Humanities (all)

• Apply vocabulary strategies (e.g., choosing appropriate definition; guessing meaning from context; identifying collocations, parts of speech, word parts, and word families; using an English-English dictionary)
•  Identify and differentiate between different contextualized grammatical structures in English using correct terminology
• Identify and correct common advanced-level grammatical errors
• Create original language consciously applying grammar rules
• Articulate target grammar rules in English

• MyGrammarLab Advanced. by Mark Foley & Diane Hall. Essex: Pearson, 2012 (Purchase this book with answer key and online access code)
• Thematischer Grund- und Aufbauwortschatz Englisch. Stuttgart: Klett Verlag, 2002. (Recommended, not required)

• Apply vocabulary strategies (e.g., choosing appropriate definition; guessing meaning from context; identifying collocations, parts of speech, word parts, and word families; using an English-English dictionary)
•  Identify and differentiate between different contextualized grammatical structures in English using correct terminology
• Identify and correct common advanced-level grammatical errors
• Create original language consciously applying grammar rules
• Articulate target grammar rules in English

• MyGrammarLab Advanced. by Mark Foley & Diane Hall. Essex: Pearson, 2012 (Purchase this book with answer key and online access code)
• Thematischer Grund- und Aufbauwortschatz Englisch. Stuttgart: Klett Verlag, 2002. (Recommended, not required)

• Apply vocabulary strategies (e.g., choosing appropriate definition; guessing meaning from context; identifying collocations, parts of speech, word parts, and word families; using an English-English dictionary)
•  Identify and differentiate between different contextualized grammatical structures in English using correct terminology
• Identify and correct common advanced-level grammatical errors
• Create original language consciously applying grammar rules
• Articulate target grammar rules in English

• MyGrammarLab Advanced. by Mark Foley & Diane Hall. Essex: Pearson, 2012 (Purchase this book with answer key and online access code)
• Thematischer Grund- und Aufbauwortschatz Englisch. Stuttgart: Klett Verlag, 2002. (Recommended, not required)

• have a solid foundation in the pronunciation of American English
• be able to use the International Phonetic Alphabet symbols for phonetic transcription
• be aware of typical interference problems facing the German speaker learning English

• have a solid foundation in the pronunciation of American English
• be able to use the International Phonetic Alphabet symbols for phonetic transcription
• be aware of typical interference problems facing the German speaker learning English

• have a solid foundation in the pronunciation of American English
• be able to use the International Phonetic Alphabet symbols for phonetic transcription
• be aware of typical interference problems facing the German speaker learning English
• gain knowledge about your own pronunciation by developing short dialogs

Students will learn to:

• Identify and analyze the main elements of an essay (thesis, topic sentences, argumentative structure) 
• Find and develop engaging topics using various idea-generating strategies (mind-mapping, cubing) 
• Plan an argumentative essay using an outline
• Formulate thesis statements and topic sentences that express a particular point of view
• Compose and develop coherent paragraphs with topic sentences, supporting arguments and evidence, and logical coherence
• Choose appropriate and reliable sources and cite them properly 
• Create a reverse outline to check essay structure
• Provide useful feedback for other writers
• Proofread and edit their own texts effectively 
• Articulate and discuss their ideas about current topics with other class members (based on the homework readings)

Readings for the course, which include model essays and current journal articles for weekly discussion, will be made available on Ilias.

The following writing resources are referred to during the course, but they are not required reading. 

• Aczel, Richard. How to Write an Essay. Klett Lerntraining, 2015.
• Douglas, Yellowlees. The Reader's Brain: How Neuroscience Can Make You a Better Writer. Cambridge University Press, 2015.
• Graff, Gerald, et al. “They Say / I Say”: the Moves That Matter in Academic Writing. W.W. Norton & Company, 2018.

