Modern Languages
Module Descriptions 2017/18
Level I (i.e. 2nd Yr.) Modules
Please be aware that all modules are subject to availability.
If you have any questions about the modules, please contact [email protected].
For many of these modules, some experience of studying a language may be required, and you should remember this when choosing your modules. If there is another module that you need to have studied before taking this, it will be stated in the module description.
For all of the options below, we have indicated where the set texts are not in English and where the delivery of the module and/or assessment is also not in English. Please refer to the module descriptions for more details.
Please note that at the time this document has been prepared (Jan. 2017) the following information is provisional, and there may be minor changes between now and the beginning of 2017/18 academic year.
Language modules for non-native speakers
Languages for All is the University’s specialist language teaching centre, with extensive experience of delivering modern foreign language courses.
The Institution Wide Language Programme includes courses in French, German, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Russian, Mandarin Chinese and Ukrainian at up to 8 levels. All our courses are mapped onto the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. Some languages are offered at lower levels of study only, but you can study most of our European languages at a level ranging from A1 to C1.
Please view the Languages for All website for more information.
Contents French Modules ...... 3 German Modules ...... 12 Hispanic Modules ...... 19 Italian Modules ...... 34 Russian Modules ...... 39 European Studies Modules ...... 40
French Modules MODULE TITLE Translation Comprehension and Civilisation A MODULE CODE 26106 CREDIT VALUE 10 ASSESSMENT METHOD film analysis in English (50%) 1 x 5-minute oral presentation in English to be delivered as part of a group project (50%) TEACHING METHOD TBC SEMESTER 1 LANGUAGE OF DELIVERY French/English
DESCRIPTION
It is not suitable for non-French speakers. It is compulsory for students from French/Belgian partner institutions whose main subject of study is English.
Translation into and from the target language (English) will be practised with reference to narrative/descriptive and journalistic texts of an intellectually challenging nature. Vocabulary and grammar exercises will be used to enhance written proficiency. Aural comprehension work will develop the ability to understand in detail, and summarise audio-visual materials. Oral expression will be enhanced by practising the skills involved in making presentations to the whole class on aspects of British civilisation researched through group projects. MODULE TITLE Translation Comprehension and Civilisation B MODULE CODE 26107 CREDIT VALUE 10 ASSESSMENT METHOD One 2 hour translation exam in May/June made up of 1 translation into French and 1 translation into English, weighted equally (100%) TEACHING METHOD TBC SEMESTER 2 LANGUAGE OF DELIVERY French/English
DESCRIPTION
It is not suitable for non-French speakers. It is compulsory for students from French/Belgian partner institutions whose main subject of study is English.
Translation into and from the target language (English) will be practised with reference to narrative/descriptive and journalistic texts of an intellectually challenging nature. Vocabulary and grammar exercises will be used to enhance written proficiency. MODULE TITLE French Text and Interpretation MODULE CODE 24261 CREDIT VALUE 20 (available as 10) ASSESSMENT METHOD One 2000 word critical commentary in English to be done as coursework in December within a specified period of a week (50%), One 2000 word essay in English (50%) to be submitted at the start of term 3. TEACHING METHOD Lecture Hour Thursday 11-12pm SEMESTER 1 and 2 or 1 or 2 LANGUAGE OF DELIVERY The delivery of the module and assessment are in English, however, set texts are in French
DESCRIPTION
This module will introduce students to a range of French texts – including theatre, short stories, novels and poetry – dating from the 17th Century to the present day. As well as building on knowledge acquired in Year 1 of the effects created by literary and dramatic techniques, the lecture and seminar programme will invite students to consider how prominent theoretical approaches – such as those inspired by feminism, psychoanalysis and postcolonial studies – might be used to interpret texts in inventive and thought-provoking ways. Teaching sessions will focus on the textual depiction of a diverse set of themes, including travel, personal identity, exploitation, desire, monstrosity, and mental health. The course is taught in English.
Texts: Texts are listed in the order in which they will be studied. Multiple library copies are available. Semester 1: Jean-Paul Sartre, Les Mains sales, Paris: Gallimard (1948) Simone de Beauvoir, La Femme rompue [2nd and 3rd stories only], Paris: Gallimard (1968) [accompanied by extracts from French language audiobook edition] Marie Redonnet, Diego, Paris: Editions de Minuit (2005) [it’s best to use www.fnac.com or www.chapitre.com to obtain this novel] Semester 2: Jean Racine, Phèdre, Paris: Classiques Larousse (1677, frequently reprinted) [accompanied by a screening of a modern adaptation] Selection of 19th Century poems, either from Charles Baudelaire’s Les Fleurs du mal (1857, frequently reprinted) OR Gérard de Nerval’s Les Chimères (1844–54, frequently reprinted) André Gide, L’Immoraliste, Paris: Folio (1902, frequently reprinted) MODULE TITLE Cinema, Media and Visual Culture MODULE CODE 24262 CREDIT VALUE 20 ASSESSMENT METHOD One 2 hour class test in January (50%) One individual guided project (2500-3000 words) in English to be submitted after the Easter vacation (50%) TEACHING METHOD Lecture hour: Monday 4-5 followed in some weeks by film screenings NB. Students cannot take this module and Translation in Practice because they take place at the same time SEMESTER 1 and 2 LANGUAGE OF DELIVERY This module is suitable for students with little or no French
This is also available in Semester 1 or 2 as a 10 credit module - Semester 1 only: 27234/ Semester 2 only: 27235
DESCRIPTION
This module builds on knowledge about French cinema and skills in reading film introduced at Level 1 by offering, in Semester 1, an introduction to some of the main genres of French cinema (fantastique/horror, heritage cinema, post new wave, documentary and Francophone postcolonial). This is followed in Semester 2 by a general introduction to two other forms of visual culture (e.g. visual art, photography), in addition to a general recapitulation on French cinema. Films are prescribed in Semester 1, while in Semester 2 students are guided in the selection of paintings, photographs, or film clips as a corpus for their individual project. Lectures and seminars are in English.
