Kommentiertes Vorlesungsverzeichnis (KoVo) / List of Courses - Summer 2023
Use the tabs above to find the list of courses offered for your semester, including detailed course descriptions.
You can also download the list of courses as a PDF document:
Older course descriptions can be found in the Archive.
2023-04-19: Error corrected in the PDF version: Prof. Dr. Sandten's Research Colloquium is not open to Erasmus students. The seminar "Genre and Metagenre" (Dr. Beck) will no longer take place in this term.
2023-04-05: Error corrected in the PDF version: Prof. Dr. Sanchez-Stockhammer's Research Colloquium takes place Tuesdays at 11:30 (not 15:30)!
2023-04-04: Error corrected in the online KoVo version: Mr. Phillip's Writing course for Group B takes place Thursdays at 15:30 (not 11:30)!
2023-03-16: PDF version 5, time/room announced for BA4 seminar "Border Narratives" (Beck)
2023-03-15: Time change in BA2 seminar "Language Production and Perception" (Ivanova): from Wed to Thu!
2023-03-14: Time/room announced for the "History of the English Language and Culture" tutorial (Kind)
2023-03-13: Version 4: time/room change for BA2 seminar "Theories and Methods" (Karmakar), time/room announced for BA2 seminar "Language Production and Perception" (Ivanova), OPAL links added for Daniel Ziesche's seminars, first meeting for "Cultures of Protest" changed
2023-03-10: Version 3: fixed error - MA2 seminar "Qualitative & Quantitative Research Methods" weekday changed from Tue to Thu!
2023-03-09: PDF version 2: updated info for incoming Erasmus students
2023-03-03: PDF version 1 added.
2023-03-01: Online version 1 goes live.
Please check the KoVo regularly for updates and changes. Only the university's lecture list is legally binding. This KoVo is just a service by the English Department.
Dear Students,
Welcome to the new semester! We hope that, once again, we have compiled an exciting and inspiring course program for you.
As in previous semesters, course registration will be handled individually as well as the mode in which courses are taught. Be sure to check the course specifics closely and to register for all of your courses on time so that you are able to receive any additional course information from your lecturers directly. You will find information concerning registration procedures at the bottom of the respective course descriptions. If the course makes use of OPAL, be sure to click on the enrolment option on the course’s OPAL page.
We have tried to finalise the timetables for the semester, yet some changes may still occur. Stay up- to-date by reading notifications sent through the English Mailing List and by visiting our homepage. The course program will be updated on a regular basis as changes come in.
Stay healthy and stay motivated in summer 2023,
Your English Department staff
| Weekday/s | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| Tue | 3 April | Beginning of the lecture period |
| Fri, Mon | 7 and 10 April | No classes, public holiday |
| Mon | 1 May | No classes, public holiday |
| Thu | 18 May | No classes, public holiday |
| Mon-Tue | 29-30 May | No classes, public holiday |
| Fri | 14 July | End of lectures |
| 17 July-12 Aug | Examination period | |
| TBA | TBA | ERASMUS meeting for 4th and 6th semester students |
The general course requirements are issued by the lecturers of the English Department and aim at improving the cooperation in class as well as student’s academic skills. The requirements establish a fair working atmosphere and are binding for all students.
Active participation is required for success in your courses.
- Come to class. If you know you cannot attend regularly (at least 12 sessions/80%) for some reason, please speak to your lecturer right away. You will need to arrange how you will participate and interact with other students attending the seminar. Students who are absent frequently may receive additional tasks to complete for the subsequent session. Additionally, the lecturer may include short tests in class that are part of the Prüfungsvorleistung (PVL) or Prüfungsleistung (PL).
- Come to class ready to participate. You should be eager to answer questions of the lecturer and participate in discussions with your peers.
- You need to be able to discuss the assigned readings. This usually entails reading a set text more than once and engaging with it in some way. Write down its main ideas and take note of any terms or concepts that are introduced in the text. What questions do you have for the lecturer and your fellow students? Please remember that we are all responsible for reaching the course objectives and that your participation is also important for the other students in the class. Students who do not prepare for the session may be asked to leave.
- For student presentations, you are required to meet with your lecturer at least two weeks prior to the presentation to discuss its structure as well as its content. You should also send the presentation to the lecturer at least one week prior to the presentation. If you do not do this, you may lose your presentation slot. Alternative dates will only be given in case of illness.
- Using smartphones in class not only distracts you but also your lecturer and your peers. Therefore, you should refrain from using them during class – except if the lecturer asks you to use it for a specific task or classroom response system.
Additional tasks and supplementary reading can increase your learning and help you reach your short-term and long-term academic goals.
In addition to the course requirements, you should complete additional tasks to further advance your progress in the course. Be sure to speak to your lecturer if you need more ideas for self- study. Here are a few suggestions:
- Try to find a second complementary text that relates to the assigned reading and analyse how it corresponds to the set text.
- Search for an academic video that relates to the text.
- Share what you learn during your self-study with your classmates, e.g. by uploading articles or adding links to the course’s OPAL website.
It is essential to follow each section’s guidelines, requirements and citation styles (APA/MLA/Chicago) for writing term papers and theses.
Lecturers will inform you about the specific guidelines for written papers and the due dates for handing them in during the respective course and semester. Please note the following:
- Structural and stylistic standards need to be followed. They will usually be explained in class, summarized on a handout, or, if necessary, discussed during the lecturer’s office hour. If you do not follow the requirements, the lecturer can deduct points in the paper. This is especially important for BA students who have already attended a research colloquium in their 4th or 6th semester and MA students in their 3rd semester.
- The thesis, argument and/or outline have to be discussed with your lecturer before you start writing. Otherwise the lecturer can refuse to accept your paper.
- The due dates for term papers are fixed for every individual semester and will be announced at the beginning of the semester. Extensions can only be granted with previous notification by the student on the basis of a reasonable cause (e.g. sickness, impairment, family emergencies). Term papers that are handed in after the due date without early notification (at least one week prior to the due date) or a sufficient cause will receive a failing grade (5.0).
Be sure to talk to your lecturers right away if you have any questions about the course requirements.
| Area | Person |
|---|---|
| Student Advisor | Dr. Mandy Beck |
| Language Program and Semester Abroad Requirements | Dr. Isabelle van der Bom Prof. Dr. Christina Sanchez-Stockhammer |
| ERASMUS | Prof. Dr. Cecile Sandten (Milan) Prof. Dr. Christina Sanchez-Stockhammer (all other universities) |
Several courses may also be taken by students not enrolled in the English and American Studies programme. These are marked separately. The numbers indicate the appropriate semester of study.
- B_AA = B.A. Anglistik/Amerikanistik
- B_EG = B.A. Europäische Geschichte
- B_Eu = B.A. Europastudien
- B_Ge = B.A. Geschichte
- B_InEn = B.A. Informatik NF Englisch
- B_Ko = B.A. Interkulturelle Kommunikation
- B_MK = B.A. Medienkommunikation
- B_MP = B.A. Print & Media Technology PMT
- B_Pä = B.A. Pädagogik
- B_Ps = B.A. Psychologie
- M_AA = Master Anglistik/Amerikanistik
- M_Ge = Master Geschichte
- M_GI = Master Interkulturelle Germanistik
- M_In = Master Informatik
- M_Ko = Master Interkulturelle Kommunikation
- M_MK = Master Medienkommunikation
- SELAEn = Lehramt Grundschule
Two translation courses are part of the MA curriculum.
Do you have a certificate for German at the A1, A2, or B1 level? You are not required to take the Translation classes in the Practical Language Program (Translation English-German; Translation German-English). Instead, you may take German language classes at the Language Centre, but you must register for these courses online through OPAL (found under “Sprachenzentrum” / “Deutsch als Fremdsprache”).
Do you have a certificate for German at the B2 level? You can take the C1-level German course at the Language Centre. After you have completed the C1-level German course, you may take the Translation German-English course the following semester. If you do not want to attend the Translation German-English course, you may attend a specialisation course at the C1 German level (e.g. Wissenschaftliches Schreiben) instead, but you must register online through OPAL (found under “Sprachenzentrum” / “Deutsch als Fremdsprache” or “Wissenschaftliches Schreiben”).