• Three graded writing assignments with mandatory revision (one paragraph + two complete essays) 
• Final exam essay of ca. 850–1,000 words (due date after the official exam period to be arranged with the instructor)

Students will learn to:

• Identify and analyze the main elements of an essay (thesis, topic sentences, argumentative structure) 
• Find and develop engaging topics using various idea-generating strategies (mind-mapping, cubing) 
• Plan an argumentative essay using an outline
• Formulate thesis statements and topic sentences that express a particular point of view
• Compose and develop coherent paragraphs with topic sentences, supporting arguments and evidence, and logical coherence
• Choose appropriate and reliable sources and cite them properly 
• Create a reverse outline to check essay structure
• Provide useful feedback for other writers
• Proofread and edit their own texts effectively 
• Articulate and discuss their ideas about current topics with other class members (based on the homework readings)

Readings for the course, which include model essays and current journal articles for weekly discussion, will be made available on Ilias.

The following writing resources are referred to during the course, but they are not required reading. 

• Aczel, Richard. How to Write an Essay. Klett Lerntraining, 2015.
• Douglas, Yellowlees. Reader's Brain: How Neuroscience Can Make You a Better Writer. Cambridge University Press, 2015.
• Graff, Gerald, et al. “They Say / I Say”: the Moves That Matter in Academic Writing. W.W. Norton & Company, 2018.

• Three graded writing assignments with mandatory revision (one paragraph + two complete essays) 
• Final exam essay of ca. 850–1,000 words (due date after the official exam period to be arranged with the instructor)

• identify structural parts of an essay (thesis, argumentation, symmetry)
• identify the main thesis of an essay and topic sentences in paragraphs
• construct thesis statements and topic sentences that express a particular point of view
• support one’s point of view on the basis of arguments
• increase awareness of essay types and purposes
• compose paragraphs that have topic sentences, logical coherence/presentation of evidence, concluding statements
• plan an essay argument by creating an outline
• work with mind maps to develop ideas
• discuss ideas in English with members of the class based on selected texts and current events
• discover one’s own strengths and weaknesses as a writer.

• Describe and utilize appropriate sentence structure in English (simple, compound, & complex with adverbials)
• Evaluate grammatical differences between German and English usage
• Employ grammatical terminology when discussing the construction of sentences in English.
• Translate sentences of intermediate difficulty from German into English with attention to specific grammatical constructions (including, but not limited to: verb tense and aspect, conditionals, relative and noun clauses, articles, pronouns, and reported speech).
• Utilize an increased vocabulary in English.

• developing a feeling for the timing of a passage
• using the appropriate verb tenses to express this timing
• translating relative clauses and conditionals
• becoming aware of differences in German usage (such as articles, ‘man’, dass)
• using appropriate punctuation
• expanding your vocabulary to be able to translate without a bilingual dictionary
• gain knowledge of your own particular problem areas such as grammatical errors or understanding texts
• understanding your native language through translating it into another
• be able to go on to an Advanced Translation course (if you like!)

• Pass the final exam

• 2–3 essays (approx.. 1200 words) and revisions (optional)
• Final essay (approx.. 1200 words) – topic to be given out in the exam week and will be due at the end of the exam period.

• Final essay (1,000–1,200 words) – topic to be given out in the exam week and will be due at the end of the exam period with your composition book. (The final essay assignment will include one peer review and one personal reflection on your writing process – these are mandatory, but not graded).

• 2–3 essays (approx.. 1200 words) and revisions (optional)
• Final essay (approx.. 1200 words) – topic to be given out in the exam week and will be due at the end of the exam period.

• learn about the basics of synchronic linguistics,
• get to know some descriptive and analytic tools used in linguistics,
• practice linguistic analyses in the areas of sounds, words, and sentences,
• find out what is of interest to you in linguistics,
• learn to work with English textbooks,
• and learn to accumulate and aggregate information from different sources.