Semester 1: Jean-Luc Godard, Pierrot le fou (1965) Patrice Chéreau, La Reine Margot (1994) Alain Resnais, Nuit et Brouillard (1956) Ousmane Sembène, Xala (1975) MODULE TITLE Behind the camera: Women’s Cinema from the 1960s to the present MODULE CODE 20 CREDIT VALUE 26037 ASSESSMENT METHOD 1 x 1 hour sequence analysis in English of a film clip (50%), just before or during the summer exam period 1 x 2000 word essay in English (50%) to be submitted at the start of term 3. TEACHING METHOD Tuesday 4-5 (fortnightly) SEMESTER 1 and 2 LANGUAGE OF DELIVERY English
This is also available in Semester 1 or 2 as a 10 credit module
DESCRIPTION
This module will offer a full introduction to ‘women’s cinema’ (films directed by women) from the 1960s to the present. Focusing on French, Belgian and British films directed by Chantal Akerman, Sally Potter, Agnes Varda, Claire Denis, Lynne Ramsay and Céline Sciamma, it will cover the topics of 1970s feminist cinema, theory and criticism; experimental and avant-garde negotiation with cinematic form; gender and postcolonialism in film, the performance of self and body, gender and documentary, and female authorship in the post-auteurist 2000s. The course is taught in English.
Set texts will include:
Chantal Akerman’s Jeanne Dielmann, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975), Agnès Varda’s Sans toit ni loi (1985), and Les Glaneurs et la glaneuse (2000), Claire Denis’s Chocolat (1988), Céline Sciamma’s Bande de filles (2015), and two or three British films directed by women from the same decades. MODULE TITLE La France Moderne 2 MODULE CODE 26084 CREDIT VALUE 20 ASSESSMENT METHOD One 2 hour exam (100%) involving ONE essay in French during the summer examination period Formative assessment during the year (i.e. assessed practice work with feedback which does not count towards final grade) TEACHING METHOD Lecture Hour Wednesday 9-10 SEMESTER 1 and 2 LANGUAGE OF DELIVERY French
Not suitable for Exchange students whose native language is French This is also available in Semester 1 or 2 as a 10 credit module
DESCRIPTION
This module examines modern French identity through a range of historical, political and cultural approaches, exploring an underlying (but constantly challenged) republican tradition underpinning contemporary France.
The aim of the module is for students to gain a solid understanding of the origins of – and challenges to – French republicanism, and to investigate how French republicanism informs French identity.
In order to do this, the module examines key historical moments which have marked French history since the 1789 Revolution such as the Abolition(s) of Slavery; the Dreyfus Affair, Vichy, Feminism, the Algerian War, with a continued focus on how republicanism shapes the discussion of such topics in modern day France and the Francophone world.
All seminars and lectures take place in French. Seminars typically involve close reading of French newspaper articles or historical material about formative cultural moments (focusing on content and style). Students become trained in how to write a ‘commentaire composé’ in French – a critical commentary (i.e. a scholarly explanation of the pertinent points of an article, examining style, content and relating the article to relevant wider material covered in the lectures and seminars). Moreover, at seminars, they develop their skills in how to conduct scholarly discussions in French.
Set reading for the module is all in the FM2 course dossier. Preparatory summer reading and podcasts are available on Canvas over the summer vacation. In addition, students are advised to consult historical overviews (any edition) such as: David Howarth & Georgios Varouxakis, Contemporary France: An Introduction to French Politics and Society (London: Arnold, 2003) [suggested reading: Chapter One, ‘Continuity and Change: the Ever- Lasting Past’ which includes a section on ‘French Republicanism’ pp. 4-13.] James McMillan (ed), Modern France: 1880-2002 (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003) [for semester one] Robert Gildea, France since 1945 (Oxford: OUP, 1997) [for semester two] MODULE TITLE Writing, Reacting, Adapting: Text and Context from Humanism to Realism MODULE CODE 28636 CREDIT VALUE 20 ASSESSMENT METHOD 1x 2000 word essay in English to be submitted in January (50%) 1x 2000 word essay in English to be submitted at the start of the summer term (50%) TEACHING METHOD Lecture Hour: Wednesday 10-11am SEMESTER 1 and 2 LANGUAGE OF DELIVERY English, although set texts are in French
This is also available in Semester 1 or 2 as a 10 credit module
DESCRIPTION
The module will encourage you to explore how writers from different historical periods interacted with and responded to the challenging political and social circumstances of their time. You will also be able to discover how some of these texts have been and continue to be adapted (e.g. film, stage performance etc.) to appeal to new audiences.
Texts will be drawn from several genres, including drama, essays, poetry and prose fiction and will provide an insight into issues ranging from cannibalism to crime and its consequences via women’s education and growing resistance to France’s traditional authority structures. In semester 1, you will study texts from the Renaissance period and the 17th and 18th centuries. In semester 2 we shall study texts which are representative of key movements such as Romanticism, Realism and Naturalism.