If you have any questions, please contact the Practical Language Programme Coordinator
Dear ERASMUS Students,
Welcome to the English Department at Chemnitz University of Technology! We hope you will enjoy your stay in Chemnitz.
You are welcome to attend many of the Bachelor's seminars offered by the Department. These courses have "ERASMUS" below their titles.
Erasmus students who would like to improve their English language skills are welcome to attend the course Vocabulary Building after completing the Placement Test
The Placement Test has two parts: 1) a computer-based part which tests your writing, grammar and reading skills, and 2) an oral part which evaluates your speaking and pronunciation skills.
To take the computer-based part of the exam, you must obtain your TUC login (a combination of username and password) from the Universitätsrechenzentrum several days prior to your test date and bring the login information and your student ID with you when you come to take the test.
To sign up for the Placement Test or get more information, please send an email to the Practical Language Programme Coordinator, Dr. Isabelle van der Bom: isabelle.vanderbom@...
Please send the following information:- your first and last name
- the name and city of your home university
- the name of your Erasmus coordinator
You will then receive further information about available test dates and times.
As many of you have noticed or will notice soon, many people expect students of English to be able to speak and write perfectly. While we know that such expectations are often exaggerated and unrealistic, we still strive for our students to achieve a very good command of English. Apart from the importance of sound language skills for your later professional career, you need to be proficient in the language as a basis of your course work: reading books and scientific articles, writing term papers, giving presentations and participating in class discussions are only a few of the areas you will need good English skills for to be successful in your studies.
In order to help students with the admittedly long and laborious task of enhancing foreign language skills to a level adequate for the academic world, the English Department offers Practical Language Courses (PLCs) targeting the language problems of our students. Yet, students need to keep in mind that these courses merely represent the MINIMUM of the time and energy that you should invest to improve your linguistic competence sufficiently. In other words, you will need to spend more time on developing your skills outside of class, for example by reading (e.g. English and American newspapers and magazines, available in the library and, perhaps more conveniently, on the Internet), listening (e.g., English TV or radio channels or listening sources on the Internet), writing, speaking, and practicing grammar and vocabulary via training websites or CD-ROM applications.
In addition, students need good reference books to work effectively and successfully. Some helpful resources, including online language learning websites, can be found on this page.
The European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) is a standardized system for the approval of university courses within the European Union. It gives students the opportunity to have their academic credits recognized at any university within the EU. This applies not only to students from TUC who partake in an exchange program but also to our guests and those who change their place of study within Germany or the EU. The ECTS is running parallel to the credit systems already existing at the respective universities.
The ECTS consists of two components:
- In the credit system, course achievements – the amount of work required of a student for the individual courses – are evaluated annually.
- The grading scale has been implemented to guarantee a common European standard for the assessment of individual achievements (from A = excellent to F = fail). However, if an ERASMUS student’s university uses another system, we can convert everything.
Incoming students
For the courses at our department, students will receive Credit Points according to the type of course they attend:
- Lecture: 3 Credits
- Seminar/Übung: 5 Credits
- Practical Language Course: 3 Credits (2 LVS), 6 Credits (4 LVS)
BA 2 Courses
BA2-1.1 Basismodul 1.1: English Language Training: Basics
Phillips, Jeff, B.A.
Ü: Pronunciation
B_AA__2, SELAEn2
Registration info: Please register for this course as soon as possible, definitely before Monday, April 03, via the enrolment option on OPAL. Email isabelle.vanderbom@... if you have any queries
Content
This course is intended to complement students' theoretical phonology/linguistics studies. A foundation for the course is laid with an introduction to the International Phonetic Alphabet. Using a range of media, we will look at the articulation of specific English sounds in different varieties of English, giving particular attention to those areas of English pronunciation that tend to be problematic for German speakers. The course puts focus on listening (and transcription) of standard dialects of English, and time is spent on in-class controlled-speech exercises to help students understand and, ultimately, reduce their individual pronunciation problems.
Objectives
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
- read IPA transcriptions of native English speakers and transpose these into normal orthography
- write a broad (IPA) transcription of sentences spoken by (standard) native speakers of English
- identify and hear the difference between the standard English sounds, regardless of (standard) dialect
- hear, identify and understand certain supra-segmental aspects of pronunciation (strong versus weak forms, linking, stress and intonation)
- and approximate the pronunciation of one variety in their own speech.
Prerequisites
Successful completion of PVL Integrated Language Course (ILC)Requirements
A 75-min PL exam (15-min oral plus 60-min written tests)Literature/materials
Students are asked to purchase the course pack (file number 44) from Copyshop Dietze (Reichenhainer Str. 55) before the first meeting.
Phillips, Jeff, B.A.
Ü: Vocabulary Building
B_AA__2, SELAEn2, Erasmus
Registration info: Please register for this course as soon as possible, definitely before Monday, April 03, via the enrolment option on OPAL. Email isabelle.vanderbom@... if you have any queries.
Content
This course is designed to help students consolidate and improve their vocabulary as well as their vocabulary building skills. The course focuses on the general and specialized vocabulary found in informational texts (e.g. newspaper articles) as well as academic discourse (Academic Word List etc.). It helps students expand their command of English lexis by looking beyond the simple ‘meanings’ of words to other aspects like affixation, word formation, collocations, register, and style. It also addresses a variety of vocabulary building strategies including dictionary and thesaurus skills. There will be special sections on the use of transition words and the language of academic texts and presentations.
Objectives
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
- understand and use general and specialized vocabulary usage in newspaper articles and academic texts
- use both British and American dictionaries as well as thesauri and on-line reference materials
- use at least three vocabulary building strategies
- and give a short talk with appropriate introductory, transitional and concluding phrasing.
Prerequisites
Successful completion of PVL GrammarRequirements
A 90-minute written examLiterature/materials
Students are asked to purchase a copy of the book: Mann, Malcolm & Taylore-Knowles, Steve., (2008). Destination C1 & C2 Grammar and Vocabulary. Student's Book. United Kingdom: Macmillan. ISBN: 978-0-230-03541-6 and course pack (file number 40) from Copyshop Dietze (Reichenhainer Str. 55) before the first meeting.
Stolz, Klaus, Prof. Dr.
V: Einführung in die Großbritannien-Studien
B_AA__2, SELAEn4, B_EG, B_EuKA, B_EuSA, B_EuWA; B_InEn, B_Ko__2, B_Pä__2, B_Ps__6, M_In, M_Ko
Registration info: Bitte bis spätestens 6. April 2023 im OPAL als Teilnehmer eintragen
Content
Die Vorlesung gibt zunächst einen Überblick über die Hauptphasen der gesellschaftspolitischen Entwicklung Großbritanniens seit 1945. Danach werden zentrale gesellschaftliche Probleme Großbritanniens thematisiert. Im letzten Teil der Vorlesung sollen die grundlegenden Strukturen des politischen Systems dargestellt und in ihrem Wirkungszusammenhang verständlich gemacht werden.
Objectives
Kenntnisse über die Grundstrukturen von Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft, Politik und Kultur Großbritanniens, sowie über den Wandel des gesellschaftspolitischen Grundarrangements seit 1945; Verständnis der für das Land spezifischen Verbindung von Tradition und Umbruch; Erklärungskompetenz für die Entwicklungsformen und Ausprägungen der britischen Kultur und ihrer gesellschaftlichen Grundlagen.
Prerequisites
Der regelmäßige Besuch der Vorlesung wird vorausgesetzt, weil sie die Basisbegriffe und Grundkenntnisse für den erfolgreichen Abschluss des B.A.-Moduls im 4. Studiensemester (Seminar „British Society, Culture and Politics“) bzw. eines entsprechenden Moduls in anderen Studienfächern und -gängen vermittelt. Für die Nachbereitung der Vorlesungsthemen sind eigenständige Material- und Literaturrecherchen erforderlich.Requirements
Klausur am Ende des Semesters (PVL). Die Leistungen für den Modulabschluss (PL) sind im Seminar British Society, Culture and Politics im 4. Studiensemester zu erbringen. Teilnahme- und Leistungsscheine für andere Studienfächer und -gänge: Die Voraussetzungen für die Scheinvergabe werden zu Beginn der Vorlesung erläutert.Literature/materials
Roland Sturm (Hrsg.) (2019): Länderbericht Großbritannien, Bonn: Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung, Schriftenreihe Band 10438. Unbedingt empfohlen. Der Band kann für 4,50€ + Versandkosten bei der BpB bestellt werden.
