124081 VK BEd 08a.3: VK Literature and Language Education (2025S)

From the perspective of 21st century learners, U.S. literary classics are inextricably intertwined with popular culture, social media, and other commercialized spaces. This seminar explores the intertextual presence of fictional and poetic works as dealt with in other media, viewing them not only as “creative and interpretive act[s]” (Hutcheon 8; see also Leitch 2017) but also as “a negotiation that takes place across the preliminary borders of two (or more) works involved in the process” (Bruhn 76). Students will deepen their understanding of U.S. literature in the context of transmedia storytelling and digital culture. By way of teaching input and discussions, portfolios, and final papers, we will explore key concepts such as literariness, mediatization, convergence culture, retelling, performance, spin-offs, spoofs, remediation, repurposing, remakes, novelization, black-out literature, memes, fanfiction, biopics of famous authors, to name but a few. By analyzing contemporary media adaptations of U.S.-American literary classics for new audiences, students will develop critical media literacy skills, gaining insights into modes of popularizing literature, its exploitation as entertainment franchise and its role in the EFL classroom. As early as possible in the semester, students are asked to choose an adaptation, a biopic, a TV series; poetry film, a literature podcast, advertisements, songs or concept albums, a graphic novel, a webcomic, fanfiction etc., that draws on a U.S. literary classic so they can start collecting ideas for their B.Ed. thesis or final term paper.

All texts will be provided via MOODLE or assigned for viewing.