Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin - Sprachenzentrum

91075 International English Varieties, Dialects, and Accents

International travel, work, study, music, film, friendships, and politics are increasingly bringing us into frequent contact with the enormous global diversity of the English language. This course offers a basic introduction to the main traits and socio-political importance of some of the most well-known English varieties from around the world, especially spotlighting the colonial history from which they have emerged. Literary readings, film excerpts, songs, and authentic audio/video recordings will be employed to provide a foothold towards understanding a small sample of the many kinds of contemporary English, including Indian, Nigerian, South African, Irish, Scottish, Australian, African-American Vernacular (aka Ebonics, Black English), Spanglish, Chinglish, New Yorkese, Multicultural London 16 English, Jamaican Patwa and Rastafarian Dread Talk. The overriding goal here is not to disparagingly view these representatives of the spectrum of English as inferior ‘deviations’ from so-called standard English usage but, rather, to demonstrate their inherent beauty and functionality, while also recognizing the valuable contributions that they make towards keeping world English an ever-changing and vibrant form of communication, source of enjoyment, and means of negotiating power. Rudimentary terminology borrowed from linguistics will be used to conceptually frame the course, but no specialist knowledge is required, though students of linguistics are certainly welcome. Participants will be required to regularly engage in class discussions, do a brief presentation, and write a short final paper. This course provides instruction and practice in critical reading, critical thinking, and critical writing, that is, in written argumentation. We will analyze and interpret academic texts, using the texts as evidence or as an argument to be responded to critically. We will also discuss the appropriate conventions in English grammar and style. This course is intended for students of all disciplines; topics will vary depending on the interests of the students.

Voraussetzung: Online-Einstufungstest mit 80 bis 100 Punkten.

91077 Writing Critical Essays

Voraussetzung: Online-Einstufungstest mit 80 bis 100 Punkten.

91078 Creative Cultures: Music, Dance, and Collective Joy - New York and London as Laboratories of Culture

Disco, Punk, and Hip-Hop are just three of the musical genres that originated in either New York or London. This course examines the development of music and dance culture in these two cities, and the contrasting social and economic conditions that helped them to become “laboratories” of culture. We will also explore the affective power and cultural significance of music and dance, and compare the music industry of the past with that of today (eg Spotify and the role of music platforms). Students will be expected to develop their own area of interest related to the course topics, complete a presentation-response task, and contribute actively to class discussions. Assessment is based on the course tasks and a final examination.

Voraussetzung: Online-Einstufungstest mit 80 bis 100 Punkten.