Vorlesungsverzeichnis

Better in Business. Englisch B2.1 (Seminar)

Termin:
wöchentlich | Freitag | 10:15 - 13:45 | 17.10.2022 - 03.02.2023 | C 1.005 Seminarraum | C 1.005

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.

Blogability - The Basics of Blogging and Beyond. Englisch ab B2.2 (Seminar)

Dozent/in: Maria Moss, Sabrina Völz

Termin:
wöchentlich | Dienstag | 12:15 - 15:45 | 17.10.2022 - 03.02.2023 | C 5.124 Seminarraum | .

Inhalt: Taught by the editors of the American Studies Blog (ASB), which will be celebrating its 8th year in September, this course will help students expand their professional profile and introduce them to the world of blogging. Students will gain a greater awareness for the strengths and challenges of public, creative non-fiction writing, while having ample opportunities to gain hands-on experience. In particular, we will delve into the topics of film reviews, interviews as well as short pieces about cultural topics and current events. Students will be mentored on an individual basis, experience workshopping, and peer-editing as well as have the opportunity to submit their final work for publication in the ASB (http://blog.asjournal.org). Experienced writers as well as newcomers are welcome.

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

Dozent/in: Maria Moss

Termin:
wöchentlich | Montag | 12:15 - 15:45 | 17.10.2022 - 03.02.2023 | C 5.124 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

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.

North American Studies Meets the Social Sciences (FSL) (Profil NAS, Modul 2) (Seminar)

Dozent/in: Maria Moss

Termin:
wöchentlich | Freitag | 14:15 - 15:45 | 17.10.2022 - 03.02.2023 | C 5.311 Seminarraum

Inhalt: The North American continent is one of the most diverse places in the world with a rich immigrant history, a vibrant political culture, and an influential media and arts industry. Since this specific seminar will focus on Canada, we will concentrate on the following topics: indigenous cultures (First Nations, Inuit, and Métis) and the oral tradition; European colonization and immigration, ecological challenges, and cultural achievements.

Words, Words, Words. Englisch ab B2 (Seminar)

Dozent/in: Maryann Henck

Termin:
wöchentlich | Mittwoch | 12:15 - 15:45 | 17.10.2022 - 03.02.2023 | C 5.124 Seminarraum | .

Inhalt: Do you find yourself dodging the dictionary, confounded by collocations, terrified by translation yet somehow in love with LEO? Perhaps you just feel overwhelmed by words and their wily ways. If you haven’t found your inner “word nerd” yet (and even if you have), this seminar will make a logophile (or maybe even a logomaniac) out of you. After a brief introduction to the perils of translation and the benefits of effective cross-referencing skills, subsequent course topics will include but are not limited to: eponyms; acronyms and initialisms; clippings and blends; connotations and denotations; homonyms, homophones, and homographs. Using a variety of cultural texts (e.g. lyrics/poetry, fiction and non-fiction, films and television series, etc.) as potential sources, you will begin collecting and selecting new words for practical as well as creative exercises. The ultimate objective is not only to learn how to work with words but also how to make them work for you.

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

Dozent/in: Sabrina Völz

Termin:
wöchentlich | Freitag | 10:15 - 13:45 | 17.10.2022 - 03.02.2023 | C 6.316 Seminarraum

Inhalt: Ready for a challenge? Feel like giving your writing and speaking skills a fine-tuning? 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 styles 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 and DeepL, have not yet mastered. We will also learn about the current controversy surrounding Winnetou, cancel culture, and cultural appropriation. Apart from other materials, we will analyze Searching for Winnetou (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvM4V6HLJAI), a 2018 documentary by Award-winning Canadian playwright, author, and journalist, Drew Hayden Taylor, a member of Curve Lake First Nations. He will hopefully be visiting our campus in November.