BA2-1.3 Basismodul 1.3: Professional Skills
Friebel, Antonia, SELA
S: Principles in Second Language Acquisition
B_AA_2, ERASMUS
Registration info: Please register on OPAL
Content
Language is a complex and intriguing phenomenon, arguably unique to humans and certainly at the heart of our success as a species. In this course, we explore the role of nature and nurture in language learning, the leading models used to explain the processes of language acquisition, some applications of the theories and some unfolding perspectives wrought by the prominence of technology in our daily lives. The aim of this course is to broaden your knowledge on how we acquire language; specifically, how (language) learners acquire a second language (L2). In this class, we will compare the prevalent SLA theories, discuss how L2 learners acquire different elements of language (such as vocabulary, grammar and syntax), and also how certain factors – for example age, motivation, or the first language – may interfere with or facilitate the process of second language acquisition. In addition, we will explore how digital tools and technologies (such as language-learning apps or AI) are used in SLA.Objectives
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
- give an account of the key theories that have defined the field of second language acquisition to date.
- compare and contrast different factors that influence the language acquisition process.
- integrate the perspectives of SLA into a global understanding of language learning.
- discuss and evaluate the role of digital tools and technologies in language learning.
Prerequisites
Successful completion of the Information Technology PVL examRequirements
A 90-min. written examLiterature/materials
Gass, S. M., & Mackey, A. (Eds.). (2013). The Routledge handbook of second language acquisition. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203808184
Saville-Troike, M., & Barto, K. (2018). Cambridge introductions to language and linguistics: Introducing second language acquisition (3rd ed.). Cambridge University Press.
VanPatten, B., Smith, M., & Benati, A. G. (2019). Key Questions in Second Language Acquisition: An Introduction. Cambridge University Press.
BA2-2.1 Kernmodul 2.1: English Language and Culture
Please note: BA 2 students must choose one of the two seminars offered in this module (Language Production and Perception OR Language Awareness).
Sanchez-Stockhammer, Christina, Prof. Dr.
V: History of the English Language and Culture
B_AA__2, SELAEn2, B_PMT__2, M_Ge__2
Registration info: Please register via OPAL by 25 March 2023
Content
When we look at the present state of the English language, we find some surprising irregularities – for example, the letter <i> is pronounced differently in child and children (namely / aɪ/ and /ɪ/). However, many present-day irregularities can be explained by regular processes in the past. This lecture will give you an idea of how the English language has become the world-wide lingua franca it is today, and it will provide historical explanations for many present-day phenomena from the areas of phonology, morphology, syntax and lexis. You will get an overview of the evolution of the English language from its roots to the present and the most important historical events that influenced these developments. We will consider why and how languages change, look at short sample texts from all periods of the English language and discuss the relation between language and culture.Objectives
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
- discuss how languages change
- name the most important historical events influencing the English language
- understand how the English language has developed from its beginnings until the present
- provide historical explanations for many irregularities in present-day English.
Prerequisites
Successful completion of the lecture Introduction to English Language & CultureRequirements
Participation in class and tutorial and a 90-min. written exam at the end of the term.Literature/materials
Brinton, Laurel J. & Leslie K. Arnovick. 2006. The English language: A linguistic history. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Barber, Charles. 2000. The English language: A historical introduction. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Baugh, Albert C. & Thomas Cable. 2002. A history of the English language. London: Routledge.
Ivanova, Marina, M.A.
S: Language Production and Perception
B_AA__2, ERASMUS
Registration info: Please sign up for the course in OPAL by 31 March 2023
Content
Language is full of variation and the way we produce and perceive it depends on many complex factors that are studied in all fields of linguistics. For example, phonetics and phonology together with psycho- and sociolinguistics can explain why for some English speakers “bought” and “bot” are pronounced the same whereas for others “light” sounds like “right”; syntax and semantics can show why we tend to be initially confused by garden-path sentences (“The old man the boat.”, “The government plans to raise taxes were defeated.”) and pragmatics can account for the effects of implicature in different contexts (“We need to talk.”). Moreover, on a larger scale, language varieties are perceived with different subjective attitudes, e.g., whether a variety is deemed “prestigious” and what makes an accent “strong”. In the course of this seminar, we will explore factors that affect how language is intended to be perceived by the speaker vs how it is eventually perceived by the interlocutor. We will learn about planning a study on language perception and production, i.e., how to find a feasible research question, how to gather and analyze data and interpret the results, and how to report the study in a term paper. Finally, we will develop and carry out small experiments in speech production and perception.Objectives
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
- explain key concepts in language production and perception
- apply the key concepts in example scenarios including production-perception mismatches
- analyse spoken and written linguistic structures in a variety of contexts
- use widespread software for the analysis of spoken and written corpora (Praat and AntConc)
- plan and carry out a small experiment in production and perception
Prerequisites
V Introduction to English Language & CultureRequirements
Active participation and regular attendance are expected. Each student will give a presentation (PVL, 30 min.) and prepare questions for discussion. In addition, students are asked to consistently prepare their reading assignments and project assignments for class (20% of PL) and write a term paper at the end of the seminar (80% of PL, 10-12 pages).Literature/materials
Beňuš, Š. (2021). Investigating spoken English: A practical guide to phonetics and phonology using Praat. Palgrave Macmillan.
Cruttenden, A., & Gimson, A C. (2014). Gimson's pronunciation of English. Routledge.
Meyerhoff, M. (2006). Introducing sociolinguistics. Taylor & Francis.
Warren, P. (2013). Introducing psycholinguistics. Cambridge University Press.
Maschke, Katharina, M.A.
S: Language Awareness
B_AA__2
Registration info: Please sign up for the course via OPAL until March 28, 2023
Content
What is language? How does it affect us? In this seminar, we will dive into the concept of language and make ourselves more aware of our own language in the process. We will discover how language affects its surrounding areas of life, such as identity, learning or interpersonal relationships. Since you have already gained explicit knowledge about language in school and university classes, we will make sure to include what you bring to the table in this interactive seminar.Objectives
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
- actively add to their knowledge about language
- state and explain features of language
- draw connections between language and its environment
- reflect on their own use of language in different contexts
Prerequisites
V Introduction to Linguistics (1st semester)Requirements
Active participation, term paper (PL, 10-12 pages)Literature/materials
TBA
Kind, Trixi
T: History of the English Language and Culture (Tutorial)
B_AA__2, SELAEn2
Registration info: to be announced during the first lecture
BA2-2.2 Kernmodul 2.2: Applied Linguistics
Please note: LAGS students may take the BA6 "Research Seminar - Chatbots: Chat GPT and all that" in place of the Applied Linguistics seminar, which is not offered this summer term.
BA2-2.3 Kernmodul 2.3: English Literatures and Cultures I
Karmakar, Indrani, Dr.
S: Theories and Methods
B_AA__2, SELAEn6
Registration info: Please register via email ( indrani.karmakar@...) with your name, study programme, semester and the title of this seminar by Tuesday, 28 March 2023.
Content
This course provides an accessible introduction to the theories and methods in literary studies and its four pillars: author, text, reader, and context. We will engage in critical investigations of five influential theoretical approaches in our field: Marxism, Psychoanalysis, Gender and Queer Theory, New Criticism and Formalism, and Postcolonial Studies. For each of these five areas, there will be a discussion of a seminal theoretical text in the first week, followed by a hands-on session in the second week, in which we will use the theoretical/methodological framework to analyse a given literary text (a poem or a short story). In addition, the seminar will provide students with useful tools and methods to analyse literary texts. The seminar will be accompanied by a weekly tutorial. Time and venue will be announced at the first meeting.Objectives
Like all scientists, scholars of literature need methods in order to engage with their objects of study (i.e. literary texts). The methods and theories presented in this seminar will enable students to study literature from different perspectives and with greater precision than before. In other words, we will put the “Wissenschaft” into “Literaturwissenschaft”.
