Gesamtüberblick | HU-Moodle

World Englishes (WiSe 2024/25) DERİNCE

English has been a dominant language across the globe for many decades; however, its expansion is neither linear nor uniform. Rather, it is shaped by a history of colonization, globalization and neoliberalization while shaping cultures, languages, identities and beyond. In this seminar, students will examine the history of the English language, its status, functions and varieties in different areas of the world by embracing an inclusive and pluralistic view of Englishes. The seminar specifically focuses on the dynamics of interaction and (co)existence of English languages and the languages interacting across time and space where English becomes more mobile and dominant. To this extent, the seminar looks into how the English language has transformed into Englishes through such conceptual frameworks as World Englishes, Colonial Englishes and Global Englishes. It introduces concepts of sociolinguistics such as, code switching, pidgin, creole, diglossia, and language shift. Participants will be responsible for answering the questions on the readings, following and contributing to the discussions and commenting on the theoretical framework outlined in the course literature. Group work and presentations will be expected from the participants. The language of the seminar is English. The module exam will be an oral exam, taken in one sitting with the exam in the literary studies.

Kursverantwortliche/r: Dr. Z. Mine Derince

Semester: WiSe 2024/25

American Literary History I, Beginnings to 1918

The lecture offers an overview of US American literary history from the 17th century to World War I. In the BA American Studies, it is complemented by a tutorial taught by students from the Master program in American Studies; in the BA English, by a Lektüreseminar. In the tutorial or Lektüreseminar, selected texts from different literary periods or movements are discussed in greater depth to give students a more thorough and nuanced understanding of North American literature and its development until the early 20th century.

Please sign of for this lecture through Agnes (it is the only way I can give you the key for the Moodle Course). Please also sign up in Agnes in the same module for one of the groups for the Lektüreübung aka Lektüreseminar.

If you have problems signing up or getting a place in a tutorial/Lektüreseminar please write a mail to hiwis.klepper@staff.hu-berlin.de (please do tell us whether you are BA Amerikanistik or BA English!).

Reading and Preparation:

The text basis for the lecture will be the Norton Anthology of American Literature (Shorter 10th Edition, Vol 1 + 2) -- You can also buy a less costly older edition! No problem – there are also many used versions!
The powerpoint presentations used in the lecture will be available for viewing and downloading on the e-learning platform Moodle as a pdf before the online lecture – so that you can have a look before. The key will be announced through Agnes (please look into the email you use for Agnes!). You will also find the syllabus and a bibliography in Moodle.

Module Requirements (MAP):

BA English: Take Home Exam (ca. 6 Seiten/12.000 Zeichen) in either this lecture or the lecture in English literary history. BA

Amerikanistik: Klausur (60 min). No „spezielle Arbeitsleistungen.“

VL (1) Mo 15-16 wöch. Raum UL 6, 2091/92

Kursverantwortliche/r: Elena Gazina
Kursverantwortliche/r: Martin Klepper
Kursverantwortliche/r: Anastasia Lisovenko

Semester: WiSe 2024/25

American Cultural History

This lecture will give an overview over American history from a cultural studies point of view. Guiding concerns will be main currents of thought (history of ideas), the successive media revolutions, American myths and ideologies, changing ideas about the nation and the individual (identity), the transformation of gender roles, the crucial role of race/ethnicity/ability, the influence of science, technology and capitalism. The lecture will keep to the time-honored period markers in order to give students some orientation (while also questioning these periods). Headings will be: 1492—the conquest of America; City upon a Hill—the Puritan experiment; The Age of Reason/Age of Revolutions; Sentimentalism and the Reform Age; American Renaissance and Westward Expansion; Slavery and Emancipation; The Age of Realism and Science; Populism and Progressivism; The Gilded Age, Naturalism and the Frontier Thesis; American Modernism; The Harlem Renaissance; The Great Depression; Counterculture and Postmodernism; Contemporary Discussions.

Classroom format: As the average grades turned out to be significantly lower in the hybrid format of last year, I will exclusively offer this lecture in the lecture hall. If you want to participate in the lecture, you will have to be there in person.

Please sign up for this lecture in Agnes – in this way I can send you the Moodle link (access to many pieces of information) per mail!