Registration does not begin until 02.10.2026 at 08:00. It ends on 12.10.2026 at 23:59.

This lecture introduces students to the field of literary studies, while also considering selected aspects of cultural studies. We will begin by jointly looking at the basics of literary studies, including literary history, literary criticism, literary genres (from poetry to drama to prose), literary periods (from the Middle Ages to the present), theories and methods, and strategies of interpreting literary texts in a scholarly manner. Although this is a lecture, the course will also include interactive elements and invite students to participate in a significant number of (group) activities conducted in class. In line with the didactic method of constructive alignment, students will have the opportunity to co-determine their e-exam questions as we go along and monitor their learning process through a mock exam. This lecture will be accompanied by a tutorial (‘Übung’) in which students will further develop their practical skills.

Please note: This is an introductory class in LITERATURE, which naturally involves a lot (!) of reading. While it might seem a little overwhelming at first, you will get used to it as we proceed. Enjoy the ride and READ, READ, READ!

Primary & secondary texts (please buy and read):*
Nünning, Vera and Ansgar. An Introduction to the Study of English and American Literature. Stuttgart: Klett, 2014. ISBN-10: 3129390251
Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. (any annotated edition will do; I recommend either the Norton, Arden or Oxford editions).
*Exact editions, please, so we can all work with the same page numbers (e-books will not suffice). Second-hand or self-copied versions are absolutely fine. Additional secondary texts will be provided in a digital reader at short notice.
Further reading (optional):
Poplawski, Paul. English Literature in Context. 2nd ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2017. (recommendation, although strongly advised, as only excerpts will be provided)
Culler, Jonathan. Literary Theory – A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011 (recommendation)

Learning outcomes:
- to gain knowledge of literary periods, genres and critical approaches to English literature
- how to use categories and technical terms pertaining to literary studies
- to engage with literary concepts, theories and methods in order to contribute to a scholarly discussion
- to gain the ability to think critically about English literature and its cultural functions
- to further develop reading, writing, oral and research skills

Further information on teaching evaluation: https://www.leuphana.de/en/teaching/quality-management/evaluation/course-evaluation.html