Prerequisites
Successful completion of the lecture Introduction to the Study of Literatures in English. You are required to carefully study alternately a complex theoretical text and a short literary text (a poem, a collection of poems, a short story) from week to week, which results in a high reading load.Requirements
Active participation in every session of the class is expected (there will be regular in class reading quizzes).
- PVL: Oral presentation (20 minutes) (see Studienordnung, p. 1349) or similar form of presentation.
- PL (for B_AA__2): Term paper (10-12 pages) (see Studienordnung, p. 1349).
- PL (for SELAEn6, B_Pä__4): Final exam (Klausur).
Literature/materials
A reader with seminal material will be available at the Copyshop Dietze (Reichenhainer Str. 55). at the beginning of the semester.
BA 4 Courses
BA4-1.2 Basismodul 1.2: English Language Training: Skills
Phillips, Jeff, B.A.
Ü: Speaking and Presentation Skills in a Multimedial Context
B_AA__4, SELAEn4
Registration info: Please register for this course as soon as possible, definitely before Monday, April 03, via the enrolment option on OPAL. Email isabelle.vanderbom@... if you have any queries.
Content
This course is designed to develop and improve students’ presentation skills. Students will be exposed to and practice a variety of presentation styles including persuasive (argumentative), informative and explanative/instructive. Presentation delivery including body language, eye contact and voicing will be highlighted and the structure of an effective presentation, including the use of effective visuals aids, will be emphasized. The course will also expose students to the art of debating and how to facilitate and participate in group discussions to become an effective group leader/member. Students will be required to give critical feedback to their peers and to evidence adherence to feedback in subsequent presentations. Although the focus of the course is on oral communication, there will be some research required in order to provide a realistic level of Content: in the presentations and discussion/debate.Objectives
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
- have improved their understanding of presentation styles in English
- have improved their delivery of presentations in English
- have increased their confidence and effectiveness in presenting in English
- have obtained a high degree of spoken accuracy and fluency
- be able to use a variety of visual aids to support their oral delivery
- be able to facilitate and participate in group discussion and debate
- and be able to provide and adhere to critical feedback.
Prerequisites
Successful completion of Module 1.1 English Language Training: Basics and of Listening (PVL).Requirements
15-minute oral examLiterature/materials
Phillips, Jeff, B.A.
Ü: Writing
B_AA__4
Registration info: Please register for this course as soon as possible, definitely before Monday, April 03, via the enrolment option on OPAL. Email isabelle.vanderbom@... if you have any queries.
Content
This course aims at improving the participants’ non-fictional writing skills with regard to students’ academic as well as professional careers. Students will learn how to write application documents in English (CV, Cover Letter, Statement of Purpose and Goals), which are important for their semester abroad as well as their professional life outside of university. In terms of academic writing, students will learn to write argumentative essays, a skill necessary not only for Practical Language Classes in general but also for written assignments and term papers in their other courses. We will look at writing from the process- rather than the product-perspective, emphasizing the steps of drafting and editing. Moreover, skills in summarizing and describing will be trained, and questions of style and register, the creation of coherence and cohesion as well as the accurate use of vocabulary and grammar will play a major role throughout the course.Objectives
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
- compose CVs, Cover Letters and Statements of Purpose and Goals
- compose argumentative essays
- compose summaries and descriptions
- make informed judgments concerning register and style of a given text
- and use stylistically appropriate expressions and structures in their own writing, esp. formal language.
Prerequisites
Successful completion of module 1.1 English Language Training: Basics and of Reading (PVL)Requirements
4 written texts (PL)Literature/materials
Students are asked to purchase the course pack (file number 41) from Copyshop Dietze (Reichenhainer Str. 55) before the first meeting.
BA4-2.4 Kernmodul 2.4: English Literatures and Cultures II
Please note: BA 4 students must choose one of the following two seminars.
Karmakar, Indrani, Dr.
S: Migration, Home and Diaspora in Anglophone Literature
B_AA__4, B_EuKA4, B_EuSA_4, B_EuWA_4, B_Ko__4, B_Pä__4, M_EG__4, SELAEn4, ERASMUS, SGphilSS
Registration info: Please register via email ( indrani.karmakar@...) with your name, study programme, semester and the title of this seminar by Tuesday, 28 March 2023.
Content
Postcolonial literature is abundantly influenced by the experiences of people’s movement in a world still carrying the legacies of colonialism and becoming increasingly globalised yet worryingly unequal. The concept of diaspora (meaning: “dispersal”) is productively used in relation to people’s movement across national borders – chosen or forced – which often seems to challenge the notion of a fixed national identity. In this course, we focus on literature emanating from different diasporas, that is groups o communities of migrants in North America and the UK. Reading key theoretical texts to understand such concepts as hybridity, cultural diversity and diasporic identity, we will explore fiction – short stories and novels – to understand how the literary productions have engaged with a range of concerns apropos of migration and diaspora, namely, legacies of colonialism; home and belonging; the post 9/11 volatile socio-political atmosphere; “emergency diasporas” emerging from the ongoing refugee crisis.Objectives
The objectives of this course are to introduce students to a significant corpus of contemporary Anglophone literature on migration and diaspora. Students will read the creative texts in conjunction with key theoretical texts to define the conceptual tools of diaspora, hybridity, and multiculturalism. Students will be able to critically examine these concerns in relation to literary texts, analyse the texts’ narrative and aesthetic strategies and broaden their understanding of Anglophone literature across borders.
Prerequisites
Students must have successfully completed the Introduction to the Study of Literatures in English and the Kernmodul 2.3 English Literatures and Cultures I (does not apply to visiting students).Requirements
Active participation in every session of the class is expected (there will be regular in class reading quizzes). PVL: Oral presentation (20 minutes) or similar form of presentation. PL: Term paper (10-12 pages).Literature/materials
Cole, Teju. Everyday is for the Thief. Lagos. Cassava Republic, 2007.
Khair, Tabish. Just Another Jihadi Jane. Reading: Periscope, 2016.
Kincaid, Jamaica. Lucy. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1990.
A Reader with seminar materials will also be available at available at the Copyshop Dietze (Reichenhainer Str. 55)
Beck, Mandy, Dr.
S: Border Narratives
B_AA__4, B_EuKA4, B_EuSA_4, B_EuWA_4, B_Ko__4, B_Pä__4, M_EG__4, SELAEn4, ERASMUS, SGphilSS
Registration info: Please register via email ( mandy.beck@...) until Monday, 3 April 2023.
Content
The topic of borders has attracted interest across several disciplines for many years, ranging from literary to cultural studies, postcolonial to migration studies, or even affective to psychological approaches, due to its multiple implications for aesthetic, cultural, socio-political or mere spatial issues. Recent developments like the refugee crisis in Europe, the COVID-19 crisis, or the renewed tensions at the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland after Brexit exemplified the consistent relevance of borders – whether it is in the sense of the general “debordering” strategy in the EU or a “rebordering” (McCall 2012) of nation states in the face of illegal immigration, security or health threats. Based on these observations and imminent questions of how to conceptualise borders, this seminar seeks to illuminate how borders are “presented, marked, represented, medialized” (Schimanski/Wolfe 2007) by contemporary writers, such as Mohsin Hamid, Jan Carson, and others, as well as how current events influence the perception and depiction of borders.Objectives
Students are made familiar with different conceptualisations of borders, for example, by Walter D. Mignolo, Thomas Nail, Johan Schimanski and others, to reflect on the different manifestations of borders and to develop a critical understanding of how borders function in diverse contexts. This will be enhanced by a discussion of selected literary works and their representation of associated themes, like flight, migration, ethnonational conflicts, anxiety, or xenophobia.
Prerequisites
Students must have successfully completed the Introduction to the Study of Literatures in English and the Kernmodul 2.3 English Literatures and Cultures I (does not apply to visiting students).Requirements
Close readings of primary, theoretical as well as secondary texts, discussions and oral presentations. For the PVL, each student can either do an oral presentation (approx. 20 minutes) or complete a written task (1500-2000 words), and write a substantial seminar paper (10-12 pages) for the PL.Literature/materials
A reading list will be announced at the beginning of the semester.
