B.A. seminars 2025–2026 (Full-time programmes)

What is this list?

This is a list of B.A. seminars we intend to launch in our full-time B.A. programmes whose third year of study is the academic year 2025–2026; that is, the seminars are planned to start in 2025 and end in 2026, at the end of the three-year B.A. programme. This list is intended for:

  1. Students at the Faculty of English who are about to enter the third year of their full-time B.A. programme: this is your reference point before B.A. seminar interviews;
  2. Candidates for our full-time programmes: this list gives you a snapshot of what seminars were on offer for the study cycle that started two years earlier, that is in 2023.

What about these seminars?

Part of the third year of study at a B.A. programme is about preparing a B.A. paper (B.A. thesis, if you like) under the supervision of the teacher whose B.A. seminar you are in. Seminar groups are subject to formal limits as to the minimal and maximal number of students who can enrol in each seminar. As we cannot tailor the list of seminars to the exact needs of all the students—how could we know?—we may need to ask you to go through an interview with your prospective B.A. thesis supervisor.

At some point before the start of the academic year you may be asked about your preferred B.A. seminar—please stay tuned to your e-mail inbox and the Faculty of English intranet. Your task is easy: browse this list in search of seminars which are offered for the programme in which you are a student and let us know, when asked, which seminar is your favourite. We will take note of it and ensure your interview is with the right teacher and their committee.

Please note: We do not guarantee that you will be able to join the preferred seminar. Enrolment into a particular seminar is subject to conditions such as the total number of students in the third year of study, the result of your interview, and others. In particular: if there are more students interested in a given seminar than the number of students the seminar can accept, your interview may decide if you enrol in the seminar you would prefer or are offered a seat in a different seminar.

How to navigate the list?

The list is sorted by name of the teacher. The format is the following: title of the seminar, the name of the teacher, information on programme priority, and the description of the seminar.

Which seminar is for whom?

B.A. seminars conducted in English are open to all students of Faculty of English programmes taught in English, with the proviso that priority is given to students of the programme to which the seminar is assigned. (See the Programme priority line in the heading for each seminar.)

Moreover, the student must choose a seminar where research is carried out within the discipline (linguistics/literary studies) assigned to the field of study; for example, ELTIT students are not eligible for seminars in literary studies.

The programmes in the list and their abbrieviations are:

  • English Philology (Filologia angielska) — FA
  • English-Celtic Philology (Filologia angielsko-celtycka) — FAC
  • English and Chinese Studies (Filologia angielsko-chińska) — FACh
  • English Linguistics: Theories, Interfaces, Technologies — ELTIT
  • English Studies: Literature and Culture — ESLC

Note: the programme American Studies is not included in the list for the academic year 2025–2026 as there are no 3BA students in this programme yet—the programme only launched in the academic year 2024–2025.

The Many Americas: Literature and Culture Today

prof. UAM dr hab. Paulina Ambroży

Programme priority: FA, FAC, FACh

Course description

This seminar explores contemporary American literature through a diverse selection of novels, short stories, poetry, and life writing from the last three decades. Our readings showcase how writers engage with questions of identity, race, class, gender, sexuality, migration, memory, and belonging in an increasingly globalized and fractured society. Emphasizing voices across the American spectrum—including African American, Asian American, Latinx, Indigenous, queer, and immigrant writers—the course highlights literature’s power to challenge dominant narratives and imagine alternative futures.

Students will analyze the formal innovations of contemporary writing, from fragmented memoirs to hybrid poetic forms, while situating the texts within cultural and historical contexts such as post-9/11 America, the Black Lives Matter movement, and debates around immigration and climate change.

Objectives

By the end of the seminar, students will gain an informed understanding of the diversity of contemporary American literature, sharpen their skills in critical analysis and interpretation, know various methodological approaches to literature and be able to use them; They will be able to reflect on the ways in which literature mediates urgent cultural questions.They will also gain knowledge and skills related to conducting academic research.

Requirements

Proficiency in written and spoken English; genuine interest in American literature and willinginess to read and discuss the assigned literary texts (be forewarned that some of them will contain representations of violence, racism, abuse and trauma), introductory-level knowledge related to the history and canonical works of American literature.

