Introduction to Old English

Module title	Introduction to Old English
Module code	HASM008
Academic year	2023/4
Credits	15
Module staff	Dr Stuart Pracy (Convenor)

Duration: Term	1	2	3
Duration: Weeks	10

Number students taking module (anticipated)	15

Module description

This module gives you the opportunity to learn Old English, a medieval vernacular language rich with metaphor, allusion, and creativity. Old English is the language of the legendary Beowulf, the mournful The Wanderer, and the playful riddles of the Exeter Book. With around only 400 surviving manuscripts written in Old English, this course will enable you to access these fragments of early medieval England for yourself and to interpret passages of Old English texts. The city of Exeter is home to one of the most impressive collections of Old English texts and provides an ideal setting to study this language and early English textual culture. Combining both individual and group study, you will produce your own translations and consider the challenges of giving voice to these whispers from the past.

This module is suitable for beginners. No prior knowledge of Old English is required.

Module aims - intentions of the module

This module aims to give students with little or no previous experience of Old English an understanding of the basic grammar, syntax, and vocabulary of the language. By the end of the module, you should be able to read and analyse passages without assistance. By acquiring experience of the language of early England in an academic setting, you will gain additional insight into the translations of other scholars and the challenges of rendering Old English into modern idiom.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

1. Demonstrate understanding of how an inflected language works.
2. Know enough Old English to translate passages into modern English accurately without assistance.
3. Demonstrate a secure foundation in Old English grammar, syntax, and vocabulary.

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

4. Demonstrate an understanding of early English modes of expression and the resonances of motifs in later literature.
5. Express an understanding of the Old English canon and access untranslated sources for yourself.
6. Compare and criticise differing scholarly approaches to translation

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

7. Analyse complex information and articulate a fuller command of your own language.
8. Display an enhanced capacity to reason about linguistic structures and develop translation across different languages.

Syllabus plan

While the exact content may differ from year to year, it is envisioned that it will cover some, or all, of the following topics:

Old English grammar, syntax, and vocabulary
Pronunciation
Poetry
Riddles
Prose
Diplomatics
Translation theory

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities	Guided independent study	Placement / study abroad
20	130	0

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Category	Hours of study time	Description
Scheduled Learning and Teaching	20	2 x 1-hour seminars per week
Guided Independent Study	130	Including reading and preparation for seminars and assessments.

Formative assessment

Form of assessment	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Language Exercises	In-seminar	1-5, 7, 8	Oral and Written

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Coursework	Written exams	Practical exams
60	40	0

Details of summative assessment

Form of assessment	% of credit	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Exam	40	2 hours	1-5, 7, 8	Oral and Written
Translation and Critical Reflection Assignment	60	2000 words	1-8	Written

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Original form of assessment	Form of re-assessment	ILOs re-assessed	Timescale for re-assessment
Exam (2 hours)	Exam (2 hours)	1-5, 7, 8	Referral/Deferral period
Translation and Critical Reflection Assignment (2000 words)	Translation and Critical Reflection Assignment (2000 words)	1-8	Referral/Deferral period

Re-assessment notes

Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.

Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to redo the assessment(s) as defined above. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Atherton, Mark, Complete Old English (Mcgraw-hill, 2010).
Baker, Peter, Introduction to Old English (Wiley Blackwell, 2012).
Marsden, Richard, The Cambridge Old English Reader (Cambridge: CUP, 2015).
Mitchell, Bruce, and Fred C. Robinson, A Guide to Old English (Wiley-Blackwell, 2011).

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

Key words search

Old English, Anglo-Saxon, England, Early Medieval, Middle Ages, Beowulf, Skills

Credit value	15
Module ECTS	7.5
Module pre-requisites	None
Module co-requisites	None
NQF level (module)	7
Available as distance learning?	No
Origin date	21/04/2023
Last revision date	21/04/2023