A reader with secondary texts will also be available at the Copyshop Dietze (Reichenhainer Str. 55).
BA4-2.5 Kernmodul 2.5: American Social and Cultural Studies
Ziesche, Daniel, Dr.
S: The White Working Class in US Politics and Culture
B_AA_3_4, SELAEn6, B_EG, B_EuKA, B_EuSA, B_EuWA, B_Pä__4, M_Ko, ERASMUS
Registration info: Please sign up via OPAL by 6 April 2023
Content
When Donald Trump entered office in 2016 his electoral victory was initially widely regarded as the victory of a voting group which had been largely neglected by both parties in recent decades: the white working class (WWC). Only after some time had passed, a more nuanced picture emanated, which showed that while working class voters in general increasingly voted Republican since the 1990s, voting behaviour among the WWC as well as value and identity shifts are highly complex and that, in fact, the WWC was not the often-claimed “bulk” of Trump’s voters. A longstanding centrepiece of US economics and politics, the position of the WWC has shifted massively in recent decades, largely due to its rapid shrinking. While it is still the largest single electoral group, it is often claimed that it has been politically neglected in recent years, with massive repercussions on these communities. Within the course, we will trace the historical origins of the white working class and its changed political and economic role as we follow its transition from the centre to the fringes of political attention and its unlikely comeback in recent years and its part in the so called “culture war” currently raging within US society.Objectives
Participants will gain a deepened understanding of the concept of “class” and its relevance for the American political system and society. On the social and cultural level, we will discuss the struggle and survival of (white) working class values, culture and identity and its impact on American popular culture. Within the seminar, methods and theories of political and social science as well as cultural studies will be discussed and applied to case studies. Students will learn to critically engage, discuss and analyse different sources and data material.
Prerequisites
Successful completion of the lecture Einführung in die USA-Studien (passed exam; except Erasmus).Requirements
Active participation in class, 15-minute, (pre-produced) oral presentation (PVL) and a written term paper of 10-12p (PL). SELAEn and Erasmus students can choose between a term paper and three essays to be handed in on specific dates during the lecture period.Literature/materials
A reader as well as an additional reading list will be provided via the OPAL directory of the course.
BA4-2.6 Kernmodul 2.6: British Cultural and Social Studies
Ziesche, Daniel, Dr.
S: Cultures of Protest: Social Movements and Political Activism in the UK
B_AA_3_4, SELAEn6, B_EG, B_EuKA, B_EuSA, B_EuWA, B_Pä__4, M_Ko, ERASMUS
Registration info: Please sign up via OPAL by 6 April 2023
Content
Social movements and political activism have a long and rich history in the UK. The seminar will encompass early modern appearances in the form of the labour movement and the women’s suffrage movement over the ‘classic’ social movements such as the environmental movement and the anti-war movement up to more recent phenomena of civic political protest such as the Occupy movement, contemporary populist movements and the current surge in climate activism. During the past decades, civic engagement and forms of activism underwent remarkable changes. Perhaps most obviously, the forms of organization are different now than they were a hundred years ago as activism itself is a versatile and dynamic phenomenon. Modes of protest and who participates in protests change over time, currently, multiple forms of political activism adapt to the challenges of the digital age and the opportunities of social media. While until recently, western democracies have been facing a steady decline in civic and political engagement, recent years have seen the numbers in political participation rise. Whether of modern or post-modern origin: social movements and forms of political activism can be productively analysed by employing theoretical frameworks from political science, sociology, anthropology and cultural studies.Objectives
Participants will gain deepened insight into the political system of the UK and the specific role of social movements and civic engagement within Western-democratic systems. Within the seminar, methods and theories of political and social science as well as cultural studies will be discussed and applied to individual case studies in order to gain an encompassing understanding about social movements and other forms of political activism. Students will learn to critically engage, discuss and analyse different sources and data material.
Prerequisites
Successful completion of the introductory lecture to UK Studies (passed exam).Requirements
Active participation in every session of the class, 15-minute oral presentation (PVL) and a written term paper of 10-12p (PL). SELAEn and Erasmus students can choose between a term paper and three essays to be handed in on specific dates during the lecture period.Literature/materials
A reader as well as an additional reading list will be provided via the OPAL directory of the course.
BA4-5.1 Spezialisierungsmodul 5.1: Advanced English Language and Culture
Sanchez-Stockhammer, Christina, Prof. Dr.
K: Research Colloquium
B_AA__4
Registration info: Please register via OPAL by 25 March 2023
Content
This course accompanies students through the BA writing process and provides them with presentation skills for academic conferences. We will have a mixture of presentations and discussions of linguistic topics in the broadest sense. Student suggestions are very welcome.Objectives
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
- write a project proposal and an abstract for their projects
- present their research projects to an academic audience
- critically evaluate their projects and discuss their own work within a wider research context
- discuss linguistic research papers
Prerequisites
Successful completion of module 2.1 English Language and CultureRequirements
PVL: Throughout the semester, students are required to work on their portfolios including a BA proposal/exposé (2,500 words, 5 pages).Literature/materials
Bortz, Jürgen & Nicola Döring. 2006. Forschungsmethoden und Evaluation: für Human- und Sozialwissenschaftler. 3rd edn. Heidelberg: Springer.
BA4-5.2 Spezialisierungsmodul 5.2: English Literatures and Cultures
Sandten, Cecile, Prof. Dr.
K: Examenskolloquium/Research Colloquium
B_AA__4, B_AA__6, SELAEn8
Registration info: Please register via e-mail ( kati.bartsch@...) with your name, semester, student ID and status until Tuesday, 28 March 2023.
Content
The Research Colloquium is open to students who are preparing for their final oral and written exams. It is intended to give students a platform to present their projects and to raise questions and/or difficulties they may be facing at an early stage of their research. Further, students are encouraged to engage in critical discussions, and gain feedback from their peers concerning their research projects. We will also discuss a wide range of general topics and individual topics required for final exams.Prerequisites
Requirements
The format of this seminar consists of a close reading of theoretical and primary texts, of discussions and presentations of students’ own writings (e.g. title, abstract, introduction). Each student will present an oral report about their thesis (approx. 15 minutes) (PVL).Literature/materials
A reader with seminal material will also be available at the Copyshop Dietze (Reichenhainer Str. 55).
BA4-5.3 Spezialisierungsmodul 5.3: British and American Social and Cultural Studies
Stolz, Klaus, Prof. Dr.
K: Forschungskolloquium I
B_AA__4
Registration info: Bitte bis spätestens 6. April 2023 im OPAL als Teilnehmer eintragen
Content
(Nach erster Sitzung: Blocksitzungen, times tba) In diesem Forschungskolloquium werden Formen und Methoden wissenschaftlichen Arbeitens in den Kultur- und Länderstudien wiederholt und eingeübt. BA 4. Semester Studierende sollen ein Exposé für ihre BA-Arbeit erstellen; BA 6. Semester Studierende erhalten die Gelegenheit, die Konzeption und/oder einzelne Aspekte ihrer laufenden BA Arbeit zu präsentieren. Unterrichtssprache ist Deutsch und Englisch. Es wird sowohl gemeinsame Sitzungen von BA 4 und BA 6 als auch getrennte Sitzungen geben.Objectives
Das Kolloquium soll die Studierenden in die Lage versetzen, eigenständig kultur- und sozialwissenschaftliche Fragestellungen zu bearbeiten.
Prerequisites
Requirements
Literature/materials
BA 6 Courses
BA6-1.2 Basismodul 1.2: English Language Training: Skills
Phillips, Jeff, B.A.
Ü: Translation in a Digital Context
B_AA__6, SELAEn6
Registration info: Please register for this course as soon as possible, definitely before Monday, April 03, via the enrolment option on OPAL. Email isabelle.vanderbom@... if you have any queries.
