Lower secondary School English Language Teacher Training

Masters’ students are asked to be independent in their work with sources, data and information. They will demonstrate their analytical and connective thinking.

The state exams focus on analysis of and connections between literary fields, personae, theories, traditions, etc. and it can also include the field of cultural studies. The goal of the exam is in-depth focus on the topic of one’s own choice. This choice can be made from a wide range of authors, topics, areas, literary movements, literary and cultural theories and perspectives encountered during the whole course of Master’s study (this includes any literary and cultural compulsory courses, compulsorily optional and optional courses that you have taken).

The goal of the exam is to show that students are able to work independently with the knowledge acquired so far, that they can deepen and question it as well as make effective connections. Students are expected to investigate topics encountered in their Master’s study so far to further depth and extent. For this kind of independent investigation, it is necessary that students use both course materials and other sources accessible in libraries and databases (Literature Online, JSTOR, Google Scholar) to prepare for the exam.

Students will prepare to talk of a specific TOPIC of their own choice. The topic should concern:

1. The student’s own critical perspective developed in relation to primary and secondary sources. Students will specify their own topic and approach it analytically. (For example, how the progress of civilization is treated differently in T.S. Eliot and E. M. Forster; or, how race is represented in contemporary urban novels; or what role Christianity plays in the novels of Louise Erdrich; or the significance of violence for the formation of identity in young adult fiction, etc.).
2. Primary source(s): one or more novel(s), play(s), collection(s) of short stories or poems, etc. by one or more authors.
3. Secondary sources: 3-5 (books of criticism, articles from literary journals, literary companions such as Cambridge, literary encyclopedias, scholarly articles found at Google scholar or Literature Online); but NO sparknotes or wikipedia.

Students will be asked to submit a preparation sheet (type-written, font 12, printed out).

Submission Deadline: January 10 in the fall term and May 10 in the spring term.

The preparation sheet will include:

1. Topic (stated briefly) 
2. Abstract (stating the analysis of the topic, their individual perspective, questions, ideas, findings, points of interest, etc.)
3. Annotated bibliography of secondary sources. Each annotation will be about 1 paragraph long (5-10 sentences roughly). It will include:
   1. main ideas from the source;
   2. justification of the choice of source - why the source is relevant for the individual topic or perspective and how it helps shed light on it.

The exam will take 10-15 minutes and will have 2 parts:

1. 5-10 min: oral delivery of topic - no powerpoint presentation; students will speak on their own topic; a preparation sheet and some supporting notes for the talk are recommended; mere reading is discouraged and will result in a significantly lower grade; it is necessary to keep the time limit in mind.
2. 5 min: conversation on the topic in the form of questions and answers.

The exam will be assessed according to an assessment rubric. The evaluation will include:

1. the actual performance when presenting the topic;
2. the quality of answers during Q&A (less stress on data, more stress on connective thinking and independent development of ideas during conversation);
3. the preparation sheet (annotated bibl. + abstract).

Note: If a student’s Master’s thesis is in the field of literature, some crossovers are possible. The main topic for the oral part of the state exams may be similar but cannot be exactly the same as in the thesis. The choice of the theme for the oral part of the state exam should be consulted with the supervisor of the thesis.