English Studies: British and American Studies Major Subject (Advanced Secondary and Comprehensive Schools ('Gymnasium' and 'Gesamtschule'))

For anyone with a strong interest in English-language literature and media who wants to share their enthusiasm with learners, “English Studies: British and American Studies” is the right subject: we examine and discuss a wide range of literary works as well as works of popular culture.

The (teaching) degree programme “Major Subject - Advanced Secondary and Comprehensive Schools('Gymnasium' and 'Gesamtschule')” is designed to enable students to instruct learners up to (German) ‘Abitur’ level at school. To this end, students acquire a broad, solid academic grounding in the language, literatures and cultures of the English-speaking world, both in a historical and contemporary perspective. At the same time, they are given a thorough preparation for teaching these areas in the Sekundarstufen I and II (middle and senior secondary school). Our academic focus in English studies in Bielefeld is not just on Great Britain and the USA, but takes into account the languages, cultures and literatures of cultural communities in Africa, the Caribbean or India, and of countries like Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland or Scotland as well as the role of English as a lingua franca in a globalized world. If this option is studied as a major subject, it provides for a strong profile in the future teaching subject English.

Seminars in the area of teaching methodology make up a substantial part of a teaching Bachelor in English studies in Bielefeld. There are three seminars in this area, which provide a strong focus on teaching and the teaching profession. Students acquire knowledge of key contents and concepts related to teaching English, develop the insights needed to teach heterogeneous learner groups and attain didactically sound competences in the areas of media and methods.

Future teachers of English are expected to have excellent English skills, so as to use English very flexibly with learners of different ages. At the start of their studies, students should thus have a proficiency level in English equivalent to at least B2/C1 on the Common European Framework. These language skills are developed further in language practice seminars and internationalization experiences.

With 90 credits points, the major subject comprises a significantly bigger component of the Bachelor phase than the minor subject (60 credit points). This difference is not fully compensated for in the Master's phase. The major subject is therefore suitable for all those with a special interest in the English language and Anglophone literatures and cultures and for students who see themselves primarily as English teachers in the future.