Content
In this course, students will learn to translate texts both correctly and effectively. Various approaches to translating such as text analysis, text typology, contrastive analysis, free and narrow translation etc. will be used to assist the students in identifying and solving translation issues and problems. A range of texts and text genres will be used in order to provide students with hands-on experience in dealing with authentic texts and in developing strategies for dealing with a variety of texts in the future. Attention will be paid to such issues as interference, “false friends”, genre and register, structural differences between source and target language, cultural appropriateness, and transferring ideas versus word-for-word translations. Skills in working with dictionaries and reference books will be trained, and students will be introduced to research skills and research resources, especially those offered by the internet.Objectives
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
- translate texts of various genres effectively and with an awareness of the target readership and culture
- recognize and use vocabulary appropriately with regard to register, style and genre
- apply translation principles and strategies successfully
- translate texts for various practical applications
- and use research tools to aid in translating.
Prerequisites
Successful completion of module 1.2 English Language Training: Skills.Requirements
90-minute written PL examLiterature/materials
Students are required to have good monolingual and bilingual dictionaries. In addition, they are asked to purchase the course pack (file number 42) from Copyshop Dietze (Reichenhainer Str. 55) before the first course meeting.
BA6-5.1 Spezialisierungsmodul 5.1: Advanced English Language and Culture
Please note: LAGS students may take the BA6 "Research Seminar - Chatbots: Chat GPT and all that" in place of the Applied Linguistics seminar, which is not offered this summer term.
Sanchez-Stockhammer, Christina, Prof. Dr.
S: Research Seminar – Chatbots: Chat GPT and all that
B_AA__6, B_EE__6
Registration info: Please register via OPAL by 25 March 2023
Content
This course provides students with a forum and appropriate tools for their upcoming Bachelor’s theses in English and Digital Linguistics. For instance, we will discuss how to develop and operationalise linguistic research questions, how to formulate hypotheses and how to collect, analyse and interpret linguistic data. This semester’s hands-on task focusses on chatbots. We will first get to know how chatbots work and have evolved, and explore some linguistic and ethical questions revolving around their use. Then we will explore what Chat GPT can do, what its limitations are, and discuss possible ways of dealing with this. Participants will reflect on the content of the class in the form of a portfolio.Objectives
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
- retrieve relevant information from academic texts
- develop their own research questions
- draw on a wide range of research methods for their own research
- identify appropriate methods for specific research questions
- present and describe research data in an adequate manner.
Prerequisites
Portfolio, including the research proposal/exposé written in the Research Colloquium IRequirements
In order to receive credits for this course (PL), students will have to work on their portfolios, including presentations (5000 words/10 pages).Literature/materials
Booth, Wayne C., Gregory G. Colomb & Joseph M. Williams. 2008. The craft of research. 3rd edn. Chicago: University of Chicago Press
Bortz, Jürgen & Nicola Döring. 2006. Forschungsmethoden und Evaluation: für Human- und Sozialwissenschaftler, 3rd edn. Heidelberg: Springer-Verlag.
Crowley, Terry. 2007. Field Linguistics: A Beginner's Guide. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Johnson, Keith. 2008. Quantitative Methods in Linguistics. Malden: Blackwell.
Litosseliti, Lia (ed.). 2009. Research Methods in Linguistics. London: Continuum.
Rasinger, Sebastian M. 2008. Quantitative Research in Linguistics: An Introduction. London: Continuum.
Wray, Alison & Aileen Bloomer. 2006. Projects in Linguistics: A Practical Guide to Researching Language, 2nd edn. London: Hodder Education.
BA6-5.2 Spezialisierungsmodul 5.2: English Literatures and Cultures
Sandten, Cecile, Prof. Dr.
S: SCHLINGEL: International Film Festival for Children and Young Audiences
SELAEn6, B_AA__6, StGenSS
Registration info: Please register via e-mail ( kati.bartsch@...) with your name, semester, student ID until Tuesday, 28 March 2023.
Content
Storytelling is an ancient form of entertainment and education – from the epics by the Greek poet Homer, the medieval sagas of gods and heroes to orally transmitted folk tales in a broad range of countries. For more than 100 years cinema has been the continuation of this tradition – on celluloid. Therefore, an educational program for children and young adults does not only include the studying of texts, but also films. Since 1996, the International Film Festival "SCHLINGEL" has provided a great forum for this task. It offers young viewers the opportunity to watch international, often independent films that would otherwise be unknown to a German audience. The films, whose heroes are primarily children and young adults, tell exciting stories and convey profound messages that are both universal, and conversely, culturally specific. More than 160 films from a broad range of countries will be screened during the festival week. In addition, international guests (e.g. film directors, young actors) as well as international juries will be present throughout the festival.
Objectives
In this seminar, students will first be provided with theoretical texts related to children’s films as well as hands-on material with regard to film analysis techniques that will help them to deepen their understanding of films and support them in the creation of educational material for children. Secondly, students of this seminar will learn how to translate the subtitles of a film and be introduced to tasks that are required for the active participation in the film festival. Since the Chair of English Literatures cooperates with the "SCHLINGEL" Film Festival, students of this seminar will be requested to participate actively in support of the festival (23/09 – 30/09/23).
Prerequisites
Requirements
Active participation in every session of the class is expected. A presentation or partner or group work is also expected as part of the general course work. A final presentation with a poster is required for the course exam (SELAEn6); for the PVL, B_AA__6, StGenSS students can either do an oral presentation (approx. 20 minutes) or complete a written task (of altogether 1500-2000 words). The module 5.2 will be completed with an oral exam of 30 minutes (one topic from this seminar and one topic from the research colloquium).Literature/materials
A reader with seminal material will also be available at the Copyshop Dietze (Reichenhainer Str. 55).
BA6-5.3 Spezialisierungsmodul 5.3: Advanced British and American Social and Cultural Studies
Stolz, Klaus, Prof. Dr.
S: Research Seminar
B_AA__6
Registration info: Please register via OPAL by 6 April 2023
Content
(After first meeting: Blockseminar, times tba) In this research seminar we will look at one nation of the Anglophone world in detail. Class discussions will include historical, social, cultural and political issues. Examining topical studies from a wide range of disciplinary perspectives, we will also critically reflect on the theoretical and methodological approaches used.Objectives
This class pursues two major objectives. First of all, by concentrating on one nation of the English-speaking world only, this seminar allows students to look beyond the surface in order to gather a deeper and more differentiated insight into the process of nation-building. Secondly, our focus on topical studies allows them also to gather a deeper insight into the social research process. As such, this research seminar is meant to support students designing and conducting their own BA thesis projects.
Prerequisites
Requirements
Active participation in every session of the class, an oral presentation (PVL), and an oral exam (PL)Literature/materials
Stolz, Klaus, Prof. Dr.
K: Forschungskolloquium II
B_AA_6, SELAEn8
Registration info: Bitte bis spätestens 6. April 2023 im OPAL als Teilnehmer eintragen
Content
(Nach erster Sitzung: Blockseminar, times tba) In diesem Forschungskolloquium werden Formen und Methoden wissenschaftlichen Arbeitens in den Kultur- und Länderstudien wiederholt und eingeübt. BA 4. Semester Studierende sollen ein Exposé für ihre BA-Arbeit erstellen; BA 6. Semester Studierende erhalten die Gelegenheit, die Konzeption und/oder einzelne Aspekte ihrer laufenden BA Arbeit zu präsentieren. Unterrichtssprache ist Deutsch und Englisch. Es wird sowohl gemeinsame Sitzungen von BA 4 und BA 6 als auch getrennte Sitzungen geben.Objectives
Das Kolloquium soll die Studierenden in die Lage versetzen, eigenständig kultur- und sozialwissenschaftliche Fragestellungen zu bearbeiten.
Prerequisites
Requirements
Literature/materials
MA 2 Courses
MA2-1 Basismodul 1: Translation
Pfundt, Johannes, Mag.
Ü: Translation English-German in Digital Contexts
M_AA__2
Registration info: By e-mail: johannes.pfundt@.... Required information: Name, semester and student ID.
Content
This course focuses on the challenges involved in translating into one’s first language in general and German in particular. Key principles of translation such as equivalence; translatability; strategies of adaptation; target readership orientation and stylistics will be explored and used in analyzing a range of text types. Students will also deepen their knowledge of current translation tools and resources and increase their proficiency in translating.Objectives
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
- assess a variety of English to German translation tasks using linguistic, textual, stylistic and genre conventions.
- have a firm understanding of locating and using meaningful resources for the translation process.
- critically evaluate and assess their peers as well as their own translations.
