texts produced by language AI, and possibly produce better results.

The students will do several small written tasks that add up to their grade (PL) or ‚pass‘ (SL).
This class can be taken for the WD module, for the D module (D1c and D2b will require a term paper), as well as for ‚Ersatzleistung für das Auslandssemester‘. Erasmus students are of course welcome.

Literature
Eggins, Suzanne. 2004. Introduction to Systemic Funtional Linguistics. 2nd ed. Continuum.
Halliday M.A.K & Christian M.I.M Matthiessen. 2004. An Introduction to Functional Grammar. 3rd ed. Hodder Arnold.
Patten, Terry. 1988. Systemic text generation as problem solving. Cambridge University Press.
Sejnowski, Terrence J. 2024. ChatGPT and the future of AI: The Deep Language Revolution. The MIT Press.
Thompson, Geoff. 2004. Introducing Functional Grammar. 2nd ed. Hodder Education.

The Long Eighteenth Century is characterised by remarkable developments in poetic form, diction, style, and subject. At the same time, through various philosophical and political shifts, attitudes towards nature, and the relationship between humans and nature changed significantly. In this seminar, we will explore how poetry is transformed in the transition from neo-classicism to Romanticism, and we will consider these aesthetic changes in relation to the representation of nature.

Required Reading:
A reader of poems and other texts will be made available on Stud.IP by the beginning of term. Most of the texts will be taken from:
Noggle, James. The Norton Anthology of English Literature, Volume C: The Restoration and the Eighteenth Century. 10th Edition. Ed. Stephen Greenblatt.
Lynch, Deidre Shauna. The Norton Anthology of English Literature, Volume D: The Romantic Period. 10th Edition. Ed. Stephen Greenblatt.
Information on which texts must be read before the first session will be specified on Stud.IP.

Much nineteenth-century literature is inter-, multi-, or transmedial by nature. Many novels pair text with illustrations and/or were serialised, i.e. published in magazines or monthly parts before they were published in book form. Not only did these texts, therefore, appear over a period of many months, but individual instalments were also placed in the context of different texts and images in the course of their publication. In addition, writers occasionally re-wrote their own works for different media (turning a novel into a play, or vice versa). Finally, many nineteenth-century literary texts have had transmedial afterlives and have been adapted in different media, such as film and music. In this course, we will look at several of these phenomena to explore a range of relations between literature and other media in the nineteenth century.

Important Dates:
There will be two film evening where we will watch different film adaptations of Wuthering Heights together. These will take place on 30 April and 7 May, 6-8pm (i.e., right after class). There will also be a mini conference in two parts, on Wednesday, 11 June, 16.00-19.00 (i.e. regular class time plus one additional hour) and on Thursday, 12 June, 9.00-12.00. This mini conference, at which students will present their projects, will also be the final session of the course.

Required Reading:
Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights. 1847. Preferred edition: Norton Critical Edition, 2003 (4th ed., ed. Richard J. Dunn)
Charles Dickens, The Old Curiosity Shop. 1841. Preferred edition: Penguin, 2000 (ed. Norman Page)
A selection of Romantic poems will be available on Stud.IP at the beginning of April.

This class will study the many works of Edgar Allen Poe, one of the most prolific and well-known US American Gothic writers of the 19th century. We will analyze Poe’s short stories while simultaneously watching Mike Flanagan’s Netflix Series: The Fall of the House of Usher in order to compare the original works with their current imaginings within the horror genre. Flanagan’s television series not only reimagines Poe’s short story, “The Fall of the House of Usher,” but each episode also reimagines other short stories such as “The Tell-Tale Heart,” “The Masque of the Red Death,” “The Murders in the Rue Morgue,” “The Black Cat,” “The Gold Bug,” and “The Pit and the Pendulum.” We will analyze each of these short stories in their original format and then investigate how Flanagan reappropriates the stories into our current day and age in order to critique capitalism, systemic racism, and colonialism within US American society.

Please be advised, this class will engage with horrific content as Flanagan is a well-known horror film and series director. All texts for this class will be uploaded on Stud.Ip. Access to the show on Netflix is required for the seminar. Other requirements for this class include active class participation, in-depth knowledge of all primary and secondary reading materials, and a portfolio or term paper (depending on the chosen module).

