English

English is spoken by approximately 1.27 billion people in the world, making it the most widely spoken language. There are native speakers of distinct varieties of English such as British English, American English, Canadian English, Australian English, New Zealand, Indian English, Singapore English and many others. English is on the rise as a world language and there are about three times as many non-native speakers of English as native speakers. English is used in business communication, as medium of instruction at universities and as the scientific lingua franca in scientific publishing.

Sarah Leek

Hello, I’m Sarah Leek. I come from the UK originally, but I’ve lived and worked in Germany as an English teacher and trainer since 2008. I studied modern foreign languages at the University of Leicester and can speak French, German, Spanish and a little Catalan. After my studies, I trained to become an English teacher and hold the CELTA and Delta qualifications. I also hold an MA in Academic Writing Development and Research from Coventry University.

I have worked with pupils and students aged 2-80 over the years! I am also a huge fan of online learning, having completed most of my own postgraduate study online.

My current research interests are education management and academic writing support for staff and students. In my free time, I love learning languages, hiking, and maintaining my own professional development as a teacher and trainer.

You can reach me at sarah.leek@spz.uni-siegen.de or 0271 740 3014. Office Hours: Room WS-A 105 by appointment only

Melanie Ryan

Hi, my name is Melanie. I was born and raised in Siegen and studied History, German and English here. An ERASMUS exchange with our partner university in Coleraine, Northern Ireland, confirmed what I had long suspected: I wanted to live in the UK! After considering Northern Ireland, Scotland and England, I ended up choosing London – predictable, I know.

In London, I worked in Language Services of an international financial institution for almost 15 years, looking after the German Translation Section and General Interpretation. This was mainly in an admin role, but as I hold a diploma in translation from the Institute of Linguists in London, I was able to help out with translations into German. During my time there I got to travel to the most amazing countries I would otherwise never have thought to visit: Uzbekistan, Montenegro, Kazakhstan and – my favourite – Georgia, were all on the list.

After 20 years in the UK I decided to come home in 2020. I loved living in England, but am just as happy to be back now. Before I left Siegerland, I hadn’t discovered the joy of walking yet, but I hiked a lot in England. Now that I am back, I really appreciate the scenery all around us much more. That’s lucky, too, as there hasn’t been much opportunity to go anywhere else since I got back.

You can reach me at english@spz.uni-siegen.de or 0271 740 5365.

English for Specific Purposes

Our English for Specific Purposes (ESP) program currently caters for students of Architecture, Electrical Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering. Starting from the winter semester 2024/2025, we will also be offering a new course for students of Social Work.

The aim of our specialist course program is to prepare students for the workplace through communicative activities and tasks specific to their particular academic discipline. In addition, students will broaden their subject-specific vocabulary.

Please note the following:

• Students need to have completed the B1 level to register for these courses.
• English for Architects is offered every winter semester and comprises 2 SWS.
• English for Electrical Engineers is offered every summer semester and comprises 4 SWS.
• English for Mechanical Engineers is divided into two parts. Both parts must be completed to obtain 6 ECTS, and Part I must be taken first. Part I is offered every winter semester and Part II is offered every summer semester. Each course comprises 2 SWS.

Students from all faculties are also welcome to register for the Developing Professional Business Communication Skills course. The aim of this course is to prepare students for the workplace generally, through communicative activities and tasks such as meetings, telephoning, and emailing. In addition, students will broaden their business vocabulary.

Developing Professional Business Communication Skills is offered every semester and comprises 2 SWS.