Reading groups

BLASt (Book Lovers Among Students) (American Studies)

reproduction of the Flag of the United States of America and the string BLASt superimposed on itBLASt (Book Lovers Among Students) is a research circle run by the Department of American Studies: Literature and Media. Meetings, workshops and guest lectures organized as part of the Circle deal with various aspects of American literature and culture. The circle meets once a month and is open to all who wish to attend. Through the open nature of the discussions, we encourage student participants and attendees to contribute their own research discoveries. Every two years, the circle also organizes a student symposium Re-Examining American Literature (REAL), where young Americanists can present their research.

For more information: Prof. dr hab. Paulina Ambroży

Last update: 2025-01-10

Canadian Literature in Perspective (CLIP)

Logo of the Canadian Literature in Perspective reading group, capital letter C, L, I, P, and the name of the group, all in red, next to a picture showing a fragment of a maple leafThe meetings of CLIP Reading Group, organized by the Center for Canadian Literature, are devoted to open, text-based discussions and presentations on Canadian literature of different periods and genres. We also organise events, such as the Maple Syrup Day, to provide a venue for those interested in Canada to learn and talk about Canadian culture. The meetings and events are moderated by staff members and students passionate about Canada. Come and join us!

Look for Canadian Literature in Perspective (CLiP) on Facebook [external link], on Instagram [external link], and join us!

Last update: 2024-11-08

Celtic Research Circle

picture: a colouful circle with the arc filled with the captions {Celtic Research Circle} and {AMU Faculty of English}; the inner part of the circle is filled with fragments of flags of countries associated with the Celtic cultureThe Celtic Reading Group organized by the Celtic Studies Research Unit provides a friendly platform to discuss a wide variety of topics connected with contemporary Celtic countries and enables students to expand on their interests. Durings the meeeting, the BA and MA students as well as the staff and Ph.D. students of the Centre and guests from other institutions present their projects and research interests. We also organise translation worskshops, conversations in Welsh and Irish and film screenings. The meetings take place once or twice a month and are open to everyone interested in the topics discussed.

Coordinator: Dr Marta Listewnik

Last update: 2024-10-14

Collegium Draconum

{Collegium Draconum} reading group logo; caption of the same content with the subcaption {DnD Inspired Creative Environment} underneath a picture of a twenty-sized die with a pair of bat’s wingsCollegium Draconum is a group aiming to connect members of the English Faculty interested in Role Playing Games, such as Dungeons and Dragons, Cyberpunk Red or the Call of Cthulhu and enable them to meet and play together in the comfort of the faculty building, providing not only the space, but also resources and support of other players and enthusiasts. The group welcomes everyone, regardless of their age or experience.

Group coordinator: John Casale

For more information please contact Justyna Damec or join our Discord server [external link].

Last update: 2025-01-16

Critical Approaches to Language in Society

The Critical Approaches to Language in Society reading group brings together three existing groups:

The reading group offers a forum for those interested in language, the role it plays in society and how society structures how we communicate. Participants address a range of topics relevant to communication and interaction, including health, age, gender, social rank and ethnicity.

We are guided by the mission to support inclusivity and to expose discriminatory attitudes constructed through language. Our monthly meetings are a chance for staff and students to come together and share their work, offering a space for presentations on current research. Students will be inspired to conduct their own research and will be able to present it, for example, at undergraduate and postgraduate conferences.

For information about the group, contact dr Magdalena Zabielska.

Last update: 2024-11-12

Language and Communication in Media and Politics (LANCOM)

This reading group brings together researchers and students of various disciplines including Linguistics, Political Sciences, Social Sciences, Communication studies and Journalism studies who are interested in applying critically discursive analytical techniques to issues of politics and the media.

Meetings are an inter-disciplinary space for open critical debate which hopes to facilitate scholarly self-development, which in turn may assist academic output.

The group has three aims: firstly to investigate and discuss new approaches to Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), secondly to apply CDA approaches to the analysis of political and media generated talk and text and finally, to provide an opportunity for participants to present findings of empirical or theoretical research in this field.

Potential results of the group’s activity includes collaborative work leading to submissions to leading journals in the field as well as participation in national and international conferences.

The reading group is open to faculty staff and students both undergraduate and graduate.

For information about the group contact Samuel Bennett

Last update: 2024-10-16

Language & Gender & Sexuality (LaGeS)

abstract drawing of two human heads facing each other; next to them the caption {Language Gender Sexuality}LaGeS is a forum set up to discuss current issues in the field of language, gender and sexuality. We view both gender and sexuality as socially constructed phenomena, which are prone to constant change. This makes language one of the main tools which we use to construct ourselves as gendered and sexualized beings. The words that best characterize our meetings are ‘interdisciplinarity’ and ‘open-mindedness’.