Twentieth-century anthropology, anthropologists and anthropological fieldwork have found a renewed interest in contemporary film and fiction. Such fictional – or fictionalised – representations are engaged in complex constellations of anthropological observation and situate anthropological inquiry in relation to other scientific disciplines as well as evolving cultural concerns. Crucially, the production of anthropological knowledge often seems to coincide with the death or destruction of those investigated. In this seminar, we will explore how specific examples of contemporary film and fiction address the history of the discipline of anthropology, as well as anthropology's distinctive position in knowledge production. We will analyse the representations of such complex constellations of observation and destruction in the context of debates from ‘Western science’ to ‘local knowledge’, from ‘cultural difference’ to ‘epistemic violence’. The course comprises in-presence meetings with group presentations, reading weeks and online research, as well as a planned visit to the Übersee Museum Bremen.
Please, buy and read the following novels:
• Lily King. Euphoria. London: Picador, 2014. [978-1-5290-9265-3]
• Hania Yanagihara. The People in the Trees [2013]. London: Picador, 2018. [978-1-5098-9298-3]
In addition, we will watch and discuss a documentary film about the 1948 American-Australian Scientific Expedition to Arnhem Land and its aftermath:
- Etched in Bone (2018, dir. Martin Thomas and Béatrice Bijon) [available via vimeo: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/etchedinbone]

From modernist to postcolonial Australian literature, historical fiction has sought to challenge colonial discourse, while also at times reproducing perspectives of (white) historiography. The goal of this seminar is to familiarize students with Australia and its popular identity as ‘terra australis incognita’, ‘terra nullius’, or the ‘land down under’. We will focus especially on literary negotiations of encounters between colonizers and colonized, re-imaginations of settler colonialism and national identity, as well as the efforts and prospects of ‘reconciliation’. The course comprises in-presence meetings with group presentations, reading weeks and online research, as well as a planned visit to the Übersee Museum Bremen.
Please, buy and read the following novels:
- Patrick White. Voss. London: Vintage, [1957] 1994. [ISBN-13: 978-0099324713]
- Kate Grenville. The Lieutenant. Edinburgh: Canongate, [2008] 2022. [ISBN-13: 978-178689602]
In addition, we will watch and discuss a documentary film about the 1948 American-Australian Scientific Expedition to Arnhem Land and its aftermath:
- Etched in Bone (2018, dir. Martin Thomas and Béatrice Bijon) [available via vimeo: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/etchedinbone]

Although a proposal to name a new geological epoch following the Holocene as ‘the Anthropocene’ has recently been rejected by the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS) and the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS), the term continues to be used both in public discussions as well as across a wide range of disciplines in the sciences and the humanities to describe human impact on the Earth system. The goal of this seminar is to familiarize students with the concept of the Anthropocene, its discursive relevance and specific use in relation to literary and cultural representations. We will focus especially on literary negotiations of binary oppositions such as nature and culture, human and other-than-human, globe and planet, as well as the positionality of climate knowledge production, and related concepts such as the Capitalocene, the Plantationocene, or the Chthulucene. The course comprises in-presence meetings with group presentations, reading weeks and online research.
Please, buy and read the following novels:
- Jaspreet Singh. Face: A Novel of the Anthropocene. Victoria, BC: Touchwood Editions, 2022. [ISBN: 978-1-927366-97-4]
- Laline Paull. POD. Little, Brown, 2023. [978-1-4721-5662-4]
- Samantha Harvey. Orbital. London: Vermilion, 2024. [ISBN: 978-1-5299-2293-6]

This class will be conducted within the research area Blue Humanities. Blue Humanities studies oceans, rivers, and coastal areas in terms of (colonial) histories, migration and travel, sustainability and ecological issues, circulation of people and ideas, marine and Indigenous knowledges, literature and cultures, new geographies, extractivism, energy and economic issues, among others.

After discussing ocean literacy in general and the sustainable development goals of the UN on water, we will read theoretical texts on ocean literacy. We will also watch documentaries and invite experts on ocean knowledge to class. We will read and discuss short texts from the collection The Imperiled Ocean: Human Stories from a Changing Sea by Laura Trethewey and the The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway. The idea is that in class we develop materials on ocean literacy together.
Hemingway’s text will be ready for purchase at the university bookstore at the beginning of the semester (10,50€; pls purchase the Pengion edition, should you want to acquire it yourself). Other primary and secondary texts will be uploaded on StudIP.
Pls note that regular attendance, class preparation and active class discussion are mandatory. You must register on StudIP for this class.

In the 1990s, Pacific Studies scholar Epeli Hau’fa postulated a reimagining of Oceania from 'islands in a far sea' to 'a sea of islands’. More recently, these very islands have reappeared in global affairs in the course of debates ranging from geopolitical shifts and power play between China and the US to climate change and the rise of sea levels. The goal of this seminar is to familiarize students with the historical and cultural contexts of such discussions and the discursively constructed identity of ‘the Pacific’ in literary representations from the 19th to the 21st century. We will focus especially on literary negotiations of encounters between colonizers and colonized, on Pacific islands as anthropological laboratories and their relevance for the 'cultural turn', as well as on the work of 'writing back' to Western fictions of a highly sexualized 'paradise' and re-imagining Oceania as home in the ‘new Pacific literatures’. The course comprises in-presence meetings with group presentations, reading weeks and online research, as well as a planned visit to the Übersee Museum Bremen.
Please, buy and read the following novels:
• Herman Melville. Typee: A Peep at Polynesian Life [1846]. Ed. John Bryant. London: Penguin Classics, 1996. [978-0-14-043488-0]
• Lily King. Euphoria. London: Picador, 2014. [978-1-5290-9265-3]
• Sia Figiel. Where We Once Belonged [1996]. New York: Kaya, 2007. [978-1-885030-27-6]

