Oral Option
Language Skills for Minors Oral Exam Option
This module concludes with an oral exam in the form of a 7-minute academic presentation. In addition, exam candidates must submit a literature review (225–275 words) based on sources used in the presentation.
Registration
Winter Semester 2024_25
Book Exam slots from January 6th to January 23rd
Exam slots available from February 3rd to February 6th
For the oral examination, please arrange an examination date with the English and American Studies Students' Office. Please bring your HHU card with you!
Then register on the student portal at least one week before the examination date. Please fill in Alexandra Habot as the examiner, even if you have taken the seminars with other instructors.
Exam Guidelines
Task
Give a 7-minute presentation to a panel of two lecturers on an academic topic of your choice, either:
a) a topic you covered in a seminar of English literature, culture or linguistics, or your minor.
b) the broad theme of ‘Global English’
Outline
Students MUST submit a one-page outline and have it checked by their instructor a minimum 2 weeks prior to the exam. The final outline must be submitted shortly before the date of the exam. (See below for further information and examples).
Literature Review
Alongside the presentation and its accompanying outline, you also need to write a literature review as part of your AP (10%).
Literature Review Guidelines
Write a literature review (225-275 words) on two of the secondary sources provided in the reference list on your outline. Your literature review should include:
- A summary and synthesis of the most relevant information of these sources pertaining to your presentation topic;
- A critique of the sources in terms of their contribution, credibility, and currency to the presentation topic discourse;
- An opening statement that informs the reader of your main organising principle;
- Appropriate referencing conventions to cite the sources.
- Please include the word count and a link to the two sources that you have reviewed.
Final Submission of Outline and Literature Review
You will recieve instructions how to upload your outline and literature review (and optional one-page visual) once you have been registered for the exam on ILIAS in the final week of classes.
Pass/Fail Criteria:
All students MUST meet the following criteria.
- Speakers will be penalized if a presentation is shorter than 6.5 or longer than 8 minutes, and cut off if it is over 8.5 minutes. Students who speak for less than 5 minutes automatically fail.
- Failure to submit final documents (outline) could negatively impact the grade.
- The topic cannot be a topic used in a previous presentation class.
Plagiarism
Students MUST write their presentations in their own words. Presentations may be recorded to be checked for plagiarism. If the examiners suspect the wording of speech has been directly taken from another source, the student will receive a fail and may be further penalized.