Texts are listed in the order in which they will be studied. Semester 1: Michel de Montaigne, Essais (extracts - supplied) Molière, Les Femmes savantes (Classiques Larousse) Charles-Louis de Montesquieu, Lettres persanes (extracts) Semester 2: Hugo, Les Contemplations (selected poems - supplied) Honoré de Balzac, Le Père Goriot Émile Zola, Thérèse Raquin MODULE TITLE Conflict, Identity and Absurdity in twentieth- century French Theatre MODULE CODE 25914 CREDIT VALUE 20 ASSESSMENT METHOD 1x 2000 word essay (in English) (50%) 1x 2 hour exam (50%) TEACHING METHOD TBC SEMESTER 1 and 2 LANGUAGE OF DELIVERY French
This is also available in Semester 1 or 2 as a 10 credit module, 27373 (10 credit code for both semesters)
DESCRIPTION
This module will build on introductory work completed on Le Tartuffe and Antigone in the IFLFS course. Three short theoretical texts, as well as appropriate historical background, will provide a framework for understanding how French plays reflect and comment on the events, currents of thought, and debates of their time. In particular, the twentieth-century preoccupations with conflict, identity and absurdity will be examined for the ways in which they have inspired a handful of important works by French playwrights who have also challenged the ‘rules’ or expectations for the stage.
Students will be expected to familiarise themselves with six core plays, to be analysed, discussed and presented by groups in turn during fortnightly seminars. The lecture programme is designed to address the themes and primary works in chronological order, thus demonstrating the radical development of French theatre over the course of the twentieth century, whilst offering essential background in advance of student-led seminar work.
Theoretical extracts taken from the following: Antonin Artaud, Le Théâtre et son double (Paris: Gallimard, 1964) Jean-Paul Sartre, Un Théâtre de situations (Paris: Gallimard, 1973) Martin Esslin, The Theatre of the Absurd, 3rd edition (London: Methuen, 1980) Plays: Jean Cocteau, La Machine infernale (1934) Jean-Paul Sartre, Huis clos (1944) Eugène Ionesco, La Cantatrice chauve (1950) Samuel Beckett, Fin de partie (1957)
MODULE TITLE Francophone Ecocriticism MODULE CODE CREDIT VALUE 20 ASSESSMENT METHOD 2 hour exam in the summer TEACHING METHOD TBC SEMESTER 1 and 2 LANGUAGE OF DELIVERY French
This is also available in Semester 1 or 2 as a 10 credit module
DESCRIPTION
This module examines a range of literary texts, cultural artefacts and films which discuss the environment, and environmental crisis. It introduces students to the concept of ecocriticism, which is approached through a range of literary, historical, political and cultural sources.
The aim of the module is for students to gain a solid understanding of the origins, development, and contemporary applications of Ecocriticism across the Francophone world. Ecocriticism is a new field of research which is motivated by the troubling awareness that we are reaching an age of environmental limits, a time when the consequences of human actions are damaging the planet’s basic life support systems. The module is Francophone in focus, which means that it draws on sources from throughout the Francophone world, particularly the Francophone Caribbean, and will also introduce students to basic concepts from Postcolonial Studies.
All seminars and lectures are bilingual (English/French). Seminars typically involve close reading (focusing on both content and style) of passages from newspapers, literature, visual culture and other similar texts (all in French).
German Modules MODULE TITLE German Language Project MODULE CODE 28637 CREDIT VALUE 20 ASSESSMENT METHOD 1x written project in German (4000 words) (60%) 1 viva in German (20 minutes) (40%) TEACHING METHOD Tuesday 11-12 SEMESTER 1 and 2 LANGUAGE OF DELIVERY German
DESCRIPTION
Students will work autonomously on the production of a short newspaper, magazine or other publication (approved by the supervisor) in the target language. The group will meet once every two weeks for tutorials to concentrate on their writing skills and practise their spoken language. Students are expected to see their supervisor regularly for individual help. Students can select a theme / topic for their publication and thus develop different styles of writing and manipulate vocabulary relevant to their specialisation. It will also allow students to gain knowledge of their specific area of interest. Furthermore, this module aims at enhancing students’ ability to express themselves in the target language through the preparation of an oral presentation and viva to be delivered at the end of the course. Students will be encouraged to take part in the ‘Conversation Exchange Scheme’ or the ‘Buddy Scheme’ to team up with a native speaker of their target language. MODULE TITLE German Literary Modernism MODULE CODE 29315 CREDIT VALUE 10 ASSESSMENT METHOD 1x 2500 word essay TEACHING METHOD Thursday 2-4pm SEMESTER 1 LANGUAGE OF DELIVERY German
DESCRIPTION
This module considers works of German literary modernism between the early 20th century, up to the advance of National Socialism. Students will become acquainted with central works of literary modernism against the backdrop of dramatic changes in modern European society. These include urbanization, technological change, the First World War, and social and artistic movements. Students will read a range of short texts that may include short stories, poems, a novella, and short selections from a novel. Texts are selected for their linguistic level, readability, and illustration of the themes of modernism. MODULE TITLE Introduction to German Cinema MODULE CODE 23920 CREDIT VALUE 10 ASSESSMENT METHOD 300 word analysis of a set film clip in English (10%) 2000 word essay in English (90%) TEACHING METHOD Tues 4-5 and Weds 11-12 OR Tuesday 2-3 and wed 12-1 SEMESTER 1 LANGUAGE OF DELIVERY English and German
DESCRIPTION
This module will offer an overview of German cinema history. Topics covered will normally include the early flowering of German Cinema in the Weimar Republic, German cinema under National Socialism, the cinematic production of the divided Germany and contemporary German film. At each stage, films will be related to their cultural and political context as appropriate. The course will be structured around a series of key films, but key movements in German cinema will also be discussed as appropriate. A key focus of the course will be the analysis of cinematic techniques, and students will be expected to develop their knowledge of relevant technical vocabulary. MODULE TITLE Knights, Maidens and Priests MODULE CODE 23922 CREDIT VALUE 10 ASSESSMENT METHOD 1x 2500 word essay TEACHING METHOD Tues 12-1pm and Friday 12-1pm SEMESTER 1 LANGUAGE OF DELIVERY German
DESCRIPTION
The module will study some short works from the medieval and early modern periods of German literature: Hartmann von Aue’s Der arme Heinrich, Der Stricker’s Der Pfaffe Amis, and poems or short pieces by Mechthild von Magdeburg, Oswald von Wolkenstein, and Martin Luther. These will be analysed as literary texts, but also as sources of information about and criticism of medieval culture and society. Particular emphasis will be placed on themes relating to the three social groupings named in the title; and hence the problematic but fruitful relationship between religious and secular perspectives and stereotypes will be an especially important recurring theme. MODULE TITLE Culture of Protest and Terror in West Germany 1967-1977 MODULE CODE 24732 CREDIT VALUE 10 ASSESSMENT METHOD 1x 2200 word essay in English (90%) Seminar presentation handout and summary (10%) TEACHING METHOD Thursday 9-11am SEMESTER 2 LANGUAGE OF DELIVERY German
DESCRIPTION
The module will explore the history, politics and cultural memory of the West German student movement and its violent offshoot, the Red Army Faction, during the period 1967–77.