• approach linguistic research in a methodical and systematic manner  
• understand why empirical research is important to gain scientific knowledge  
• be able to find and understand academic literature in linguistics  
• understand research designs and will be able to apply them to investigate their own (research) questions 
• understand the purpose of numbers and statistics in linguistics  
• make active use of statistics document their own (research) work in term papers and theses convincingly and in formally appropriate terms  
• transfer the methodological knowledge and skills acquired in this course to other and future areas of study and work  

• approach linguistic research in a methodical and systematic manner  
• understand why empirical research is important to gain scientific knowledge  
• be able to find and understand academic literature in linguistics  
• understand research designs and will be able to apply them to investigate their own (research) questions 
• understand the purpose of numbers and statistics in linguistics  
• make active use of statistics document their own (research) work in term papers and theses convincingly and in formally appropriate terms  
• transfer the methodological knowledge and skills acquired in this course to other and future areas of study and work  

• develop a comprehensive understanding of the linguistic study of meaning
• encounter different theoretical approaches to meaning
• make connections between Semantics and other related disciplines
• develop your critical thinking skills by assessing different theoretical approaches to meaning
• improve your academic reading and writing skills

• Klausur (written 90-min exam = recommended assessment option);
• Hausarbeit (15-page term paper);
• Prüfungsgespräch (20-min oral exam)

You will

• revise and deepen your knowledge of linguistic core concepts in the area of sounds

• learn to use state-of-the-art software for acoustic analysis

• be able to describe real speech sounds in terms of their phonetic characteristics

• be able to describe abstract speech sounds in terms of phonological features

• be able to detect patterns in real speech data

• be able to formulate rules for common phonological processes

• practice your skills in project and time managment, and critical thinking and analysis

• Ashby, M., & Maidment, J. (2005). Introducing Phonetic Science. Cambridge University Press.

• Edwards, J. G. H. (2023). The sounds of English around the world: an introduction to phonetics and phonology. Cambridge University Press.

• Nathan, G. S. (2008). Phonology: A cognitive grammar introduction. John Benjamins.

• Odden, D. (2005). Introducing Phonology. Cambridge University Press.

   

• Written exam (Klausur)
• Oral exam (muendliche Pruefung)
• Term paper (Hausarbeit)

1. be familiar with basic syntatic terminology
2. have a good understanding of the major English word classes and their most important characteristics, i.e. they can identify word classes on the basis of their syntactic properties derived from relevant tests
3. know how words are combined into phrases and sentences
4. understand what a linguistic hypothesis or theory is
5. be able to point out the (un)grammaticality of phrases and sentences with the use of (abstract) linguistics notions
6. to be able to analyse and draw syntatic trees of the most common phrase and sentence types

• short presentation of two assignments in class
• passing of final exam

• Mario Klarer, Introduction to Literary Studies. Third Edition. Abingdon: Routledge, 2013
• Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness, ed. by Owen Knowles (Penguin Classics)
• David Henry Hwang, M. Butterfly (Plume Books).

• analyse and interpret literary texts
• identify, explain and position themselves to the main claims and arguments of research articles
• formulate their own ideas on literary texts in the form of thesis statements

• Wilkie Collins, The Moonstone (1868)
• Arthur Conan Doyle, “The Speckled Band” (1892)
• Agatha Christie, “The Tuesday Night Club” (1932)
• Benjamin Black, Christine Falls (2006)
• West Cork (Sam Bungey & Jennifer Forde, Audible Originals, 2018)
• tbd

• term paper (12–15 pages) OR 
• oral exam 

• analyse and interpret literary texts
• identify, explain and position themselves to the main claims and arguments of research articles
• formulate their own ideas on literary texts in the form of thesis statements

• James Joyce, Dubliners
• Edna O'Brien, A Scandalous Woman and Other Stories
• Elizabeth Bowen, Collected Stories 
• Frank O'Connor, Collected Stories
• Colum McCann, Everything in this Country Must
• Lucy Caldwell, Intimacies
• Colin Barrett, Homesickness
• Melatu Uche Okorie, This Hostel Life
• tbd

• term paper (12–15 pages) OR
• oral exam

• analyse and interpret literary texts by means of text-based (i.e., close reading), context-based, as well as theoretical approaches.
• reproduce, explain, and discuss scholarly theses.
• develop, articulate, and defend individual academic theses (orally and in written form).

• Sam Selvon. The Lonely Londoners. With an introduction by Susheila Nasta, Penguin Books, 2006.
• Beryl Gilroy. In Praise of Love and Children. Peepal Tree Press, 2002.
• Andrea Levy. Small Island. Headline, 2004.

