Kulturraumstudien USA, Tips for the Break

Thanks for a productive semester! Below are some tips for keeping your English and cultural knowledge active during the break:

- if there are blog posts or readings you didn't get to this semester, make a point of revisiting this content before we commence with the second half of our course in March. 

- aim to read at least one novel or work of non-fiction in English.  Good book reviews can be found on the NY Times, Guardian and Globe and Mail websites. Have a look at the books available in our book swap shelf on the fourth floor in the main wing of offices.

- watch some films in English (obviously Netflix and other streaming services are great, but explore the cinemas in the region that offer English-language films in the original, like Odeon, Off Broadway and Filmpalette in Cologne, Brotfabrik and Neue Filmbühne in Bonn, and Black Box in Düsseldorf).

- check out the documentaries on US history and culture available on Netflix. Documentaries by PBS and part of the series called The American Experience are of a very high quality.

- keep up to date with US news by regulary watching news clips (PBS NewsHour is my favorite US news source) on YouTube or reading headlines from news outlets like the NY Times, the Guardian, or the BBC. The Atlantic, Wired US, and National Geographic are great resources for long reads.

- when we reconvene in March, we will see more content in US news about the 2022 mid-terms. Look into which states have elections this year and try picking a state and following their candidates' campaigns.

- check out the YouTube channels of major publications like the NY Times and the Economist. Bonn-based Deutsche Welle has excellent English-language content. Content made by YouTube influencers can also be very interesting to analyze culturally.

- the Literaturhaus Köln invites a lot of US-based authors for readings and Lit.Cologne is an annual literary Festival in Cologne that also invites many "A-list" US writers to read and lecture.

- feel free to contact me via email during the break if there are any topics or if there is any content you would like more information on. I will try my best to point you in the right direction / share any others sources I might be aware of.