This course has a closer look at how first and second languages are learned in order for future English Language Teachers to evaluate the effectiveness of their own language teaching. We will deal with the following questions:
• In which way has English Language Teaching developed in history?
• How do children acquire a first language?
• To what extent can theories of first language acquisition be applied to second language learning?
• Can individual learner characteristics affect success in second language learning?
• How do learners learn a foreign language at school - and what are the consequences for teaching them?

This course has a closer look at how first and second languages are learned in order for future English Language Teachers to evaluate the effectiveness of their own language teaching. We will deal with the following questions:
• In which way has English Language Teaching developed in history?
• How do children acquire a first language?
• To what extent can theories of first language acquisition be applied to second language learning?
• Can individual learner characteristics affect success in second language learning?
• How do learners learn a foreign language at school - and what are the consequences for teaching them?

Note: This course compensates for a cancelled group in WiSe 24/25. Therefore, those students who were affected by the cancellation will be prioritised for the distribution of places. First semester students can do the class in another semester.

University Language Skills 2 (ULS 2) is a four-hour class. You have to attend the entire class. ULS 2 is the second half of the SP-1 module. As such it builds on the basic knowledge of academic writing established in ULS 1.

While the focus during the winter semester is on the basic structure of an academic essay, during the summer semester you will be introduced to key rhetorical strategies. These strategies include essays of argumentation, cause & effect as well as comparison & contrast. Furthermore, grammatical structures needed for writing (e.g. syntax, passive voice, conditionals) will be part of the course’s syllabus.

Requirements:
• Regular and active participation
• Thorough preparation of each session
• Written assignments (approx. 2000 words)

Materials are provided via StudIP

University Language Skills 2 (ULS 2) is a four-hour class. You have to attend the entire class. ULS 2 is the second half of the SP-1 module. As such it builds on the basic knowledge of academic writing established in ULS 1.

While the focus during the winter semester is on the basic structure of an academic essay, during the summer semester you will be introduced to key rhetorical strategies. These strategies include essays of argumentation, cause & effect as well as comparison & contrast. Furthermore, grammatical structures needed for writing (e.g. syntax, passive voice, conditionals) will be part of the course’s syllabus.

Requirements:
• Regular and active participation
• Thorough preparation of each session
• Written assignments (approx. 2000 words)

Materials are provided via StudIP

University Language Skills 2 (ULS 2) is a four-hour class. You have to attend the entire class. ULS 2 is the second half of the SP-1 module. As such it builds on the basic knowledge of academic writing established in ULS 1.

While the focus during the winter semester is on the basic structure of an academic essay, during the summer semester you will be introduced to key rhetorical strategies. These strategies include essays of argumentation, cause & effect as well as comparison & contrast. Furthermore, grammatical structures needed for writing (e.g. syntax, passive voice, conditionals) will be part of the course’s syllabus.

Requirements:
• Regular and active participation
• Thorough preparation of each session
• Written assignments (approx. 2000 words)

Materials are provided via StudIP

University Language Skills 2 (ULS 2) is a four-hour class. You have to attend the entire class. ULS 2 is the second half of the SP-1 module. As such it builds on the basic knowledge of academic writing established in ULS 1.

While the focus during the winter semester is on the basic structure of an academic essay, during the summer semester you will be introduced to key rhetorical strategies. These strategies include essays of argumentation, cause & effect as well as comparison & contrast. Furthermore, grammatical structures needed for writing (e.g. syntax, passive voice, conditionals) will be part of the course’s syllabus.

Requirements:
• Regular and active participation
• Thorough preparation of each session
• Written assignments (approx. 2000 words)

Materials are provided via StudIP

University Language Skills 2 is the second part of the SP1 module and will earn you a total of 6CPs. It is a four-hour class with two consecutive time slots, both of which MUST be attended.
The following seminar will build on skills acquired in ULS1. We will review and further develop writing skills regarding the different phases in writing, essay structure and good writing style. In addition, we will explore and develop more complex writing strategies including problem/solution, argumentation, cause/effect, and comparison/contrast.
Emphasis will be placed on the ability to recognize individual errors and work on challenging aspects of language. You will therefore continue to work on grammar and lexis at an individual, needs-based level and will be able to access self-study material to work on independently according to your own requirements outside of the classroom. This is essential in developing an autonomous learning style which will subsequently enable you to critically assess and correct your own work.
You will be expected to attend class regularly and actively participate in group discussions and activities. Task assigned to be completed between sessions must also be completed on time as well as the graded assignments to be discussed in class.

