The "Introduction to Literary Studies" consists of this lecture and the accompanying "Grundkurse", each one hour per week.

The lecture will cover the following areas: (1) What is "literature"? Why study literature? (2) Overview of British and American literary history and the history of New Literatures in English (3) Introduction to the major genres of literature (poetry, drama, narrative) (4) Introduction to Literary Theory (6) How to write a "Hausarbeit".

This course will be a helpful introduction for all further courses in literary and cultural studies throughout your further studies at our university. The obligatory written test ("Klausur") required for completion of the "Introduction to Literary Studies" will cover both the lecture and the accompanying "Grundkurse". A Reader will be available from the copy-shop Reckhammerweg well in advance of the semester. You also need to buy (and read) in the following editions (and none other):

William Shakespeare (Hrsg: Stephen Orgel), The Tempest. Oxford World’s Classics. ISBN 978-0-19-953590-3

John Steinbeck (Hrsg: Susan Shillinglaw), Cannery Row. Penguin Modern Classics. SSBN-13: 987-0-141-18508-8

Michael Meyer, English and American Literatures. 4. Auflage. UTB Basics. ISBN-13: 798-3825-235505

Besondere Hinweise: Dies ist die Vorlesung zum Grundkurs Literaturwissenschaft "Introduction to Literary Studies". Teilnahme ist Pflicht! Eine Anmeldung zur Vorlesung ist nicht nötig; für die Grundkursgruppen ist eine Anmeldung verpflichtend!