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Department of English

Introduction to English Linguistics

Course Description

This course aims at familiarizing students with approaches to the study of human language in general and to English in particular. Attention will be paid to important concepts and terms of core areas of theoretical linguistics (phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics) and to their relevance to the fields of applied linguistics, such as language acquisition, sociolinguistics and computational linguistics.

Faculty

Faculty of Languages, Literature, Culture

Institute

Department of English

Lecturer

Dr. Barbara Ann Güldenring

Study Period (dd/mm/yy)

13/04/2026 - 17/07/2026

Mode and Time

Synchronous
Weekly: Mondays, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Class Format

Seminar

Online Tool for Teaching

ILIAS, BigBlueButton

Language of Instruction

English

Target Group

Bachelor, Master, Teacher Training

Prerequisites

English B2

Examination Format

Written exam

ECTS

5

History of the English Language

Course Description

The study of the history of the English language offers highly relevant insights into how we ended up with the English language as it is structured and as it functions all around the world today. In this lecture, we will pay particular attention to the different periods in the history of the English language, i.e. Old English, Middle English, Early Modern English, Late Modern English and Present-day English, in order to follow the structural changes on the levels of phonology, lexis, syntax and semantics that have led to the English language as we use it today. We will also consider various areas of linguistic study that include a historical component, e.g. historical text linguistics, historical sociolinguistics, historical corpus linguistics, etc

Faculty

Faculty of Languages, Literature, Culture

Institute

Department of English

Lecturer

Dr. Barbara Ann Güldenring

Study Period (dd/mm/yy)

13/04/2026 - 17/07/2026

Mode and Time

Synchronous
Weekly: Tuesdays, 3 p.m. – 4 p.m.

Class Format

Lecture

Online Tool for Teaching

ILIAS, BigBlueButton

Language of Instruction

English

Target Group

Bachelor, Master, Teacher Training

Prerequisites

English B2 

Examination Format

Written exam

ECTS

3

Stories of War and Conflict: Peace Education in Foreign Language Learning and Teaching

Course Description

War and trauma have profoundly shaped and continue to shape human history and experience. Each year, a wealth of novels, memoirs, and films revisits past, present, and even imagined future conflicts. This seminar considers how such narratives can be used as valuable resources in peace education, human rights education, and global citizenship education within the English as a Foreign Language classroom (EFLC). Drawing upon an array of textual and visual media – from personal diaries and letters to fiction, poetry, and film – we will examine various representations of conflict from the First World War to the present day, attending closely to the ways in which they narrate the lived experiences of war, trauma, displacement, resistance and survival.

Drawing together the fields of critical pedagogy, literary studies, gender studies, history, and cognitive psychology, the seminar prepares future educators to engage thoughtfully and responsibly with wartime narratives in their own educational work. We shall explore how language-learning environments can cultivate empathy, critical awareness, cultural learning, intercultural understanding, democratic values and a commitment to peace, justice and inclusion. Ultimately, this course highlights the potential of stories of war and (in)justice in EFL teaching and learning to support peacebuilding, foster intercultural dialogue, and nurture globally informed, socially responsible learners.

Faculty

Faculty of Languages, Literature, Culture

Institute

English Department / TEFL

Lecturer

Jennifer Ehrhardt

Study Period (dd/mm/yy)

13/04/2026 - 17/07/2026

Mode and Time

Synchronous, Hybrid via BBB

18.06.2026 16 - 18 CET

19.06.2026 10 - 18 CET

10.07.2026 10 - 18 CET

11.07.2026 10 - 18 CET

Class format

Block Seminar

Online Tool for Teaching

BigBlueButton, Ilias

Language of Instruction

English

Target Group

Bachelor, Teacher Training

Open for students of the following fields: Anglophone Studies/English, bachelor’s and teacher-training students (primary, lower and upper secondary) students 

Prerequisites

English B2 (CEFR level)

Examination Format

Presentation and Written term paper

ECTS

4

ECTS without examination

3

The United States in the Twenty-First Century and after Trump

Course Description

A course description is not yet available. The content will be published once it has been finalized by the instructor.

Faculty

Faculty of Languages, Literature, Culture

Institute

English Department

Lecturer

Prof. Dr. Greta Olson 

Study Period (dd/mm/yy)

13/04/2026 - 17/07/2026

Mode and Time

Synchronous: Mondays, 4 - 6 p.m.
Hybrid via zoom

Online Tool for Teaching

Zoom

Language of Instruction

English

Target Group

Bachelor, Master, Teacher Training

Open for students of the following fields: Anglophone Studies/English, Gender in Teaching, Media-Related Courses, American Studies

Prerequisites

English B2
Ability to follow and write in academic English

Examination Format

Essay exam about lecture topic/s OR
5-page paper (going into depth about a topic discussed during class)

ECTS

3

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