Seminar: Introduction to Literary Studies: American Literature - Details

Seminar: Introduction to Literary Studies: American Literature - Details

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General information

Course name Seminar: Introduction to Literary Studies: American Literature
Subtitle Basismodul Einführung in die englische und amerikanische Literaturwissenschaft und FSQ; Basismodul: Literaturwissenschaft (FSQ integrativ)
Semester WS 2016/17
Current number of participants 29
Home institute Amerikanistik / Literaturwissenschaft
Courses type Seminar in category Offizielle Lehrveranstaltungen
First date Wednesday, 12.10.2016 10:15 - 11:45, Room: (Adam-Kuckhoff-Str. 35, HS 1)
Pre-requisites Students of English will have to pass a Basismodul Literaturwissenschaft before they can take an Aufbau¬modul Literaturwissenschaft. One of the two Basismodule offered at the Institut für Anglistik und Amerikanistik focuses on English literature, the other one on American literature. Students only need to take (and successfully pass) one of these two courses to go on to an Aufbaumodul in English or in American literature in later semesters.
Learning organisation 1) All students will need the following textbook:
Meyer, Michael. English and American Literatures. 4. überarb. u. erw. Aufl. Tübingen: A. Francke Verlag, 2011. Print. UTB Basics. [ISBN 9783825235505] - Please, purchase.

2) Tutorials
This class will be accompanied by a tutorial (1 SWS) once a week in which students will find support offered by a senior student. Students must attend one of the following tutorials each week as they cannot get credit for this 3 SWS class if they fail to do so. The tutorials offered for this class are taught by Friederike Minsel.
Tutorial AmLit 1: Monday 5-6 p.m. (Adam-Kuckhoff-Str. 35, SR 2)
Tutorial AmLit 2: Monday 6-7 p.m. (Adam-Kuckhoff-Str. 35, SR 2)
Tutorial AmLit 3: Monday 7-8 p.m. (Adam-Kuckhoff-Str. 35, SR 2)
Students will be able to use StudIP to register for the tutorials starting on 10 October.

3) Students are expected to attend classes regularly. Please, make sure you do not miss more than two classes. (There will be a list of attendance that students will have to sign each week.) Moreover, students are expected to read ca. 15 pages per week (usually in English) and complete tasks on a weekly basis to fulfil the FSQ requirements.

The written exam (Klausur) will take place on Wednesday 1 February 2017.
Performance record There are Studienleistungen students will have to successfully complete and a final written exam (Klausur) at the end of the semester. The Studienleistungen require students to do
1) a library tour: how to use the library's computer system and how to get your hands on the books
2) a compilation of a bibliography in MLA style. The Modern Language Association of America defines the rules which govern the formal aspects of bibliographies in our discipline.
Studiengänge (für) Basismodul Einführung in die englische und amerikanische Literaturwissenschaft und FSQ (ANG.02621.02)
Basismodul: Literaturwissenschaft (FSQ integrativ) (ANG.06095.01)
SWS 2
ECTS points 5

Rooms and times

(Adam-Kuckhoff-Str. 35, HS 1)
Wednesday: 10:15 - 11:45, weekly (15x)

Module assignments

Comment/Description

What is and why do we study literature? What is required for an analysis and interpretation of literary works on an academic basis? What skills do we need for a systematic approach to literary studies? Answers to these questions will be given in this course in which we are using Michael Meyer’s English and American Literatures (4th ed., 2011) as a textbook. Meyer devotes three chapters to literary genres (poetry, drama, prose) and one each to literary theory and (research) skills. This structure will serve as a guideline to our course. Apart from providing students with an opportunity to learn about literary genres and periods with regard to literatures in English, we will take a closer look at particularly American authors and their works to foster awareness for the American literary tradition. After all, it dates back to the 17th century with regard to texts written in English. Although this class will be taught in English, we will cover literary terminology in English as well as in German.

FSQ: Fachspezifische Qualifikation
Most recent modifications of our exam regulations require that our Basismodule in toto cover the following elementary aspects [FSQ - no. 1-3: 50 hrs.; no. 4-5: 30 hrs.; no.: 40 hrs.; no.7: 30 hrs.):
1) The basics of academic methodology ("Erlernen der Grundlagen des wissenschaftlichen Arbeitens")
2) Competence with respect to formal procedures in writing academic papers ("Kompetenz hinsichtlich der formalen Aspekte wissenschaftlichen Schreibens")
3) An introduction to basics on how to present academic results ("Einführung in die Grundlagen von Präsentationstechniken wissenschaftlicher Ergebnisse")
4) Learning the basics about how to do bibliographies in English/American Studies ("Erwerb von Grundlagen des fachspezifischen Bibliographierens und Zitierens")
5) Getting to know academic literature regarded as central to our field ("Kennenlernen der wichtigsten fachrelevanten Handbücher und Nachschlagewerke")
6) Independent research of literature in libraries and on the Internet ("Selbständige Literaturrecherche", "Selbständige Bibliotheks-und Archivrecherche"; "Möglichkeiten und Grenzen fachspezifischer Internet-Recherche"
7) Development of the ability to present academic results adequately orally and in writing ("Fähigkeit, wissenschaftliche Ergebnisse in angemessener Form mündlich und schriftlich zu präsentieren")

Most of these aspects will be touched upon in this Basismodul (esp. 1, 4, 5, 6) providing insight into practical issues such as how to use the university library, its catalogs, databases and services. Apart from learning the basics about the MLA style sheet, students will learn how to use the MLA International Bibliography [MLA-IB], a powerful online database used by students and scholars in literature. A deeper understanding of these issues will be gained in the Aufbaumodule when students are required to use these research tools on a regular basis.