- Department: Language and Linguistic Science
- Module co-ordinator: Dr. Cristina Figueredo
- Credit value: Information currently unavailable
- Credit level: LFA
- Academic year of delivery: 2023-24
- See module specification for other years: 2024-25
This module allows students to reinforce their knowledge of the basic principles of Latin grammar, as well as building on that knowledge through an introduction to some of Latin’s complex sentence constructions. By the end of the course, students will be able to translate a range of primary source material (e.g. short texts from documentary Latin and prose such as chronicles and fables). Students will also be introduced to elements of Medieval Northumbria culture, in order to develop an understanding of the culture in which the texts they are studying were produced.
LfA Medieval Latin Beginner / Medieval Latin: Beginner or equivalent.
Occurrence | Teaching period |
---|---|
A | Semester 1 2023-24 to Semester 2 2023-24 |
This module will steadily build the knowledge, skills, and strategies necessary to examine and interpret a range of Medieval Latin documents over the course of a year, and develop a comprehensive knowledge of Latin translation skills at elementary level.
Students will engage, individually and in groups, in comprehension activities and tasks emphasising three core research skills:
The mediums of instruction are English and Latin.
Translation Passages
For the first few weeks of the module, translation passages will comprise some short, basic sentences (many of which will be taken from Medieval authors). Students will then progress onto short paragraphs of Latin, which will include:
Grammar topics at Elementary Level:
Seminars will include a range of different exercises including both translation (Latin to English) and prose composition (English to Latin) to help explain and build grammatical knowledge, with plenty of opportunities for revision as the semester progresses.
Medieval Latin Culture: Kings and Monks of Northumbria
The course will provide students with an interdisciplinary introduction to the political and religious backdrop against which Bede’s Ecclesiastical History of the English People was written. By integrating historical, artistic and literary evidence, this module will explore the lives and deeds of the three Northumbrian kings (Edwin, Oswald and Oswiu) who became overlords of all England. In addition, the module will deal with the foundations, under royal patronage, of major monastic houses. Through the work of notorious monks and kings, the history of Early Medieval Northumbria will come to light. Moreover, by examining surviving illuminated manuscripts, the lives of monks and nuns, and the practices of Northumbrian scriptoria, will be uncovered.
Task | Length | % of module mark |
---|---|---|
Departmental - attendance requirement Attendance requirement |
N/A | 100 |
Pass/fail & Non-reassessable
The course is non-assessed but students will receive an LfA Certificate of Completion if they participate in at least 13 sessions out of 18.
None
Regular homework tasks will provide opportunities for ongoing feedback on progress.
In addition, students will have the opportunity to complete coursework. Its purpose is not to provide a summative assessment of students’ performance but to provide the basis for relevant tutor’s feedback and feedforward.
Course materials and guided readings will be provided by the module convenors via the VLE at the start of the year.