Assessment will be based on attendance, active and enthusiastic participation in class discussions, weekly response tasks, oral presentations related to work-progress and class material, and the systematic progression and academic quality of the final research paper.

Selected bibliography

  • Andrew Dix, Brian Jarvis, Paul Jenner (eds.). The Contemporary American Novel in Context. Bloomsbury.2011.
  • Debjani Ganguly. This Thing Called the World: The Novel as a Global Form. Durham and London: Duke University Press. 2016.
  • Mary Holland. Succeeding Postmodernism: Language and Humanism in Contemporary American Literature. Bloomsbury. 2013.
  • David A. Hollinger. Postethnic America: Beyond Multiculturalism, rev. edn. New York: Basic Books, 2005.
  • O’Donnell Patrick. The American Novel Now: Reading Contemporary American Fiction Since 1980. Chichester, UK: Wiley-Blackwell, 2010.
  • Olster, Stacey. The Cambridge Introduction to Contemporary American Fiction. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 2017.

From Research to Practice: Exploring Technology in Language Education

dr Karolina Baranowska

Programme priority: FA, FAC, FACh

Description

This seminar offers students the opportunity to explore the role of technology in foreign language (FL) learning and teaching, with particular attention to the use of multimedia, mobile applications, and video materials. Our meetings will focus not only on the role of new technologies in foreign language teaching, but also—crucially—on understanding the research–practice link. The aim is to highlight that a BA project is not written “for yourself,” but can have a real impact on educational practice.

Participants will become familiar with research methodology in applied linguistics, gain experience in designing and presenting research projects, and develop their skills in academic discussion. A distinctive element of the seminar is participation in the FLARE Conference (Foreign Language Advancement through Research and Education) organized by the Faculty of English, Adam Mickiewicz University. Students will present their BA projects in a poster session and receive feedback from in-service teachers. This unique opportunity will allow students to consult their work with practitioners and to see how research can inform and enhance classroom practice.

Requirements

Timely submission of thesis components, active participation in seminar discussions, and preparation and presentation of a research poster at the FLARE conference.

Metaphors we live by: Metaphorical patterns in the Social World

dr Tomasz Dyrmo

Programme priority: FA, FAC, FACh

In a seminal work on metaphor, Lakoff and Johnson famously claimed that “our conceptual system is metaphorical in nature” (1980: 4). Language reflects this deeply persuasive metaphorical structure of thought: why do we speak of fighting cancer, winning arguments, saving time, or putting ideas into words? Isn't metaphor just a poetic flourish, just like Shakespeare’s Juliet is the Sun?

In this seminar, you'll learn that metaphors are everywhere. A bus-stop poster? A metaphor. A headline in that fan zine you’ve been reading since getting into crocheting? A metaphor. An LGBT+ student describing their queerness through their curly hair? A metaphor. A politician complaining about a deluge of illegal immigrants? A (very unfortunate) metaphor.

We’ll explore how to identify metaphors in language, trace patterns across diverse texts and genres, and critically analyse their social and political significance. Whether in poetry, protest, or pop culture, metaphor is not just decoration: it’s a powerful communicative tool for shaping meaning in the social world we live in.

Selected readings

  • Charteris-Black, J. (2012). Shattering the bell jar: Metaphor, gender, and depression. Metaphor and Symbol, 27(3), 199–216.
  • Goatly, A. (2007). Washing the brain – Metaphor and hidden ideology. John Benjamins..
  • Lakoff, G., & Johnson, M. (1980). Metaphors We Live By. University of Chicago Press.
  • Littlemore, J., & Turner, S. (2020). Metaphors in communication about pregnancy loss. Metaphor and the Social World, 10(1), 45–75.
  • Musolff, A. (2017). Truths, lies and figurative scenarios: Metaphors at the heart of Brexit. Journal of Language and Politics, 16(5), 641–657.

