LfA Medieval Latin Beginner - LFA00272L

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Module summary

This module introduces students to the basic principles of Latin grammar, so that they are able to translate some simple primary source material by the end of the course (e.g. inscriptions and short texts). Students will also be introduced to elements of medieval life in order to develop an understanding of the culture in which Medieval Latin literature was produced.

Module will run

Occurrence	Teaching period
A	Semester 1 2024-25 to Semester 2 2024-25

Module aims

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 semester, and develop a comprehensive knowledge of Latin translation skills at beginner level.

Students will engage, individually and in groups, in comprehension activities and tasks emphasising three core research skills:

1. reception activities (reading comprehension);
2. production activities (prose composition);
3. analytical activities (cultural context & literary style).

The mediums of instruction are English and Latin.

Module learning outcomes

• The ability to recognise and employ core Latin vocabulary, as well as an appreciation of the basics of Latin morphology and the historical relationship between the Latin and English languages.
• The ability to understand and deploy the basic principles of Latin grammar and syntax, in order to engage with and interpret a range of Latin source material.
• The ability to compose short sentences in Latin on a variety of topics, in order to support and develop grammatical learning.
• An understanding of the Middle Ages culture and literature, which enables the student to critically evaluate a range of source material in relation to the religion, politics and culture of the society in which it was created.

Module content

Translation Passages

For the first few weeks of the module, translation passages will comprise some short passages, mostly taken from medieval authors. Students will then progress onto longer, yet basic, passages of Medieval Latin; these will include:

• Medieval dialogues between a master and his student
• Brief narrative passages from Medieval Latin texts, including well known Biblical passages, fables and chronicles.
• Original Medieval documentary Latin texts including wills and charters.

Grammar topics at Beginners Level:

• The Latin case system
• Nouns (groups 1-3)
• Adjectives (groups 1-3, plus comparative and superlative adjectives)
• Prepositions
• Indicative Active Verb Tenses: Present, Future, Imperfect, Perfect and Pluperfect
• An introduction to some irregular Latin verbs (e.g. eo, esse, & possum)

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.

Latin Culture: An Introduction to Eboracum

The course will provide students with an interdisciplinary introduction to Medieval York: Eboracum, from the early eighth century to the fifteenth century. From the conversion of King Edwin to Christianity in 627, Northumbria saw the development of a learned culture achieved first by monastic houses such as Whitby, Jarrow and Lindisfarne. Eboracum, first as the capital of the Kingdom of Northumbria and then as the second most important city in medieval England, was at the centre of production and dissemination of literary texts, written in Latin. This module will provide an interdisciplinary study to explore the history, history of art, literature and archaeology of medieval York in order to assess how Eboracum helped shape the culture of Medieval England from the early to the late Middle Ages.

Indicative assessment

Task	% of module mark
Departmental - attendance requirement	100

Special assessment rules

Pass/fail & Non-reassessable

Additional assessment information

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.

Indicative reassessment

None

Module feedback

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.

Indicative reading

Course materials and guided readings will be provided by the module convenors via the VLE at the start of the year.