Materials studied will include contemporary media reports and terrorist manifestos as well as a range of cultural phenomena associated with protest and terrorism in West Germany in this period, such as documentary and feature films and (semi-)fictional writings by Heinrich Böll, Bernhard Schlink and others MODULE TITLE German Political Parties and Party Government MODULE CODE 13037 CREDIT VALUE 10 ASSESSMENT METHOD 1x 2500 word essay TEACHING METHOD Tuesday 4-5pm and Wednesday 11-12 SEMESTER 2 LANGUAGE OF DELIVERY German
DESCRIPTION
Although the German constitution explicitly states that the political parties are only one of many participants in the political 'Meinungsbildungsprozess', the practice looks quite different. Indeed, political parties have become the predominant force in German politics. They are the backbone of the German political system. This module attempts to analyse the German version of party government and the eminent role that parties play in public life in order to understand German politics and democracy. It aims to give a comprehensive introduction to the major issues concerning the working of the 'Parteienstaat' and 'Parteiendemokratie'. It will look at the development of the party system since 1945, examine the role and functions of parties, study the major political parties and analyse the current debate about the future of party government. MODULE TITLE When Gender Hits You in the Face: Representations of Women in Turn of the Century German Literature MODULE CODE 26766 CREDIT VALUE 10 ASSESSMENT METHOD 1x 2500 word essay TEACHING METHOD Tuesday 12-1pm and Friday 10-11am SEMESTER 2 LANGUAGE OF DELIVERY German
DESCRIPTION
This module will explore a selection of female writers and female protagonists in German literature at the turn of the century. Although it self-evidently cannot attempt to cover a totality of ideas about women, it will seek to enable students to develop a knowledge of and sensitivity towards the topic.
Hispanic Modules MODULE TITLE Don Quixote MODULE CODE 22660 CREDIT VALUE 10 ASSESSMENT METHOD 1x 2500 word essay TEACHING METHOD Tuesday 2-4pm SEMESTER 1 LANGUAGE OF DELIVERY Spanish
DESCRIPTION
The module will examine Cervantes' creation of the most famous and influential work in Hispanic Literature, considering: its inter-textual relations with preceding and contemporary modes of Spanish and European literature; its meta-literary concerns with the processes of creation and reception; its philosophical interest in the foundations and nature of knowledge and belief; and its approach to moral, social and political criticism.
Texts: M. de Cervantes, El ingenioso hidalgo don Quijote de la Mancha Part I (1605) and Part II (1615).Many Spanish editions are available in print and online. Recommended translations are those of Rutherford (2003), Grossman (2003) and Lathrop (2005)
MODULE TITLE Barcelona – Urban Space and Cultural Identity MODULE CODE 18379 CREDIT VALUE 10 ASSESSMENT METHOD 1x 2500 word essay TEACHING METHOD Wednesday 9-11am SEMESTER 1 LANGUAGE OF DELIVERY The knowledge of Catalan language is NOT required for this module as the tutor will use English and Spanish translations of the texts where appropriate.
DESCRIPTION
The Capital of Barcelona is both one of the key symbols of Catalan cultural identity and a network of multicultural urban spaces in which identity is negotiated on a daily basis. Focusing on a number of key cultural representations (literary and visual) of Barcelona in the twentieth and twenty first centuries, this module will explore the developing shape of the city in relation to changing conceptions of cultural identity in Catalonia. The course will analyse and increase the awareness of the cultural forms and practices particular to Catalan society. It will focus on the dynamics of the relationship between space, memory and identity, including gender, political and historical discourses. The module will first introduce key concepts of the theoretical debates around political and urban representation (language, hegemony, power, etc.) and then it will move on to examine the selected texts.