Celtic Linguistic Landscapes: Tools for understanding social and political dynamics in the Celtic Countries

prof. UAM dr hab. Michael Hornsby

Programme priority: FAC, FA

This seminar aims to introduce the concept of Linguistic Landscapes (LL) and provide a critical sociolinguistic framework to help understand and analysis the contemporary and historical presence of Celtic languages in the LL. The concept of LL signifies the language surrounding us in forms of words, images, murals, or graffiti in public and/or private spaces. LL has the potential to be a valuable analytical resource since the LL is omnipresent, and often reflects the sociocultural and linguistic diversity of a community; exemplifies symbols and signs featuring language play; and provides everyday examples of the presence of Celtic languages in settings of bilingualism with a more dominant language. Given the potential of LL, the ultimate goal of this seminar is to provide practical ways of studying the Linguistic Landscape in a systematic way and which draw on wider concepts based on historical, social and linguistic elements.

Bibliography

  • D. Gorter, H. F. Marten, & L. V. Mensel (eds.), 2012. Minority Languages in the Linguistic Landscape. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
  • D. Gorter, & J. Cenoz. 2015. Translanguaging and Linguistic Landscapes. Linguistic Landscape, 1(1), 54–74.
  • M. Hornsby. 2008. The Incongruence of the Breton Linguistic Landscape for Young Speakers of Breton. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 29(2), 127–138.
  • M. Hornsby, & G. Roger. 2023. The hierarchization of regional languages in the linguistic landscapes of Brittany. Linguistic Minorities Online Database [external link]
  • M. Hornsby, & R. Vigers. 2018. ‘New’ speakers in the heartlands: struggles for speaker legitimacy in Wales. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development 39, 1-12.

Shakespeare (in adaptation)

prof. UAM dr hab. Jacek Fabiszak

Programme priority: FA, FAC, FACh

The seminar is dedicated to issues linked to adaptation, a process which is perpetual in human culture. As Aristotle in his Poetics once observed, “the instinct of imitation is implanted in man from childhood, one difference between him and other animals being that he is the most imitative of living creatures, and through imitation learns his earliest lessons; and no less universal is the pleasure felt in things imitated.” Aristotle thus made us aware of how prone humans (and nature) are to imitation; yet, this imitation is always creative, or – as Linda Hutcheon (2014: xviii) remarked about adaptation – it is “repetition without replication, [since] change is inevitable, even without any conscious updating or alteration of setting.” The seminar is addressed to those students who are interested in researching Shakespeare and the many forms and ways into which his works have been adapted and appropriated on stage, on screen, on page, etc. in different cultures and across the ages. Also, it will be possible to analyse how Shakespeare himself, the grand adaptor, adapted his sources.

TBA

prof. UAM dr hab. Piotr Gąsiorowski

Programme priority: FA, FAC, FACh

TBA

Irish short story

dr Joanna Jarząb-Napierała

Programme priority: ESLC, FA, FAC

This seminar is devoted to the development of the short story genre in Irish literature. Since the short story, as a modern genre in Irish literature, symbolically begins with the publication of George Moore’s The Untilled Field in 1903, the aim of the course is to familiarize students with the most significant representatives of Irish short story writing from the twentieth century to the most recent publications of this millennium. Bearing in mind that Irish literature is represented in two languages  ̶ English and Irish  ̶  the scope of the analysis will be limited to those Irish short story writers who chose to publish their works in English or whose Irish-language works have been translated into English.

During the seminar, we will try to answer the following questions: To what extent does the Irish short story draw on the Irish storytelling tradition, or should we treat it as a modern genre that emerged at the beginning of the twentieth century? Is the short story a response to the Irish ‘anxiety about the novel’? Is the Irish short story undergoing a crisis in contemporary times, or does it remain a relevant form of expression today?

These and other questions aim to familiarize students not only with the history of the Irish short story but also with the distinctive features of the genre in the Irish context.

Participants will be expected to write their BA thesis on the topic of the seminar. To receive a passing grade for the first semester, students will be required to submit a draft of the first chapter. To pass the course, students must complete their BA thesis.

Cuddly English historical linguistics

prof. UAM dr hab. Marcin Krygier

Programme priority: FA, FAC, FACh

The aim of this seminar is to guide students through the process of conducting research leading to a B.A. thesis in cuddly English historical linguistics.

What is cuddly linguistics?

Language is a human activity, and it is impossible to study it without acknowledging the connection between language as an abstract phenomenon and its use(rs). Cuddly linguistics rejects theorising for theory's sake, focusing instead on what speakers do with language as well as what language does to speakers.