University Language Skills 2 is the second part of the SP1 module and will earn you a total of 6CPs. It is a four-hour class with two consecutive time slots, both of which MUST be attended.
The following seminar will build on skills acquired in ULS1. We will review and further develop writing skills regarding the different phases in writing, essay structure and good writing style. In addition, we will explore and develop more complex writing strategies including problem/solution, argumentation, cause/effect, and comparison/contrast.
Emphasis will be placed on the ability to recognize individual errors and work on challenging aspects of language. You will therefore continue to work on grammar and lexis at an individual, needs-based level and will be able to access self-study material to work on independently according to your own requirements outside of the classroom. This is essential in developing an autonomous learning style which will subsequently enable you to critically assess and correct your own work.
You will be expected to attend class regularly and actively participate in group discussions and activities. Task assigned to be completed between sessions must also be completed on time as well as the graded assignments to be discussed in class.

Note: This class compensates for the cancelled groups in WiSe 24/25. Therefore, those students affected by the cancellation will be prioritised in the distribution of places.

Content-Based Integrated Skills (CBIS) is the first part of the SP-2 module (“SP-2 Sprachpraxis Aufbaumodul”) to be taken in the winter semester. Culture & Communication (C&C) is taken as the second part of the module in the summer semester. The aim of both parts of the module is to prepare you final oral exam which you can take once you have completed SP-2.

Content-Based Integrated Skills (CBIS) permits students to implement all four core language skills (speaking, writing, listening, reading) while turning a theoretical challenge into a practical success. This course is designed to give you an insight into academic research, to develop the skill of critical thinking as well as providing you with the opportunity to work on your language skills. The course content revolves around English-speaking countries and cultures. Students will learn about politics, traditions, accents and histories of the countries connected to the English language or/and the Commonwealth. Each country will be critically analysed with the goal of expanding their knowledge about an “English-speaking Culture.” Students will have the opportunity to make decisions, solve problems, and at the end of the course, present the fruits of your labours as you put your own unique ideas into practice.

The aim of the Culture & Communication classes is to help you to prepare for the final SP-2 module oral exam to be taken to complete the SP-2 module.

This particular class will look at different moments which have greatly influenced events within the English-speaking world. We will investigate the processes which led to a particular event, define the event itself and explore the long-term and short-term implications that came about as a consequence. You will be required to think critically and research a topic of your own choice in detail in order to prepare for the Proficiency Interview ⇐ oral exam) at the end of the semester during which you will explain how this moment has been defining. You will also work on presentation skills and familiarise yourselves with the situation of speaking in front of others.

Materials are provided via StudIP.

The aim of the Culture & Communication classes is to help you to prepare for the final SP-2 module oral exam to be taken to complete the SP-2 module.

This particular class will look at different moments which have greatly influenced events within the English-speaking world. We will investigate the processes which led to a particular event, define the event itself and explore the long-term and short-term implications that came about as a consequence. You will be required to think critically and research a topic of your own choice in detail in order to prepare for the Proficiency Interview ⇐ oral exam) at the end of the semester during which you will explain how this moment has been defining. You will also work on presentation skills and familiarise yourselves with the situation of speaking in front of others.

Materials are provided via StudIP.

The aim of the Culture and Communication class is to help you prepare for the final SP2 module oral exam taken when you have completed the SP2 module. This class will deal with two different areas from which you will be able to develop ONE research project as the basis for your oral exam.
You will be looking at defining moments which have greatly influenced events within the English-speaking world. Your task will be to investigate the processes which led to a particular event, define the event itself and explore the long-term and short-term consequences. A critical analytic approach be will necessary as you explore the causes and implications of the topic of your choice.
In addition, we will work on improving important aspects of grammar, pronunciation, intonation as well as developing the confidence and fluency needed to successfully pass the exam. Whereas CBIS was more about collaboration and teamwork, Culture and Communication allows you to build upon the research skills developed last semester as you move forward with your own project.

The aim of the Culture and Communication class is to help you prepare for the final SP2 module oral exam taken when you have completed the SP2 module. This class will deal with two different areas from which you will be able to develop ONE research project as the basis for your oral exam.
You will be looking at defining moments which have greatly influenced events within the English-speaking world. Your task will be to investigate the processes which led to a particular event, define the event itself and explore the long-term and short-term consequences. A critical analytic approach be will necessary as you explore the causes and implications of the topic of your choice.
In addition, we will work on improving important aspects of grammar, pronunciation, intonation as well as developing the confidence and fluency needed to successfully pass the exam. Whereas CBIS was more about collaboration and teamwork, Culture and Communication allows you to build upon the research skills developed last semester as you move forward with your own project.