Texts: José Luis Guerín, En construcción(Work in Progress) Juan Mayorga, Hamelín MercèRodoreda, La Plaça del Diamant, (The Time of the Doves) Ventura Pons, Morir(o no)(2000) Ventura Pons, Barcelona (un mapa) (2007) MODULE TITLE Introduction to the Spanish Caribbean: History, Literature and Popular Culture MODULE CODE 23243 CREDIT VALUE 10 ASSESSMENT METHOD Class participation (written comments on Canvas and class presentations) (20%) Class exam (80%) TEACHING METHOD Tuesday 1-2pm and Seminar: Thursday 11am-12 or 4-5pm SEMESTER 1 LANGUAGE OF DELIVERY Spanish
DESCRIPTION
This course introduces students to some of the main themes in the history of the Spanish Speaking Caribbean and explores the engagement of literature and popular culture with these themes. Focussing mainly on the 19th and 20th centuries, the course examines the following issues: European colonization and Independence; slavery and abolition; migration and return; cultural imperialism; US Caribbean relations and the rise of Caribbean nationalisms. Simultaneously the course outlines the strategies used in Spanish Caribbean literature, film and music to respond to these historical phenomena.
Texts: Rosario Ferré Maldito amor y otros cuentos Course Pack of Caribbean Poems and Short Stories (Available in the Department) Selection of documentaries and Fiction Films available online MODULE TITLE Love, sin and death in medieval Iberia MODULE CODE 24726 CREDIT VALUE 10 ASSESSMENT METHOD 1x 2000 word essay TEACHING METHOD Tuesdays 9-11am SEMESTER 1 LANGUAGE OF DELIVERY Spanish
DESCRIPTION
The module will address cultural manifestations of a series of phenomena in the Iberian middles ages. Among these are: convivencia, attitudes to sex and sin, and death and dying in the Middle Ages in Iberia. A variety of visual and textual sources will be employed. Students will be required to read selections from the Libro de Buen Amor, the Rimado de Palacio the Cantigas de Santa María, the Dança general de la muerte and the Siete Partidas. MODULE TITLE Origins of the Spanish Comedia MODULE CODE 11956 CREDIT VALUE 10 ASSESSMENT METHOD 1x 2000 word essay TEACHING METHOD Monday 11-1pm SEMESTER 2 LANGUAGE OF DELIVERY Spanish
DESCRIPTION
The module deals with the drama in Spain from its origins in religious ceremonial and court entertainment, through the development of the commercial theatre, to its definitive revision by Lope de Vega in the baroque period, setting it in the context of the principal cultural, literary and intellectual concerns which it reflects.
Texts: Texts studied: Anon. El auto de los Reyes Magos Lucas Fernández, Auto de la Pasión Gil Vicente, Tragicomedia de Don Duardos Bartolomé de Torres Naharro, Comedia Himenea. Lope de Rueda, Los engañados Juan de la Cueva, El saco de Roma Miguel de Cervantes, La Numancia Lope de Vega, La dama boba MODULE TITLE Spanish Linguistics MODULE CODE 11954 CREDIT VALUE 10 ASSESSMENT METHOD The learning outcomes skills are tested in the extended transcription that students supply as assessment, and in weekly practical exercises, which are not assessed. 2 hr class test of assessed phonetic transcription: 100% TEACHING METHOD Tuesday 9-11am Students do not have to have taken year 1 linguistics SEMESTER 2 LANGUAGE OF DELIVERY Spanish
DESCRIPTION
The module provides an introduction to articulatory phonetics by examining the range of sounds employed in Standard Castilian. The module provides training in the identification of articulatory difference and in the use of the International Phonetic Alphabet. MODULE TITLE Constructing Communities in Catalan Territories MODULE CODE 21621 CREDIT VALUE 10 ASSESSMENT METHOD 1x 2500 word essay TEACHING METHOD Wednesday 9-11am SEMESTER 2 LANGUAGE OF DELIVERY The knowledge of Catalan language is NOT required for this module as the tutor will use English and Spanish translations of the texts where appropriate.
DESCRIPTION
This module will provide an introduction to the political, cultural and social make-up of the Catalan- speaking territories in Spain and Southern France from a range of different perspectives, drawing on historical, anthropological, sociolinguistic and cultural studies. It will explore the different models and types of community that have developed there and their relationship to wider regional, national and transnational formations, such as the Països Catalans, Spain, Iberia and Europe. Through the analysis of a range of cultural texts from the area, it will address the relationship between individual and community identity as formulated through a range of different overlapping discourses: history/memory, global/local, gender/sexuality, centre/periphery, etc.
Texts: Albert Boadella, Daaalíin Ubúpresident. La increíble historia del Dr. Floit& Pla. Daaalí. JaumeFuster, Dictionary for the Idle (Diccionari per ociosos) Josep Joan BigasLuna TheTit and the Moon (La teta i la lluna) Sergi Belbel, Forasteros (Forasters) MODULE TITLE Postmillenial Spanish Culture MODULE CODE 29765 CREDIT VALUE 10 ASSESSMENT METHOD 1x 2500 word essay TEACHING METHOD Tuesday 4-6pm or Wednesday 12-1pm SEMESTER 2 LANGUAGE OF DELIVERY Spanish
DESCRIPTION
This module is intended as cultural preparation for the year abroad. Students will learn about the most prominent issues in contemporary Spain, such as the recession, neoliberalism, domestic violence, historical memory, and immigration through a wide spectrum of literary and filmic texts. Students will become conversant with relevant theories, and develop analytical skills. Engagement with these texts will also enhance language skills. MODULE TITLE Hispanic Literature: Texts and Contexts Level 1 MODULE CODE 20 CREDIT VALUE 20 ASSESSMENT METHOD 1x 2500 word essay (semester 2) (50%) 1x 2 hour exam (50%) TEACHING METHOD Lecture: Thursday 1-2pm Seminars: Wednesday 11am-12 or 12-1pm SEMESTER 1 and 2 LANGUAGE OF DELIVERY Spanish
This module is also available as a 10 credit module, in semester 1 or 2.