Possible study areas

The following broadly defined areas of interest can be pursued in this seminar: language and/in society, language and extralinguistic reality, language and meaning, and language and structure. Theoretical topics are possible but only upon individual consultation (except theoretical syntax, which is evil), applied linguistic topics are NOT possible. The provisional temporal cut-off is 1950s, however later phenomena might be considered upon consultation.

Contents of the seminar

In the first semester we will discuss practicalities of writing a B.A. thesis as well as review possible areas of study and research topics. It will be focused upon defining your research interests, planning your research, and conducting a literature review. This semester will lead to a production of a rough draft of your theoretical chapter. The winter "break" and the second semester will see you carrying out your research, analysing your data, and writing up your thesis.

  • Gramley, Stephen & Vivian Gramley. 2024. The History of English. An Introduction. Routledge
  • Horobin, Simon. 2016. How English became English. Oxford University Press.

Gender, race and sexuality in Canadian literature

dr Marcin Markowicz

Programme priority: FA, FAC, FACh

The focus of the seminar is on contemporary Canadian writing. The overview approach of the course is designed to help students get a solid understanding of the complexity and richness of Canadian literature, preparing them to explore their own research questions in their B.A. papers. The course has been designed primarily around works of fiction, poetry and nonfiction published in the late 20th and 21st centuries that explore the ways in which the intersections of gender, sexuality, and race (but not only) affect and determine the lives of human beings. Additionally, seminar attendees will learn how to critically engage with critical texts, how to construct a B.A. paper and work with sources, and how to analyze texts in light of a selected theoretical framework.

This course is reading intensive. As a participant, you will be expected to come to class prepared, be actively engaged in class discussions as well as write and submit your own responses to selected texts via Moodle. Most importantly, you will be expected to come up with your own research topic (by mid-January), submit and present your research objectives and texts selected for analysis at the beginning of the summer term, and submit your B.A. paper by early June.

If you have a genuine interest in literature and are an avid and insightful reader interested in exploring new, exciting, and challenging writing, this seminar is for you. No prior knowledge of Canadian literature is necessary.

Understanding America of the 21st century: its History and Culture

dr Elżbieta Wilczyńska

Programme priority: ESLC, FA

Understanding America in the year 2025 is a daunting task. Many phenomena have upended the lives of Americans up to this year, i.e., the Covid-19 epidemic, social unrest related to the BLM movement, growing economic inequality, great polarization of American society due to the rulings of the Supreme Court over Roe vs. Wade and Affirmative Action, LGBT movements and the legislative changes they inspired, and last but not least, President Trump’s second-term as the President of the United States.

Students interested in the United States may have other points of worry or interest. The aim of the seminar will be to look at the problems suggested by the teacher and those selected by the students to understand contemporary America and discuss the directions it is heading in, as well as the effects of the changes inspired by the above events. We will discuss, analyze, and problematize them, trace their roots, and dig into history—for to understand the present, we have to learn about the past. This may allow us to look at the country from different angles and better answer the vexing questions. We will take note that some of the events of great consequence for America were singular events (e.g., 9/11 in 2001), while others constituted social movements (inter alia the Civil Rights Movement) whose aim was to bring about change in American life. We will try to look at the nature of these movements, their aims, and the trade-offs.

In the seminar, students are encouraged to search for topics for their BA papers related to the present situation in America and connect them to the past. The theoretical part, which will provide the framework for the paper, will be grounded, for example, in historiography (Hayden White), social studies—i.e., social movements (Alain Touraine, Claus Offe)—or cultural studies (Stuart Hall, Derrick Bell).

The seminar will consist of close readings of selected texts, revisions of American historical events from history books, teacher presentations of the above-mentioned issues, student class presentations, as well as preparation necessary for writing a BA dissertation. Interest in the United States of America, critical discussion, and media literacy are a must to write a good BA paper and benefit from the seminar.

For a start, students are encouraged to watch the latest movie Superman, dir. James Gunn (2025).

