March 08, 2016
This Semester's Courses: Textual
Analysis
Seminar, 2 SWS, Sprache Englisch
- Zeit und Ort: Di 12.15-13.45, KH 2.012
- Preliminaries:
- Lehramt Englisch an Gymnasien (neu): Zwischenmodul L-GYM Literature. (Zulassungsvoraussetzung: Basismodul Literature)
- Description:
- This course expands upon the theoretical foundation for textual analysis laid during the first semesters of literary studies. Students will develop their practical skills in the interpretation of texts from different periods and genres, thus furthering their familiarity with key concepts of literary theory as well as historical and cultural contexts.
- Mandatory Reading:
- William Beckford, Vathek (Oxford
World's Classics). Oscar Wilde, The Importance
of Being Earnest (Reclam Fremdsprachentexte,
Originalsprache mit Anmerkungen). James Robertson,
The Testament of Gideon Mack (Penguin).
- Materials:
How to study for your literature exam
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How to study
for your literature exam
Revise regularly. Psychologists have discovered that "bulimiac
learning", that is, absorbing as much of the subject
matter as possible in a relatively short time frame, can
be detrimental to the learning process.[1]
It is better to study regularly over the course of the
semester than start revising the week – or even the night
– before the exam. Reserve time to revise the previous and
prepare the following course meeting each week. A rule of
thumb is to spend as much time on this as you spend in the
seminar itself. For a course of 90 minutes a week, you
should calculate 90 minutes a week of study time at home,
not counting the time you need to read longer texts such
as plays or novels.
Write your own manuscript. Yes, you do get PowerPoint slides. They
provide the basis to structure your learning, as a table
of contents shows you how a book is organized. Taking
notes during seminars forces you to rearrange what you
have heard. This will be more easily memorized than what
you read on the slides. Besides, you cannot find
interpretations which are developed together in class on
the slides. Students who rely exclusively on the material
provided by the course convenor frequently have trouble
applying theory to texts they have never seen before.
Think outside the box. If you attend a seminar in which you have to
give a presentation, be creative in the ways you arrange
your material. An original presentation will be remembered
– a monotonous recital of two or three articles in a
journal will be forgotten before you leave the room.
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Grundseminar Literature,
Campus Regensburger Straße, Nürnberg