DESCRIPTION
The module will provide an introduction to Hispanic literature and is studied by the majority of year 1 Post A level students. A series of lectures taught by different members of staff will look at both Spanish and Spanish American literature from the medieval period to the present day. It will analyse these texts with reference to particular themes, as well as literary and cultural trends. Accompanying seminars will offer students the chance to develop their understanding and skills of textual analysis.
Texts: Semester 1: Jorge Manrique, “Coplas sobre la muerte de su padre”; Extracts from the Romancero Viejo; Federico García Lorca, Romancero gitano (selected poems); Guillén de Castro (selected poems); Nancy Morejón (selected poems)
Semester 2: Lope de Vega, El Caballero de Olmedo; Miguel de Cervantes, Novelas ejemplares (selected tales); Ana María Matute, Primera memoria*; Julio Cortázar “El perseguidor”; Juan Rulfo, “Macario”; Andrés Wood, Machuca* (film)
Most of these texts are provided in electronic form, but students will need to purchase any marked with an asterisk (*). Substitutions in the above list may occasionally be made in response to staff research leave. MODULE TITLE Spanish Cinema MODULE CODE 23367 CREDIT VALUE 20 ASSESSMENT METHOD 2x 2500 word essay (submitted at the beginning of semester 2 and the summer semester) (40%) 1x one hour in-class assessment at the end of semester 2 based on the analysis of a scene or sequence from one of the selected films (20%) All assessments may be in Spanish or English TEACHING METHOD Lecture: Monday 10-11am Seminar: Tuesday 11am-12 or Thursday 10-11am SEMESTER 1 and 2 LANGUAGE OF DELIVERY Spanish
This module is also available as a 10 credit module, in semester 1 or 2.
DESCRIPTION
This module will examine the development of a national cinema from the end of the Spanish Civil War to the present day. It will trace the development of the Spanish film industry under the censorship imposed by Franco's dictatorial regime and later in the context of the freedom established with the transition to a democracy. While each film will be studied within its local context, the module will have two main points of focus: 1) the relationship between the films and their socio-political context and 2) Spanish cinema and the exploration of identity. In the first of these, attention will be paid to the counter-narratives produced as resistance to the ideology of the Franco regime and, in the later films, to the exploration of new social relationships and attitudes towards subjectivity and gender. Under the general heading of identity, three main areas will be highlighted for particular analysis: national identity, the re-evaluation of history, and gender and sexuality.
Texts: Buñuel, Lui. L’Aged’Or (1930) Bardem, Juan Antonio. Muerte de un ciclista (1955) Buñuel, Luis. Viridiana (1962) Saura, Carlos. Carmen (1983) Bigas Luna, José Juan. Jamónjamón (1992) Trueba, Fernando. BelleEpoque (1992) Medem, Julio. Vacas (1992) Almodóvar, Pedro. Todosobre mimadre (1999 MODULE TITLE Colonialism and National Identities of the Lusophone World MODULE CODE 29792 CREDIT VALUE 20 ASSESSMENT METHOD 2x 2500 word essays (50% each) TEACHING METHOD Friday 2-4pm SEMESTER 1 and 2 LANGUAGE OF DELIVERY Portuguese
DESCRIPTION
The aim of this module is to explore selected cultural productions (literary and cinematic worlds) which plot the end of the Portuguese dictatorship alongside the emergence of the Carnation Revolution and also the Colonial Wars in Portugal’s African countries. This module focuses on how these major historical turning points produce transformations in Portugal and Portuguese speaking- countries’ national identities. Students will also analyze themes such as the relationship between Marxism and African nationalist politics in the Colonial War, and the role of feminism and gender politics in these transformations. MODULE TITLE Beginners Catalan Language MODULE CODE 29299 CREDIT VALUE 20 ASSESSMENT METHOD Oral Exam (10%) Aural examination (10%) Course word and grammar test (30%) 3 hour examination (50%) TEACHING METHOD 3 languages classes per week SEMESTER 1 and 2 LANGUAGE OF DELIVERY Available to Erasmus students
DESCRIPTION
Semester 1:
The three weekly hours are distributed between communicative language and grammar classes (2 hours per week) and a parallel culture hour to develop comprehension skills and to provide an introduction to Catalan literature and culture.
Semester 2:
The three weekly hours are distributed between communicative language and grammar classes (2 hours per week) and a text reception and production hour to develop reading and writing skills and promote the development of independent responses to Catalan literature and culture.
The student will also have the opportunity to achieve an extra qualification by taking the International Catalan Language Certificate issued by the Institut Ramon Llull and held at the University of Birmingham.
Texts: Mas, M., Vilagrasa, A.,Veus1/2. Curs de català Yates, A., Teach Yourself Catalan Yates, A. and Ibarz, T. A Catalan Handbook Gili, J., Introductory Catalan Grammar
Other teaching materials will be provided by the tutors.
MODULE TITLE Intermediate Catalan Language (Students must have passed Beginners Catalan Language) MODULE CODE 29293 CREDIT VALUE 20 ASSESSMENT METHOD Oral Examination (10%) Aural Examination (10%) Coursework (30%) 3 hour written examination (50%) Non-assessed periodic pieces of language work. TEACHING METHOD 3 contact hours per week: 2 hours language (grammar/listening/conversation) and 1 hour literature SEMESTER 1 and 2 LANGUAGE OF DELIVERY Available to Erasmus students
DESCRIPTION
The intermediate Catalan Course focuses on expanding language skills acquired in the first year, and particularly on consolidating grammar knowledge and further developing oral and written skills in Catalan. The course will also provide and introduction to the study of Catalan literature. The student will also have the opportunity to achieve an extra qualification by taking the International Catalan Language Certificate issued by the Institut Ramon Llull and held at the University of Birmingham.