Prerequisites
Successful completion of the Translation German-English (PVL)Requirements
90-minute written PVL examLiterature/materials
Sanchez-Stockhammer, Christina, Prof. Dr.
S: (Inter-)Cultural Translation Theory & Digital Technologies
M_AA__2
Registration info: Please register via OPAL by 25 March 2023
Content
What exactly is translation? And what role does equivalence play? In this class we will discuss possible criteria for what constitutes a good translation. We will identify possible ways of dealing with challenging aspects such as the translation of names, culture-specific concepts and idioms, and discuss the appropriateness of sample translations. We will work with online tools (e.g. dictionaries and corpora), consider the special case of film dubbing and the role of literary translations. Finally, we will investigate the performance of machine translation tools such as DeepL and Google Translate and discuss recent technological developments in the field. In this class we will discuss translation from English and into English from a general linguistic perspective. We will use examples from German and other languages, which enables participants with different linguistic backgrounds and different levels of German to participate actively in the discussion. The practical translation part can either be a translation from any language into English, or from English into German.Objectives
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
- identify various levels of equivalence
- justify their own decisions when translating
- discuss a translation’s quality
- deal with challenging translation issues
- apply theoretical considerations to their own practical translation projects
- use online translation tools in a more efficient way.
Prerequisites
For native German speakers: Translation German-English in Digital Contexts and Translation English German in Digital Contexts. For non-native German speakers: Grundkurs Deutsch A1 and Grundkurs Deutsch A2.Requirements
A project report (5,000 words) on a practical translation task (PL).Literature/materials
Baker, Mona (3rd edition 2018). In other words: A coursebook on translation. London: Routledge. House, J. (2018). Translation: The basics. London: Routledge.
Hohenadl, Christa & Renate Will. 1994. Into German. Ein systematisches Übersetzungstraining. Ismaning: Hueber.
Koller, Werner. 1997. Einführung in die Übersetzungswissenschaft. 5th edn. Wiesbaden: Quelle und Meyer.
Königs, Karin. 2004. Übersetzen Englisch-Deutsch. Ein systemischer Ansatz. 2nd, rev. edn. Munich: Oldenbourg.
MA2-3 Basismodul 3: Professional Skills
Scholz, Anna-Katharina, M.A.
Ü: E-learning: learning English with corpora and digital tools
M_AA_2, ERASMUS
Registration info: Please register via OPAL by 3 April 2023
Content
Adaptive learning, gamification and performance support will become more than mere buzzwords in this course on the theory and practice of integrating technology in language teaching practices. Effective instructional materials must be designed and deployed in full knowledge of how we learn languages and how we encode, retain and retrieve information. Therefore, alongside exploring relevant theoretical frameworks, students will practice using various e-learning applications, media and services to determine their value as tools for conducting diagnostic assessments, developing the key language skills and increasing engagement. Moreover, students will practice how to work with corpora in order to design corpus-based learning materials and tasks.Objectives
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
- identify opportunities for integrating new media in instructional settings
- critically reflect on chief controversies in the context of e-learning
- assess the appropriateness of different tools and types of activities for different learning contexts using sound pedagogical criteria
- to design language learning activities by using a variety of digital tools for different learner cohorts
Prerequisites
NoneRequirements
PVL: an e-learning project and a written report (around 2000 words/5 pages)Literature/materials
TBA
MA2-4 Basismodul 4: Cultural Encounters
Sandten, Cecile, Prof. Dr.
S: The 19th Century Industrial Novel
M_AA__2, SGphilSS
Registration info: Please register via e-mail ( kati.bartsch@...) with your name, student-ID, study programme, course title and semester until Tuesday, 28 March 2023.
Content
This seminar focuses on the exploration of the Industrial Revolution through literature: The 1840s in Britain were a time of rapid urban and economic expansion and change, great social hardship and increased social tension, which resulted in strikes, violent clashes and the emergence of "the first working-class party", the Chartists. The term "industrial novel" refers to a group of literary works, also known as "social-problem novels" or "Condition-of-England novels", written by middle-class writers concerned about both the treatment of the working class and also the threat of social instability it seemed to pose. In this seminar we will be looking at the social, economic and political history of the mid-century: the technological breakthroughs in production and distribution; social distress in the Northern English industrial towns; and issues such as the rise of the trade union movement and Chartism.Objectives
Our main questions are: How is the Industrial Revolution represented and depicted in literary texts? Which issues of the time do the writers engage in? And how did the "working-class problem" find expression? We will tackle these questions by reading two novels closely: Charles Dickens’ Hard Times (1853), which was the "master’s" excursion into the industrial North (his "Coketown" is based on Manchester and Preston), and Elizabeth Gaskell’s Mary Barton (1848), which was not just the most influential industrial novel of its time and still the best-known of the genre but also the first novel by an author who, as a vicar’s wife, was familiar with poverty in Manchester. How are these novels significant – aesthetically and ideologically – 160 years later? To broaden the scope, we will go on an excursion to the "Sächsisches Industriemuseum" in order to become familiar with the exhibits that pay tribute to the particular temporal setting of the two novels – thus enhancing the "cultural encounter". Brian Percival’s (dir. 2004) adaptation of Elizabeth Gaskell’s novel North and South will round off this seminar. Students will also be required to attend the international conference “Making the City: Transformative Processes in (Post)Industrial Urban Spaces”, 29 June – 1 July 2023, convened by the Chair of English Literatures at TUC.
Prerequisites
Master-students need to have successfully completed their BA in English as well as the seminar pertaining to the MA-Modul 4, "Cultural Encounters".Requirements
The format of this seminar will consist of oral presentations and discussions. Each student will give an oral presentation (approx. 20 minutes), and chair a session or prepare questions for discussion (PVL). For the PL, students have to write a substantial seminar paper (15-20 pages).Literature/materials
Charles Dickens (1994 [1853]): Hard Times. London: Penguin Popular Classics.
Elizabeth Gaskell (1997 [1948]): Mary Barton: A Tale of Manchester Life. London: Penguin Classics.
Further recommended reading:
Friedrich Engels (1845): The Condition of the Working Class in England.
MA2-5.1 Schwerpunktmodul 5.1: Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)
Schluer, Jennifer, Jun.-Prof. Dr.
S: Methodology of Adult Education: Digital Feedback Methods
MA_AA__2, Erasmus
Registration info: Please register via OPAL (button “Course Registration”) by April 4, 2023
Content
In this seminar, we will take a closer look at digital feedback methods. Especially adult learners typically have heterogeneous linguistic, cultural and professional profiles as well as different motivations for enhancing their proficiency in the English language. Individualized feedback is therefore crucial to help them improve, and digital tools offer manifold possibilities for this. In the first weeks, you will be familiarized with the theoretical literature about feedback before we move on to its practical application. You will have the chance to explore different digital feedback methods, including technology-mediated feedback in written, audio and video format as well as their multimodal combination via screencasting and social media. We will also discuss the affordances and limitations of technology-generated feedback provided by AWE software and AI. This course will be part of the DFM project (“Pedagogical orientation for digital feedback”) and you will have the opportunity to participate in an international conference to discuss your ideas and deepen your knowledge (“Spotlight on Language Teaching: Digital Feedback in Research and Practice”).Objectives
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
- describe important characteristics of feedback
- distinguish between different digital feedback methods
- produce digital feedback by applying assessment criteria and utilizing digital tools
- critically assess the produced feedback and reflect on potential improvements
- create and present a task description for the purposeful integration of digital feedback in teaching
Prerequisites
Successful completion of the Intercultural Second Language Acquisition PVL examRequirements
Successful completion of the required assignments (PVL). Details will be announced in the seminar/syllabus.Literature/materials
Schluer, J. (2022). Digital feedback methods. Narr Francke Attempto.
MA2-5.2 Schwerpunktmodul 5.2: English as a Global Language
Yurchenko, Asya, M.A.
