Vorlesungsverzeichnis

Better in Business. Englisch B2.1 (Seminar)

Inhalt: Business isn’t just for business majors. Whether you are studying engineering, cultural studies, sustainability or one of the other majors, you will be part of business. In other words, you will be communicating your ideas to people around the world. But how adequate is your English? This seminar focuses on the international and virtual happenings of business. Using culturally appropriate, informative, and persuasive communication styles in spoken as well as written English is the key to successful business. Emphasis will be placed on all competences: written (e.g. concise minutes, persuasive business communication, etc.), spoken (pronunciation enhancement, rhetorical strategies for presenting) listening (understanding accents, etc.) and reading (strategies and language used) . In addition culturally appropriate verbal and non-verbal communication (direct and indirect communication styles, use of gestures, time, and space) will be applied.

Confronting Contemporary Culture (FSL) (Modul 3, Profil NAS) (Seminar)

Dozent/in: Emily Black, Lynette Kirschner

Termin:
wöchentlich | Mittwoch | 10:15 - 11:45 | 04.04.2022 - 08.07.2022 | C 5.311 Seminarraum

Inhalt: This project seminar entails all stages of creating a final product in English (e.g. blog, anthology, twitter fiction, volume of poetry). Students will work in teams in conjunction with their instructor/s on various aspects of the project seminar and become familiar with genre-related practices and contemporary discourses in North America. This seminar combines theoretical foundations with practical applications. What can social science fiction tell us about gender, politics or ecology? How can this genre - whose roots lie in pulp fiction - shed light on a variety of social issues? How can you create a collaborative novella? These and other questions will be examined in this seminar. According to the International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences, “…the organizing concept of social science fiction is speculation about the future of society through projecting potential innovations in the knowledge and techniques of the social sciences… and focuses on their social consequences.” In this seminar, students will read excerpts of social science fiction from female as well as male authors and investigate how this genre presents a critique of social conditions. In order to do this, students will acquire a knowledge of and apply various theories to analyze social aspects of select short stories and/or excerpts. In addition to the theoretical introduction, students will create a collaborative science fiction novella applying all the principles discussed in class A collaborative novella is a group effort so students who take this class must be there on specific days. Please check the syllabus in myStudy to make sure you can be there.

Creative Writing: Poetry, Short Fiction, and Beyond. Englisch ab B2.2 (Seminar)

Dozent/in: Maria Moss

Termin:
wöchentlich | Donnerstag | 12:15 - 15:45 | 04.04.2022 - 08.07.2022 | C 5.111 Seminarraum

Inhalt: Interested in awakening your creative spirit and discovering your potential for equally creative output? This seminar puts theory into practice by offering a variety of exercises to ignite ideas, experiment with literary styles and genres as well as give and receive constructive criticism in peer-editing sessions. This seminar will help you develop your own style and voice when writing poetry, flash fiction, vignettes, and a short story or part of a drama. While students will use the Cisneros “snapshot approach” to writing vignettes (e.g. expressing a certain moment, mood, character, or object while creating an atmosphere, not a story), they will initially write traditional Japanese Haikus before moving on to the great modernists, such as Robert Frost and W.C. Williams. In the end, students will have a portfolio (for lack of a better name), consisting of 3 Haikus, 3 pieces of short fiction, and 3 poems.

Dramatize This! Writing and Performing for the Stage and Screen. Englisch C1 (Seminar)

Dozent/in: Maryann Henck

Termin:
wöchentlich | Freitag | 12:15 - 15:45 | 04.04.2022 - 08.07.2022 | C 5.310 Seminarraum

Inhalt: This seminar is not just for drama kings and queens, but for anyone interested in the link between written and spoken words in general as well as composing and performing dialogues in specific. By examining excerpts from plays, sitcoms, and dramadies, we will explore possibilities for transforming stories into dramatic scenarios. In the following sessions, we will experiment with creative writing techniques that will help you craft dialogues for your own dramatic scenario. The seminar will consist of group peer-editing sessions as well as individual appointments to support you during the creative process. Of course, drama is meant to be performed. Therefore, at the end of the semester, you will be expected to translate your dramatic scenarios into a final mini-performance, e.g. on stage, as street theater, or in sitcom/dramedy format.

Writing With Style: Discovering Your Academic Voice in English. Englisch ab B2 (Seminar)

Dozent/in: Sabrina Völz

Termin:
wöchentlich | Freitag | 10:15 - 13:45 | 04.04.2022 - 08.07.2022 | C 6.026 Seminarraum

Inhalt: Ready for a challenge? Feel like giving your writing and speaking skills a fine-tuning? Do you want to find out more about the potential benefits and limitations of digital writing tools, while gaining a deeper understanding of film? If so, then this course might be the course for you. Each participant will gain experience working with a variety of academic texts that can help writers to improve their writing style, editing, and revision skills. Due to the heterogeneity of seminar participants, the instructor will assist students in developing their own writing style and mentor them on an individual basis. Furthermore, academic writing does not have to be boring, mechanical, or dry. Thus, we will take a closer look at sentence variety, voice, and the creative use of language. These are topics that digital writing tools, such as Grammarly, have not yet mastered. After learning about various techniques, course participants will discover the fine art of knowing when and how to use creative approaches in academic writing. Moreover, after a brief introduction to film studies, we will discuss, learn to appreciate, and analyze one film that the students will choose.