We aim to provide a platform for open discussions bringing together established and beginning academics as well as students in this fascinating post-structuralist subfield of linguistics. The LaGeS meetings are devoted to presenting research results of WA students, PhD students and faculty staff as well as discussing most up-to-date literature falling in the scope of language & gender & sexuality.

For more information please contact prof. Joanna Pawelczyk

Last update: 2024-11-12

Communication in Healthcare (MEDICOM)

picture: a human encapsulated in a cogwheel, next to an electrocardiogramme, a vase and a serpent as in the Rod of AsclepiusThe Communication in Healthcare (MEDICOM) discussion group promotes the study of communication processes that are involved in the maintenance of good health and high-quality medical treatment. Group members use their expertise in linguistics to analyse verbal and non-verbal practices found, for example, in:

  • medical interviews
  • medical record documentation
  • activity of online peer support groups for patients
  • portrayals of medical care in popular culture
  • health promotional materials

Our discussion group is suitable for everybody who would like to increase their awareness of the important role that communication plays in patients’ and doctors’ healthcare-related experiences. During regular meetings, both students and academics get an opportunity to present their projects as well as participate in scholarly discussions, which inspires new ideas for research and application of generated knowledge in practice.

For additional information, everyone is welcome to contact mgr Zuzanna Jechna.

Last update: 2024-11-12

Culture Vultures

logo of the Culture Vultures reading group, red lettering on a red-and-blue star and a blue vulture, all on a white backgroundThe “Culture Vultures” discussion club, which has been active since 2014, is run by the Department of Studies in Culture and is addressed to students and staff of the Faculty of English. Its goal is to create a friendly forum for discussing various issues of broadly understood culture of the English-speaking countries. Members of our Department propose for consideration topics related to their research fields but also take up for discussion some issues of current interest as well as those that go beyond the framework designated by the name of our Department. Some meetings are also organized by students proposing topics important or interesting to them and presenting their first scientific research. In the “In conversation with” series, we expand the area of discussion by inviting writers, musicians, as well as scholars from outside the English Faculty. The issues discussed so far have touched upon, for example, the concepts of identity, ethnicity, as well as politics, art, and cultural life, often films. One meeting a year is specifically dedicated to the integration of foreign students who study at our Faculty with Polish students.

Coordinator: dr Elżbieta Wilczyńska

Last update: 2024-10-31

Found in Translation Discussion Group

Meetings are organised by the Department of Translation Studies. They provide an opportunity to discuss various aspects of translation, including audiovisual translation (AVT), and interpreting. The meetings involve lectures by invited speakers, workshops, and research presentations by WA students and staff.

Coordinator: dr hab. Paweł Korpal, prof. UAM

Last update: 2024-11-13

History of English Language

The scholarly activities of the HEL Reading Group are oriented towards both WA staff and students. They consist in:

  1. The Reading Club, where recent publications in the field of English historical linguistics are analysed and critically discussed (convenes every few weeks)
  2. a bi-monthly Open Lecture, where members of the Department, students, and guests from outside WA present their (usually work-in-progress) research

All meetings are open and everyone is welcome to join us.

Co-ordinator: dr hab. Marcin Krygier

Last update: 2024-10-17

Lexicography and Lexicology

The main objective of the Lexicography and Lexicology Reading Group is to present and discuss various topics connected with the meaning of words as well as the presentation of the lexicon in monolingual and bilingual dictionaries. Some of the issues discussed during the monthly meetings of the group over the last couple of years included:

  • semantic analysis of English prepositions
  • definitions in monolingual pedagogical dictionaries of the English language with emphasis on verb coding
  • usage labels in dictionaries
  • metonymy and metaphor as applied in the definitions in monolingual dictionaries for learners of English
  • comparison of definitions of abstract nouns in dictionaries for native speakers and learners of English
  • corpus case studies
  • socio-cognitive model of language
  • bilingual dictionary in the translation practice
  • electronic dictionaries and their role in acquiring vocabulary

The meetings are also an occasion to exchange news on recent conferences and workshops attended by members of the Department of Lexicography and Lexicology or WA students.

Love Lit Club

logo of the Love Lit Club reading group, Love Lit in black as if typed on a typewriter and Club in red as if handwritten, all on whiteThe activities of the Love Lit Club consist of a monthly book club, as well as a poetry reading circle which organizes periodic events. The monthly book club is student-led, with student members voting upon the titles for inclusion and (typically) with the student who proposed the book subsequently moderating its discussion. Discussions of five selected works by writers from the British Isles - and/or the British Commonwealth (excluding Canada) - are planned for the upcoming academic year.

The club’s Poetry Reading Circle has planned two events for each semester of the 2024-2025 academic year: a film night and discussion of The Green Knight; a reading circle concentrated on ekphrastic poetry; a book club session (devoted to Bernadine Evaristo’s verse novel Lara); and a final hybrid meeting (a reading circle on poems about poetry, followed by a creative writing session). A fifth poetry event might be organized for May, in the event of propositions from the student members.