• Hausarbeit (12-page term paper on a chosen topic)
• Prüfungsgespräch (20-min oral exam)
• Klausur, in Präsenz (written 90-min exam on campus)

• familiarize yourself with the field of Caribbean-Canadian literature
• familiarize yourself with foundational theoretical texts and concepts of postcolonial studies
• expand your close reading skills of different genres (poetry, novel, essay, autobiography) and develop a better understanding of literary form
• practice your oral skills in an in-class presentation on a chosen topic and by participation in class discussions

• Oral exam or term paper

• You will revise and deepen your knowledge of a American literary history.
• You will develop a basic understanding of the relationship between romanticism, modernism and postmodernism as well as the relationship between contemporary fiction and prevalent social issues. 
• You will familiarize yourself with canonical American writers and texts  
• You will analyze primary texts through specific historical and thematic frameworks 

• understand the founding phase of US-American history and its effects on contemporary US politics and culture and ideas of national identity
• learn to identify the transformations of American founding ideals and myths throughout the past 250 years
• practice your analysis of rhetoric and aesthetic strategies in different genres (from the founding documents themselves to contemporary fiction)
• practice your research skills by compiling an annotated bibliography for your chosen topic(s) for your oral exam or your term paper

• This seminar requires basic knowledge of literary studies. You ought to have taken an introduction to literary studies / American literature at your home institution

• Students will familiarize themselves with queer literature, particularly in the 1950s-2020s time period, and gain a deeper understanding of how changes in the political and cultural context have impacted queer writing.
• Students will deepen their knowledge of the cultural and social history of the U.S. from the 1950s until today.
• Students will enhance their close-reading skills.
• Students will familiarize themselves with key concepts of Queer Theory and Gender Studies.

• Oral exam or term paper (10–12 pages plus Works Cited section, deadline July 31, 2025)

• describe and compare the main theories and methodologies in first language acquisition research.
• analyze linguistic data from children, including transcription, coding, and interpretation.
• design and execute a small-scale research project, from hypothesis formation to data analysis and presentation.

• Fullfilling all Studienleistungen
• Writing a term paper or passing an oral exam (20 min)

• Theoretical foundations of the interfaces between language, cognition and consumer behavior
• How principles of sound symbolism and human word recognition can inform brand name construction
• How needs, expectations and ethics determine the potentials and limits of linguistic priming
• How linguistic framing can bias consumer decision making
• How exploiting semantic relations provides structure for consumer learning
• How semantic and pragmatic linguistic structures can be used to gain attention, raise awareness and foster persuasiveness in corporate and public communication
• How conceptual metaphors in marketing communications realize heuristic and decorative functions
• How bilingual language processing affects cognitive and emotional consumer reactions
• How narrative structure in commercials affects memory and emotions

• Discussing and reflecting on concepts and their embedded assumptions and implications in central areas of psycholinguistics and consumer behavior
• Applying relevant methods in analyzing language-related materials in marketing communication
• Producing results such as advertising campaigns under time constraints
• Reading and comprehending research articles and statistics
• Preparing a research proposal that builds on previous research and describes a feasible project
• Conducting an empirical or experimental study in a team

• Recognize and understand how relations between semantic and processing structures in language can influence consumer behavior
• Evaluate linguistic materials and psycholinguistic processes relevant for advertising and market research
• Apply the knowledge and skills gained and trained in this course analytically and constructively to create psycholinguistic research and to solve authentic marketing problems (e.g., to design brand names, persuasive advertising campaigns, or materials for empirical market research)

• Harley, T. A. (2014). The psychology of language: From data to theory (4 ed.). Hove, New York: Psychology Press.
• Saeed, J. I. (2015). Semantics (4 ed.). Malden, Mass.: Wiley Blackwell.

