Избираеми

The course Literature in the Digital Age aims at examining the interrelation between literature and the new digital technologies. The focus is on the revolutionary transition of fiction from page to screen in this “late age of print.” Among the themes to be discussed are the problems of literacy; authorship; the various modes of electronic literature (hypertext, cybertext, multi-media, computer-generated text); the pedagogical applications of computer games and software products; the writing and reception of electronic literature; the various methodological approaches to analyzing electronic literature; issues of interactivity and immersion in reader-reception. The authors discussed are postmodern writers, predecessors of e-literature, cyberpunk writers, and others. Students are required to prepare a term paper or to produce their own piece of digital artefact.

Предлаганият курс има за цел да въведе магистрантите в цялостта, фактуална и езикова, на отразяването на актуални събития, както и дейността на големи международни организации, като си поставя две еднакво важни цели: (1) да предложи алгоритъм за анализ и дешифриране на журналистическия и политически език в отразяването на най-актуалните международни и вътрешни въпроси и събития на базата на автентични текстове от медии, политически архиви, преки впечатления и разкази на участвали в събитията журналисти и политици; (2) да предостави възможност на студентите да придобият умения за прилагане на стратегии и техники за превод на политически и медийни текстове както от български на английски, така и от английски на български език.

The course looks at political and media texts from an international perspective. By discussing the various aspects of covering current issues and events, and the role and functions of big international organisations, the course has two equally important aims: (1) to familiarize students with an algorithm for analyzing and deciphering the language of news media on the basis of working with authentic political and media texts; (2) to equip them with skills to employ suitable translation techniques in rendering political and media texts from English into Bulgarian and vice versa.  

Central to this course is the question of the way in which ethnicity has been 'invented' and 're-invented' in American fictional and auto/biographical writings throughout the twentieth century. As American society moves into an era of increasing ethnic diversity, the issues of ethnic boundaries and identities become more complex and problematic. This course seeks to examine how fictional and non-fictional writings help the making of new ethnic identities, how the old ones have been maintained, re-produced and transformed as well as what American identity is nowadays.

The analysis of the works discussed will rely on some of the contemporary theories of ethnicity and literature and will discuss a wide variety of 20th-century American writers coming from different narrative and cultural traditions. A particular focus will be placed on the relationship 'self' - 'other', on the cultural stereotypes involved in the process as well as on the role of language as part of the identity formation processes in the USA.

Students are expected to read and actively discuss the texts. All reports, projects and final papers must be submitted on the stated due dates unless prior arrangements have been made. A late paper, as well as a paper that contains excessive errors or plagiarism, will either lead to a lowering of the final grade or to a refusal to accept the paper. Plagiarism will result in a failing grade on a paper and a possible failure in the course.