| Unit name | Transnational Narrative in pre-modern cultures |
|---|---|
| Unit code | MODL30041 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Professor. Marianne Ailes |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None. |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None. |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None. |
| School/department | School of Modern Languages |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
Why is this unit important?
Before mass media and copyright, stories travelled with people, often across political and linguistic barriers, transformed and remediated, sometimes circulating for centuries, even down to today. We may find the same story, perhaps a tale of the legendary King Arthur, or the emperor Charlemagne, in a Welsh prose tale, a French epic, and an English verse romance, or depicted in manuscript illuminations or carved into stone sculptures. This unit will look at narratives which captured the imagination of people in different places and in different languages; some were passed down from memory and others in manuscripts and early printed editions; and some circulated in different languages in multilingual cultures such as those of medieval England. By examining transnational stories and legends (Arthurian, Classical, Biblical, Charlemagne), this unit challenge anachronistic assumptions about ‘national’ canons of literature, and celebrates the adaptability of the stories that have been shared across different cultures and different media (manuscript, print, literary and visual arts) and can still fire our imaginations today.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study
For joint students in English and a Foreign Language this unit allows you to see the two parts of your degree as different aspects of related cultures. For students in comparative literature, it complements the literature of a colonial or postcolonial age. For single-honour students in either modern languages or English, this unit provides an opportunity to study literatures written in other languages and to develop interdisciplinary awareness.
An overview of content
Students will explore the same narrative as it is translated, restructured across different languages and transformed across different media, from manuscript to print, and from the literary to the visual arts. In any given year the unit will include an Arthurian tale, a narrative of Charlemagne, a comic narrative, a religious story, a Classical legend, including as appropriate, visual re-imaginings of the narrative.
How will students be different as a result of this unit
The unit will challenge concepts of national hegemony and emphasise the inter-connectedness of different literary cultures. For students of French, it will challenge a narrative which centres around France itself, to demonstrate both the importance of French and the creativity of what might be considered peripheral zones (such as England). For students of English, it will enhance an appreciation of shared literary traditions. Students will learn to work collaboratively across discipline.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
1. Demonstrate a detailed understanding of a trans-European pre-modern culture through the study of specific narratives, to summarise such narratives and to describe how they moved across Europe.
2. Analyse the ways in which different media can transform the same narrative for different audiences across countries and periods.
3. Work collaboratively and apply their knowledge in the production of a wiki and a podcast which demonstrate their knowledge and their ability to work together.
4. Communicate how different cultures relate to each other through structured oral and written arguments.
5. Engage critically with both primary and secondary sources in order to interpret pre-modern literature and visual representations.
You will learn through interactive lectures, seminars which will include (formative) student presentations, and the construction of a wiki. These in-class and preparatory activities may be supplemented by a visit to the misericords at Bristol Cathedral.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
Students will have the opportunity to give in-class presentations which will help them to refine their topics for their podcasts. They will work together in groups to produce a wiki which will increase their knowledge of the period.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
When assessment does not go to plan
When required by the Board of Examiners, you will normally complete reassessments in the same formats as those outlined above. However, the Board reserves the right to modify the form or number of reassessments required. Details of reassessments are normally confirmed by the School shortly after the notification of your results at the end of the academic year.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. MODL30041).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