Texts: Mas, M., Vilagrasa A.,Veus 2/3. Curs de català Roig, N., Daranas, M.,Passos 2. Nivell Elemental. Curs de català per a no catalanoparlants. Catalan course online: www.parla.cat Other teaching materials will be provided by the tutors
MODULE TITLE Beginners Portuguese Language Level 1 MODULE CODE 25262 CREDIT VALUE 20 ASSESSMENT METHOD Continuous assessment (written and oral) (50%) (includes: 2 essays in Portuguese (30%), aural test (10%) and oral examination (10%)) Written exam in April/May (50%) TEACHING METHOD 3 hours over Semester 1 and 2: The module will be delivered through a combination of lectures and practical classes, 3 hour per week over semester 1 and 2. SEMESTER 1 and 2 LANGUAGE OF DELIVERY Not open to anyone taking another beginners language
DESCRIPTION
This module will introduce students to the Portuguese language structure through a variety of classroom activities and will expose them to a range of written and spoken registers of Portuguese Language through a combination of textual and visual elements. Students will be able to develop their comprehension skills, grammar knowledge and vocabulary in order to make an active use of the language. Also, it will provide an introduction to the Portuguese speaking-world culture
Texts:
Textbook: Jouët-Pastré, Clémence, Hutchinson, Amélia et al. Ponto de Encontro: Portuguese as a World Language, 2nd edition, Pearson, 2012. (ISBN-13: 9780205782765 / ISBN-10: 0205782760)
Hutchinson, Amélia P. & Lloyd, Janet. Portuguese, An Essential Grammar, Routledge, 2nd Edition 2003.
Language Material available from the Main Library and at Waterstones (in the Campus). Supplementary material will be provided by the course tutor.
MODULE TITLE Intermediate Portuguese Language Level 2 (Students must have passed Beginners Portuguese Language) MODULE CODE 25266 CREDIT VALUE 20 ASSESSMENT METHOD Continuous assessment (written and oral) (50%) (includes: 2 essays in Portuguese (30%), aural test (10%) and oral examination (10%)) Written exam in April/May (50%) TEACHING METHOD 3 hours over Semester 1 and 2: 2 hour language class and 1 hour translation workshop. SEMESTER 1 and 2 LANGUAGE OF DELIVERY Not open to anyone taking another beginners language
DESCRIPTION
The module aims to enable students to enhance their skills on reading, writing, speaking and aural comprehension acquired in the first year Portuguese course and to develop their ability to communicate and engage in creative self-expression, using the spoken and written language with confidence. Students will be exposed to the language through a wide range of exercises in spoken and written registers of Portuguese in order to extend their ability to communicate in Portuguese with confidence within a cultural context.
Texts:
Textbook: Jouët-Pastré, Clémence, Hutchinson, Amélia et al. Ponto de Encontro: Portuguese as a World Language, 2nd edition, Pearson, 2012. (ISBN-13: 9780205782765 / ISBN-10: 0205782760)
Hutchinson, Amélia P. & Lloyd, Janet. Portuguese, An Essential Grammar, Routledge, 2nd Edition 2003.
Language Material available from the Main Library.
Additional language material supplied by the course tutor.
Italian Modules MODULE TITLE Giallo e Nero: Twentieth-Century Italian Crime Fiction MODULE CODE 25890 CREDIT VALUE 10 ASSESSMENT METHOD 1x 2000 word essay TEACHING METHOD Monday 12-2pm SEMESTER 1 LANGUAGE OF DELIVERY Italian
DESCRIPTION
This 10-credit module, linked to ‘The Twentieth Century in Italian Film’ will explore the development of Italian detective and crime fiction in the twentieth century, focusing on the specificities of the Italian ‘giallo’ and ‘romanzo nero’ or noir. We will analyse in detail three novels which engage with questions of mafia corruption in Sicily, violence against women in Rome and Bologna’s postpunk subculture. The module will set these novels in their literary, socio-cultural and political contexts, making reference to the history of mafia activity, the feminist movement, and to questions of ethics and political commitment in postwar and contemporary literature and society. We will consider what role detective and crime fiction has played, and can play in denouncing crime and injustice.
MODULE TITLE The Twentieth Century in Italian Film MODULE CODE 22842 CREDIT VALUE 10 ASSESSMENT METHOD 1x essay of 2000 words TEACHING METHOD Mondays 2-4pm SEMESTER 2 LANGUAGE OF DELIVERY Italian
DESCRIPTION
This module will introduce students to Italian film through a chronological survey of cinema from its origins in the early 1900s to the present day, examining in particular the silent era, cinema under Fascism, Neorealism, auteur cinema and comedy in the 60s and early 70s, and developments in contemporary cinema, especially with regard to contemporary political cinema. The module will trace the impact of new technology and techniques on cinema practice, also highlighting changing stylistic and ideological trends. It will also provide a brief overview of genres that have had particular success in Italy. The effect of economic factors and censorship on Italian cinema will be assessed and the module will also explore the relationship of Italian cinema with the USA and Europe. MODULE TITLE Il bello dell’italiano: Introducing Dante and History of the Italian Language MODULE CODE 28673 CREDIT VALUE 20 ASSESSMENT METHOD 1x 1500 word essay (35%) (Submitted in January) 1x 2500 word essay (65%) (submitted in April) TEACHING METHOD Thursday 4-6pm SEMESTER 1 and 2 LANGUAGE OF DELIVERY Italian
This module is available as a 10 credit module as well in semester 1 or 2.