S: Qualitative and Quantitative Digital Research Methods
M_AA__2, M_In__2, M_In__4, M_SM__2, B_InEn4
Registration info: Please register via OPAL by 5 April 2023
Content
In this course we will familiarize ourselves with a wide variety of qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis methods in linguistics. Some of the qualitative and mixed methods we will learn about are discourse analysis, surveys & interviews, linguistic landscapes, and corpus linguistics. In the second half of the seminar, we will learn about a variety of statistical methods as well as techniques such as data visualization, text mining, and web scraping while also learning how to program with R.Objectives
By the end of the course, students will:
- have learned about and practiced a variety of qualitative, quantitative, and mixed research methods;
- be able to choose the appropriate descriptive and/or inferential statistical methods for the analysis of data;
- have acquired basic programming skills in R and are able to use it for data analysis, text mining, data visualization, and web scraping.
Prerequisites
NoneRequirements
5 assignments (of ca. 5 pages each) handed in at various points throughout the semester.Literature/materials
Çetinkaya-Rundel, M., & Hardin, J. (2021). Introduction to Modern Statistics. OpenIntro.
Litosseliti, L. (Ed.). (2010). Research Methods in Linguistics. Continuum.
Winter, B. (2020). Statistics for Linguists: An Introduction Using R. Routledge.
Wickham, H., & Grolemund, G. (2017). R for Data Science: Import, Tidy, Transform, Visualize, and Model Data. O’Reilly.
MA2-5.3 Schwerpunktmodul 5.3: English Literatures, Postcolonial Theories and Literatures
Sandten, Cecile, Prof. Dr.
S: First Nations Canadian Life Writings
M_AA__2
Registration info: Please register via e-mail ( kati.bartsch@...) with your name, semester, student ID and status until Tuesday, 28 March 2023.
Content
Among Canada’s First Nations there is the need for self-determination, to restore Aboriginal sensibility, and the need to consolidate and gain recognition for their contributions to writing and story-telling in Aboriginal languages and in the dominant languages (here English). Often, First Nations Canadians do not have access to their own cultures and their own communities because of colonisation, adoption into non-Aboriginal families, foster homes, assimilation, and lack of status. Nonetheless, many First Nations people recognise the power of stories among their peoples.Objectives
Therefore, this seminar will look at a selection of life stories as-told-to, as-told-by or as-told-about First Nations Canadians. These stories will introduce seminar participants to the history, society, cultures, politics, and institutions of Canada as seen through the eyes and told through the words of First Nations people. Further, we will examine the genre of biography and autobiography, as well as the notion of storytelling and oral tradition. An excursion to the Grassi Museum für Völkerkunde zu Leipzig will be on the agenda.
Prerequisites
Masters students need to have successfully completed their BA in English.Requirements
Regular attendance as well as reading and preparing the set texts for discussions is required and part of the Credit Points allocation. The format of this seminar will consist of oral presentations and discussions. Each student will give an oral report (approx. 20 minutes), chair a session or prepare questions for a discussion (PVL) and write a final term paper (15-18 pages) (PL) for the module exam.Literature/materials
These books need to be purchased:
Campbell, Maria. Halfbreed (Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1973)
Culleton, Beatrice. In Search of April Raintree (Winnipeg: Pemmican Publishers, 1983)
Harper, Kenn. Give me my Father’s Body: The Life of Minik, The New York Eskimo. (Vermont: Steerforth Press, 1986/2000)
Seminal theoretical texts will be provided in the OPAL course.
MA2-5.4 Schwerpunktmodul 5.4: Comparing Societies, Politics, and Cultures
Stolz, Klaus, Prof. Dr.
S: What is Wales and When was it?
M_AA__2, M_In__2, M_In__4, M_Po__2, M_Po__4, Erasmus
Registration info: Please register via OPAL by 6 April 2023
Content
(After first meeting: Blockseminar, times tba) Wales is probably the least known constituent nation of the United Kingdom. In this seminar we will discuss studies focussing on different aspects of Welsh nationhood, historical, cultural, social and political. We will raise questions like where do the Welsh come from, what does it mean to be Welsh, how and when is Welshness politically mobilised. In doing so we will analyse how – in the words of the eminent Welsh historian Gwynn A. Williams – “the Welsh make and remake Wales day by day”, but also how social scientists try to make sense of these conscious and unconscious processes of nation-building.Objectives
Based on the seminar “Theories & Methods” in the first semester, this is the first of two seminars in which the tools of comparative social research will be applied. Looking at one social group from a variety of disciplinary, theoretical and methodological perspectives serves at least two different objectives: 1. it is meant to give students a deeper insight into the various aspects of Wales and Welsh national identity. And 2. it provides students with an ideal training ground to sharpen their conceptual and analytical tools and to discuss theoretical and methodological questions.
Prerequisites
Requirements
Active participation in every session of the class, oral presentation (PVL) and a term paper (PL).Literature/materials
Please see OPAL website of the seminar.
MA 4 Courses
MA4-6 Modul 6: MA Thesis and Colloquium
Van der Bom, Isabelle, Dr.
S: Thesis Consultation
M_AA__4
Registration info: Please register for this course as soon as possible, definitely before Monday, April 03, via the enrolment option on OPAL. Email isabelle.vanderbom@... if you have any queries.
Content
In addition to the subject-specific input students receive from their supervisors while writing their Master’s thesis, there is a wealth of assistance offered in individual thesis consultations at the heart of this course. Whether your queries pertain to formulating a research question, staying on topic, academic language, determining when to stop writing, proofreading, publishing your thesis or anything in between, you will have access to detailed feedback, guidance and coaching wherever it is required. The course will begin will include group sessions, writing workshops and individual consultation appointments.Prerequisites
Students are expected to have completed their coursework and should be actively working on their thesis.Requirements
Literature/materials
Schluer, Jennifer, Jun.-Prof. Dr.
K: Research Projects in TESOL
MA_AA__4
Registration info: Please register via OPAL (button “Course Registration”) by April 4, 2023
Content
This course is open to anyone who would like to conduct a research project in the field of TESOL at TU Chemnitz. It addresses Master students and doctoral candidates who want to talk about thesis-related questions, including those who still need to pass the “TESOL research colloquium” but were unable to attend or finish that course in winter term (MA_AA__3). The colloquium will provide you with the opportunity to discuss and refine your plans for your MA project or doctoral dissertation. You will be asked (a) to present your ideas, plans and progress, (b) to provide feedback to your peers throughout the course, and (c) to submit an (updated) thesis proposal towards the end of the term.Objectives
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
- define a research topic and research question(s) for their MA thesis or doctoral thesis,
- select appropriate research methods that fit their research goals,
- sketch a research plan and timeline for their project,
- analyze empirical data, also by using specialized software for quantitative and qualitative analyses,
- present their project ideas and/or thesis in written, oral and multimodal ways,
- provide feedback to their fellow students and engage in critical discussions.
Prerequisites
PVL Intercultural Second Language Acquisition Theory/ Introduction to English Language Teaching PVL Methodology of Adult Education. Moreover, you should have completed the two PL courses of module 5.1: PL Curriculum Planning & Materials Development, PL Classroom Observation & Practical Language Teaching. For doctoral candidates: Completed MA degree in the field of TESOL/ English Language Teaching.Requirements
Presentation of your research project (PVL). Details will be announced in the seminar/syllabus.Literature/materials
A list of relevant literature will be provided.
Other Courses
Other: Doctoral Colloquium, Doktoranden- und Postdoc-Ausbildung
Sandten, Cecile, Prof. Dr.
K: Doctoral Colloquium, Doktoranden- und Postdoc-Ausbildung (4-tägiges Blockseminar)
Content
This course aims to provide support for post-graduate students who are developing their dissertation ideas and first draft outlines. The focus of this seminar will be on research in English Literature (including close readings of secondary theoretical texts and primary texts, but also the students’ own written work). Post-graduate candidates who engage in interdisciplinary approaches and topics beyond English Literature are most welcome to participate to enhance the group’s interdisciplinary awareness.Objectives
This seminar will also offer special supervision through individual counseling. Moreover, the seminar will support doctoral and post-doctoral candidates on a professional level, especially with regard to topics such as scholarly writing for publication, pedagogic issues of teaching at university level, as well as information on how to apply for positions in the job market. In addition, support to present their work at (international) conferences will be given, as well as information on careers and funding support for scholarship applications and opportunities for gaining key supplementary qualifications (in cooperation with the Forschungsakademie TUC).