Literature

  1. Campbell, Neil and Alasdair Kean (eds.). 2016. American Cultural Studies. An Introduction to American Culture. (4th edition.) London and New York: Rutledge.
  2. Schuck, Peter and James O. Wilson (eds.). 2008. Understanding America. The Anatomy of Exceptional Nation. New York: Public Affairs.
  3. Mauk, David and John Oakland. 2018. American Civilization. An Introduction. (6th edition.) London and New York: Routledge. Taylor and Francis Group.
  4. Gemma, Edwards. Social Movements and Protests. 2014. New York: CUP.
  5. Heusser, Martin and Guderun Grabher (eds.). 2002. American Foundational Myths. Tübingen: Gunter Narr Verlag.
  6. Portes, Aljandro and Rubén G. Rumbaut. 2014. Immigrant America. A Portrait. (4th edition.) Oakland, Ca. : University of California Press.
  7. Colemann, Hughes. 2024. The End of Race Politics. Arguments for a Colorblind America. New York: Thesis.

Any book on American history, e.g.

  1. Johnson, Paul. 2000. History of the American People. New York: Phoenix Press.
  2. Zinn, Howard. 2017. A People's History of the United States. Orlando, FL: Harper.

Experimental phonology and phonetics

dr Ewelina Wojtkowiak

Programme priority: ELTIT, FA

At first sight, “experimental phonology” might sound like an oxymoron - after all, phonology was long seen as abstract and independent of experimental data. In this seminar, we will explore how laboratory and experimental phonology came into being and why bringing phonology and phonetics together has proved so fruitful. Together, we will look at how phonological theories inspire testable questions, and how experimental phonetics provides the tools to investigate them.

The main goal of this seminar is to familiarise students with research methods in experimental approaches to speech. Students will be encouraged to design their own small-scale projects (perception, production, or survey-based) on topics of their choice, with special attention to how native and non-native sound systems coexist and interact.

Candidates wishing to participate should be interested in how speech works and how we can study it. Prior high grades in phonetics or phonology are not a requirement - what matters most is enthusiasm and a willingness to explore new ideas. Additional support will be offered to those who feel less confident about their background in phonetics or phonology.

Course requirements include timely submissions of BA thesis components and active participation in class discussions.

Cognitive Translation Studies and translation reception

prof. UAM dr hab. Bogusława Whyatt

Programme priority: FA, FAC, FACh

Translators make decisions and choices at various levels (linguistic and conceptual) when producing a translated product for readers or viewers, who usually are from a different culture than the author of the source text. The overarching aim of translating is to provide access to otherwise inaccessible information or experiences by lifting language barriers, but is this aim always flawlessly achieved? Are translators always faithful to the source text? Do they take risks? Why do they sometimes make bad choices? Who is more important, the author of the source text or the reader of the translation? Are the available technologies helpful in making decisions? In this BA seminar we will explore two aspects: how the awareness of the target reader/viewer affects decisions made by the translator, and to what extent the reception of translated products is shaped by the choices made by the translator. After a brief introduction to Cognitive Translation Studies and empirical reception research, students will be encouraged to choose a topic they are interested in and explore it. They will learn how to design an empirical study, collect and analyse data. They will present the results of their research projects in their BA theses.

Course requirements

Keen interest in cognitive translation studies, reading assigned papers and active participation in classroom discussions, ability to use feedback and work consistently towards completing a BA thesis.

Exploring cross-linguistic differences in morphology and syntax

dr Sylwiusz Żychliński

Programme priority: ELTIT, FA

This seminar is intended for students with a strong interest in linguistics and the mechanics of language. Throughout the course, we will explore a selection of topics in morphology and syntax, including processes of word formation, patterns of word order, or cases of parametric variation, all of which have been central to linguistic debates over the past few decades. Our discussions will be framed within the tradition of generative grammar, but we will place less emphasis on highly abstract or technical aspects of theoretical syntax in order to make the material more approachable. Instead, the course will focus on analyzing specific morphological and syntactic phenomena from a comparative perspective, examining differences between languages such as English, Polish, Spanish, or German.

Additionally, students will learn research methodologies for conducting contrastive analysis and will be introduced to empirical tools, particularly acceptability judgments and their use in online acceptability experiments. Students will have the freedom to choose between a descriptive, empirical, or combined approach in their projects. While a variety of potential research topics will be suggested, participants will be encouraged to independently select the topics for their BA theses.