• You will develop an understanding of different psycholinguistic, cognitive and sociolinguistic approaches to language contact
• You will become familiar with various methods used to study language contact in and out of the lab
• You will hone your analytical skills in working with data from various languages
• You will practise applying your linguistic knowledge gained in previous courses
• You will enhance your academic reading and critical thinking skills

• promote intercultural awareness and competence
• enhance your ability to navigate cultural differences
• enhance your awareness of linguistic diversity
• develop your intercultural communication skills
• encourage international teamwork and collaboration in interdisciplinary teams

• You will be introduced to the major varieties of English used around the world.
• You will learn to recognize, describe, and classify features of varieties of English.
• You will become familiar with the various models used in World Englishes research, including the most recent ones.
• You will apply the acquired knowledge and practice your skills in linguistic analysis, critical thinking, academic reading, data literacy, media skills, presenting, and teamwork.

• Presentation of one variety of English, passing an oral exam or writing a term paper.

• Active participation including completion and timely submission of homework assignments (grade average: 40% of the final grade)
• Presentation of one topic (30% of the final grade)
• Successful participation in an oral exam or passed term paper (30% of the final grade)

• Analyze how American mythologies have evolved from the frontier narrative to apocalyptic visions.
• Investigate the intersections of race, gender, and class in the construction of national myths.
• Engage with a diverse range of texts, both canonical and contemporary, to understand the complexities of American identity.
• Develop a critical approach to how myths influence social, cultural, and political ideologies.
  Foster an ability to interpret literary works in historical and cultural contexts.
   

• analyse and interpret literary texts by means of text-based (i.e., close reading), context-based, as well as theoretical approaches.
• reproduce, explain, and discuss scholarly theses.
• develop, articulate, and defend individual academic theses (orally and in written form).

• Mary Shelley. The Last Man. Edited with an introduction and notes by Morton D. Paley, Oxford UP, 2008.
• Emily St. John Mandel. Station Eleven. Picador, 2015.

• Hausarbeit (15-page term paper on a chosen topic)
• Prüfungsgespräch (20-min oral exam)
• Klausur, in Präsenz (written 90-min exam on campus)

• Describe the nuanced cultural identities which make up the region
• Recall significant historical events and describe their impact on the region, both past and present
• Use approaches from cultural and media studies to analyze media coverage of the Pacific Northwest to understand how this city is presented and presents itself
• Explain how the region fits into the “American” identity and what is particularly “American” about the region
• Evaluate the regions’s strengths, weaknesses, and possible future outcomes

• Explain how media representations of fatness influence ones beliefs and perceptions of fat people, specifically Americans
• Describe how representations of fatness has changed or developed over time in US film and media
• Explain philosophies influencing different views of fatness in the American psyche
• Apply approaches from cultural and media studies to analyze film and media representations of different bodies
• Describe common cinematic tropes of fatness and how they intersect with gender, race, sexuality, and class

- One mini-presentation

​​​​​​​- Regular attendance

– Active participation in class

• you will have gained experience in writing various types of academic texts
• you will be able to analyze a text on hand from its structure and style
• you will be able to critique / review secondary sources on a key topic and express your opinion in academic terms
• you will gain a sensitivity to some of the problem areas in academic writing presented in sexist / racist language as well as become acquainted with current buzzwords in the field
• you will learn to apply these methods to your own research goals

• 1 final essay or research proposal (5–6 pages) with an annotated bibliography

• you will have gained experience in writing various types of academic texts
• you will be able to analyze a text on hand from its structure and style
• you will be able to critique / review secondary sources on a key topic and express your opinion in academic terms
• you will gain a sensitivity to some of the problem areas in academic writing presented in sexist / racist language as well as become acquainted with current buzzwords in the field
• you will learn to apply these methods to your own research goals

• Theoretical foundations of the interfaces between language, cognition and consumer behavior
• How principles of sound symbolism and human word recognition can inform brand name construction
• How needs, expectations and ethics determine the potentials and limits of linguistic priming
• How linguistic framing can bias consumer decision making
• How exploiting semantic relations provides structure for consumer learning
• How semantic and pragmatic linguistic structures can be used to gain attention, raise awareness and foster persuasiveness in corporate and public communication
• How conceptual metaphors in marketing communications realize heuristic and decorative functions
• How bilingual language processing affects cognitive and emotional consumer reactions
• How narrative structure in commercials affects memory and emotions