Facebook page [external link]

Faculty advisore: prof. dr hab. Lilina Sikorska, dr Jacek Olesiejko, dr Jeremy Pomeroy

Last update: 2024-11-05

Oranjes Reading Group

Logo of the {Oranjes} reading group; caption {Oranjes} and a shape reminiscent of an orange or a bicycle made of an orange, all in orange on a white backgroundThe main objective of the Oranjes Reading Group is to introduce the culture of Dutch-speaking countries to students of the Faculty of English as well as the entire academic community. Through various initiatives, we promote the traditions, literature, art, and Dutch language—both within the university and beyond. As part of our activities, we organize film nights, guest speaker events, workshops for high school students from Poznań and its vicinity, and a poster session at the Young Linguists’ Meeting in Poznań conference.

Coordinators: dr Mikołaj Buczak and dr Robert de Louw

Facebook [external link]
Instagram: @niderlandzkiuam [external link]

Last update: 2024-11-14

Phon&Phontastic

an image of a waveform (of an acoustic signal) and the caption {Phon & Phontastic}Phon&Phontastic reading group is a place where students, researchers, and faculty dive into the fascinating world of phonology and phonetics. Combining the strengths of the long-standing Phon&Phon and the student-focused Phontastic, we meet (roughly) monthly to alternate between formal research presentations and practical, hands-on workshops. Together, we explore current research, methodologies, and the unique phonetic and phonological features of languages worldwide. This group is open to B.A., M.A., Ph.D. students and staff members, offering an inclusive space for both academic inquiry and practical skill-building.

Whether you’re aiming to deepen your research knowledge or sharpen your practical skills, join us in exploring the sound structures that shape human languages.

Last update: 2025-01-13

PsychLing Discussion Club

PsychLing Discussion Club is a club for everybody interested in issues related to psycholinguistc and neurolinguistic aspects of language processing. Some of the topics discussed so far have included: the structure of the bilingual and multilingual mental lexicon, the processing of language in clinically impaired populations (in autistic individuals and aphasic patients), the neurological underpinnings of bilingualism, as well as various methodologies of psycholinguistic and neurolinguistic experimentation. The meetings have featured presentations by members of the group, discussions and debates in a friendly atmosphere. They have provided opportunities to report on experiments, suggest new research proposals or simply exchange ideas and opinions among people who share an interest in language acquisition and processing. In the meetings to come we encourage student presentations and we would like to broaden the scope of issues addressed so as to include e.g. psycholinguistic aspects of interpreting and translation, metalinguistic awareness, effects of bilingualism on L1, processing of figurative language or task switching in bilingual speakers.

Co-ordinator: dr Olha Lehka-Paul

Last update: 2025-01-10

Syn & Sin

Logo of the Syn and Sin reading group, a binary tree (with its root a the top) branching out into two sub-constituents, the right-hand one branching further into another two, the terminal nodes filled with the captions: Syn, an ampersand, and Sin, all black on transparent“Syn & Sin” is a reading and discussion group hosted by the Department of English-Polish Comparative Linguistics. Through monthly meetings, faculty, students, and invited speakers share their ongoing or completed research and discuss recent publications in syntax. All those interested in syntax are warmly welcome to join.

Coordinator: dr Sylwiusz Żychliński

Last update: 2024-10-31

Talk In Progress (TIP)

{Talk In Progress} discussion group logo; black exclamation mark in a yellowish speech balloon and the letters {T}, {I}, and {P}“Talk In Progress” Discussion Club is a space created for students who want to improve their discussion and public speaking skills while putting English to practice. Meetings, held once a month, provide an opportunity to practice crafting speeches, delivering presentations, and developing argumentation skills, both within academic contexts and beyond. We welcome people who feel confident in discussions and want to advance their language competence, as well as those who are only beginning their journey with debating and want to learn new skills in a supportive environment. Our aim is not only to improve language fluency but also to build students' confidence and enhance their communication abilities, all within a friendly atmosphere.

Coordinator: mgr Ewa Olszewska

Last update: 2025-01-15

Teachers in Practice — TiP

{Teachers in Practice} reading group logo: the initialism TiP and the caption {Teachers in Practice}For all WA Staff and students interested in education, passionate about teaching and learning, not only English.

“Teachers in Practice” is a group of WA staff members and students who love learning about people and education. We talk about new ideas, share our knowledge, skills and experiences to become better teachers and learners. Every year we invite real Teachers in Practice to our meetings and we learn a lot from them about different educational contexts around. We also take part in charity events, where we do our best to help people learn English.

Leader: dr Anna Broszkiewicz

Facebook: Teach_WA [external link]

Last update: 2025-01-10