Introduction to Languages and Culture Papers

This paper aims to offer to 2nd year MML students the opportunity to acquaint themselves with Catalan, a language of over ten million speakers on the North Eastern seaboard of Spain, South Eastern France, the Balearic Islands and a city in Sardinia. The course at 1B acts as a feeder for the final-year paper, Sp10, which offers more intensive study of the language, literature and cultures of the Catalan-speaking areas.

Students who want to take this paper do not have to have any prior knowledge of Catalan, although some knowledge of a cognate Romance idiom, especially Spanish, Portuguese or Italian is an advantage. Candidates can also familiarise themselves with the language of Catalonia before the course starts through online materials below. Like other beginners’ courses in MML, the teaching strategy will be fully communicative, inviting active participation in the eliciting of all four language skills. An introduction to Catalan literature is provided by the study of two literary works (translations into English are available) by prominent female authors. Sp6 students are expected to achieve a similar standard, that of A-level, as is the case with other ab initio students. The teaching will also prepare candidates for the Certificat Internacional de Català Nivell B1 awarded each year by the Institut Ramon Llull and thw Generalitat de Catalunya.

Ukraine is the largest country within the European continent, and today it is in the grip of a war of genocidal aggression waged by the Russian Federation. This is a war between democratic freedom and authoritarian tyranny, affecting us all -- and making a knowledge of Ukraine an urgent necessity for any student and scholar. This paper equips you with a methodological toolkit to understand Ukraine’s remarkable historical emergence and introduces you to its rich language, literature, and culture.

Poland is the largest country in the eastern part of the European Union and a rising economic power, while Polish is now the second most widely spoken language in England. This paper introduces students to the language, literature and culture of a resurgent country that has often been battered by the storms of European history.

The paper will pay close attention to the hybridized and multi-ethnic nature of Poland’s past, pointing to the interlocking cultural narratives of a broader region laced with shifting borders. There will be a strong focus on often painful international relations – especially with Russia – and on comparative perspectives that place Poland in a much larger, pan-European context.  

Weekly lectures and fortnightly supervisions will cover the history of Polish culture from before the symbolic beginnings of 966 until the present day. Students will encounter a wide range of cultural productions, including novels, poems, plays, short stories, memoirs, historical studies, films, musical compositions and works of visual art. Throughout the paper, the powerful influence of historical experience on national culture will remain a central concern.

Students will learn the basics of the Polish language in twice-weekly classes throughout the academic year. No prior experience is required.

The second half of the paper will feature an increasing emphasis on the challenges and techniques of creative translation. By the end of the paper, students will be able to complete short literary translation assignments from Polish into English.

This paper offers students a sound and systematic introduction to the Modern Greek language, and the opportunity to acquaint themselves with key aspects of Greek culture from the late nineteenth century to the present. The aim of the “language” part of the course is to equip students with a good reading knowledge of the contemporary language. The “culture” element consists of the study of (a) selected literary texts by major authors and by more recent ones, and (b) a topic relating to the Greek language.

Language teaching focuses on comprehension and translation skills. The option of two levels of proficiency is available. The higher level is intended for students who have previously taken GR3 or have acquired a similar level of competence in Modern Greek. The aim is to help the student develop a knowledge and understanding of the linguistic features of the Modern Greek language and to become a fairly confident reader in a range of texts at basic or advanced intermediate level.

In the first two terms, language classes concentrate on the essentials of grammar for the basic level, while for the advanced intermediate level classes build on the grammar base already acquired in previous studies and mostly concentrate on language use. In the Easter Term the emphasis will be on translation from Greek.

The language element of the paper is described above.

The literature element of the paper will examine the reception, re-writing and re-evaluation of characters and topics from the Odyssey: Odysseus, Penelope and Elpenor figure prominently as well as the nostos and nekyia themes. Lectures and supervisions will address the following questions:

• What can the selection of a particular myth tell us about the writer or director and their artistic agenda?
• What happens when myths are retold by women?
• What is the importance of the choice and showcasing of female mythical figures?
• How does ideology and historical events affect the re-writing of myth and the choice of mythical figures?
• What makes the Greek paradigm a case in point?