• Discussing and reflecting on concepts and their embedded assumptions and implications in central areas of psycholinguistics and consumer behavior
• Applying relevant methods in analyzing language-related materials in marketing communication
• Producing results such as advertising campaigns under time constraints
• Reading and comprehending research articles and statistics
• Preparing a research proposal that builds on previous research and describes a feasible project
• Conducting an empirical or experimental study in a team

• Recognize and understand how relations between semantic and processing structures in language can influence consumer behavior
• Evaluate linguistic materials and psycholinguistic processes relevant for advertising and market research
• Apply the knowledge and skills gained and trained in this course analytically and constructively to create psycholinguistic research and to solve authentic marketing problems (e.g., to design brand names, persuasive advertising campaigns, or materials for empirical market research)

• Harley, T. A. (2014). The psychology of language: From data to theory (4 ed.). Hove, New York: Psychology Press.
• Saeed, J. I. (2015). Semantics (4 ed.). Malden, Mass.: Wiley Blackwell.

 – You will deepen your understanding of the mechanisms underlying language and non-linguistic cognitive domains.

- You will become familiar with a variety of experimental paradigms used by psycholinguists to study the relationship between language and cognition.

- You will gain first-hand experience with designing experiments.

-You will practice your skills in critical thinking, academic reading, writing, presenting and teamwork.

Malt, B. C. & Wolff, P. (2010). Words and the mind – How words capture human experience. Oxford University Press. 

(This textbook is available as paper and online version at the library.) 

References to additional research articles will be provided in class. 

• Understand the defining characteristics of the American Gothic genre, especially as it relates to societal anxieties and cultural taboos.
• Examine how Gothic tropes—such as haunted spaces, supernatural occurrences, and psychological horror—reflect and challenge American social values.
• Critically explore how race and gender shape the development of Gothic themes and settings in American literature.
• * Analyze how marginalized voices use the Gothic to articulate experiences of trauma, otherness, and societal marginalization.
• Identify shifts in the Gothic tradition from early writers like Edgar Allan Poe to contemporary voices such as Toni Morrison, focusing on how these shifts reflect changes in American society.
• Explore how different historical periods influence the portrayal of race and gender within the Gothic mode.
• Introduce key theoretical frameworks, such as feminist theory, critical race theory, and psychoanalytic criticism, to deepen students’ understanding of the Gothic genre.
• Apply these theories to class readings to gain insight into the ways authors use Gothic elements to critique or reinforce social hierarchies.

• Hartmann von Aue: Gregorius. Mittelhochdeutsch/Neuhochdeutsch. Neuübersetzung. Nach dem Text von Friedrich Neumann neu hrsg., übers. und komm. von Waltraud Fritsch-Rößler. Stuttgart 2014 (RUB 18764).

• Weddige, Hilkert: Einführung in die germanistische Mediävistik. 8. durchgesehene Auflage, München 2014.
• Weddige, Hilkert: Mittelhochdeutsch. Eine Einführung. 6. durchgesehene Auflage, München 2004.

• Hartmann von Aue: Gregorius. Mittelhochdeutsch/Neuhochdeutsch. Neuübersetzung. Nach dem Text von Friedrich Neumann neu hrsg., übers. und komm. von Waltraud Fritsch-Rößler. Stuttgart 2014 (RUB 18764).

• Weddige, Hilkert: Einführung in die germanistische Mediävistik. 8. durchgesehene Auflage, München 2014.
• Weddige, Hilkert: Mittelhochdeutsch. Eine Einführung. 6. durchgesehene Auflage, München 2004.

• Hartmann von Aue: Gregorius. Mittelhochdeutsch/Neuhochdeutsch. Neuübersetzung. Nach dem Text von Friedrich Neumann neu hrsg., übers. und komm. von Waltraud Fritsch-Rößler. Stuttgart 2014 (RUB 18764).

• Weddige, Hilkert: Einführung in die germanistische Mediävistik. 8. durchgesehene Auflage, München 2014.
• Weddige, Hilkert: Mittelhochdeutsch. Eine Einführung. 6. durchgesehene Auflage, München 2004.