DESCRIPTION
This module focuses on the close reading of the most influential literary work of Italian literature. Notions of medieval history and science, as well as the basic principles of Italian metrics and history of the language will help students to better understand and appreciate the literary quality of the text. MODULE TITLE The Italian Renaissance in Word and Image MODULE CODE 23375 CREDIT VALUE 20 ASSESSMENT METHOD 1x 2000 word essay (Submitted in April) TEACHING METHOD Thursday 11-1pm SEMESTER 1 and 2 LANGUAGE OF DELIVERY Italian
This module is available as a 10 credit module as well in semester 1 or 2.
DESCRIPTION
This module introduces life, literature and visual culture in three of the leading cities of Renaissance Italy: Urbino, Ferrara and Florence. After a general introduction to these renowned centres of cultural achievement, we focus on texts and works of art by leading protagonists like Botticelli, Machiavelli, Castiglione, Raphael and Ariosto. Through close reading and formal analysis, we examine them in their own right, looking at the intellectual, ideological and aesthetic contexts that informed them and paying particualr attention to their treatment of the themes of love, friendship, beauty, and power. We also view them in relation to each other in an attempt to engage with the interdisciplinary dialogue that characterised the period as one of powerful friendships and rivalry. MODULE TITLE Introduction to Summary and Translation MODULE CODE 20551 CREDIT VALUE 20 ASSESSMENT METHOD 1x two hour written examination at the end of Semester 1 (50%) 1x two hour written examination at the end of Semester 2 (50%) TEACHING METHOD Thursday 2-4pm SEMESTER 1 and 2 LANGUAGE OF DELIVERY Italian
This module is available as a 10 credit module as well in semester 1 or 2. Semester 1 only: 28850 LI Introduction to Summarising from English into Italian Semester 2 only: 28851 LI Introduction to Translating from Italian into English
DESCRIPTION
In the first Semester this course will introduce students to the notion of text and to the idea that texts can be categorised according to purpose, content, style, etc. Students analyse and compare different types of texts in English and Italian and learn to discriminate between essential and accessory elements and characteristics. In the light of this analysis, students will begin to practise the technique of summarising English texts into Italian. The texts chosen will be of a suitable level of difficulty and will offer the opportunity for further linguistic and stylistic improvement in Italian.
In the second Semester, students will be introduced to the notion of equivalence in translation, in its various aspects (at word level, at grammatical, lexical, syntactical, pragmatic levels, etc.) This notion will be exemplified through the observation and analysis of suitable texts. Students will practise such notions in the translation into English of suitably challenging Italian texts.
Russian Modules
MODULE TITLE 19th Century Russian Novel MODULE CODE 28522 CREDIT VALUE 20 ASSESSMENT METHOD 1x 2000 word essay (40%) 1x 3000 word essay (60%) TEACHING METHOD TBC SEMESTER 1 and 2 LANGUAGE OF DELIVERY Russian
This module is also available as a 10 credit option, in Semester 1 or 2.
DESCRIPTION
In the first Semester students study Russian novels written in the period 1825-1862. They learn about the context in which the novels were written and study the specific literary characteristics of each work and its contribution to the development of the genre. Students give presentations on specific aspects of the novels and lead class discussion.
In the second Semester, students study Russian novels written in the period 1863-1900. Individual works are considered in the context of key themes including the superfluous man, the Westerniser/Slavophile debate, social reform, the “woman question”. Works in other genres are considered where appropriate.
European Studies Modules MODULE TITLE The European Novel MODULE CODE 24354 CREDIT VALUE 20 ASSESSMENT METHOD 1x 2000 words (40%) 1x 2000 words (60%) TEACHING METHOD TBC SEMESTER 1 and 2 LANGUAGE OF DELIVERY English
This module is also available as a 10 credit option, in Semester 1 or 2.
DESCRIPTION
This module focuses on four major European novels which will be studied in translation. Whilst the main focus of the course is on the four prescribed texts, the lectures and seminars will also explore the author's oeuvre as a whole, the historical and ideological contexts impinging on their work, and general themes such as their place in the European novel tradition, narrative structure, characterisation and psychology. Students are encouraged to explore these contextual approaches to each text and to reflect on the different contributions each text makes to the tradition of the novel.
MODULE TITLE European Cinema MODULE CODE 24355 CREDIT VALUE 20 ASSESSMENT METHOD 1x 2000 word essay at the end of semester 1 (50%) 1x 2 hour exam in the summer semester (50%) TEACHING METHOD lecture Thursdays 2-3pm, seminar Thursdays 3-4 or 4-5pm SEMESTER 1 and 2 LANGUAGE OF DELIVERY English
This module is also available as a 10 credit option, in Semester 1 or 2.
DESCRIPTION
This module will introduce students to the cinemas of France, Germany, Italy and Spain from their origins in the silent era up to the end of the twentieth century. Four teaching blocks will look at: (1) the silent era in France, French cinema of the 1930s and Jean Renoir, the development of 'auteur' cinema in the 1950s and 1960s, 'heritage' cinema in the 1980s and 1990s, and postmodern and 'new realist' cinema of the 1980s and 1990s (2) German silent film in the Weimar Republic, Film under National Socialism, the 'New German Film' of the 1970s (Fassbinder, Herzog etc.) and contemporary developments in German cinema (3) Italian film from neorealism to the contemporary scene, via auteur cinema of the 1960s, (4) Spanish cinema from the Surrealist age on, starting with surrealist films by Luis Bunuel and moving via the topic of 'Cinema and the dictatorship' (1936-1960) to post- Franco films and recent and contemporary directors such as Pedro Almodovar, Julio Medem and Jose Juan Bigas Luna.