Undergraduate Course: History of the Scandinavian Languages (Ordinary) (ELCS09009)
Course Outline
| School | School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 9 (Year 3 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | The course explores the emergence of Scandinavian as a separate branch of Germanic, examines the early sources, sums up the dramatic changes that are significant for the Syncope Period, covers the linguistic consequences of the Viking expansion, and explains the development of the three modern mainland Scandinavian languages; Danish, Norwegian and Swedish. |
| Course description |
Through the course, a clear distinction between inner and outer language history is established and there is focus on models that facilitate the understanding of processes behind linguistic change, e.g. how social power structures influence the development of a language. Following the theory behind language contact situations, there is special emphasis on how Scandinavian has influenced the English language as well as how Low German in turn influenced Medieval Danish, Norwegian and Swedish. The course will provide students with an opportunity to study samples of Scandinavian at various stages, from Proto-Scandinavian to Modern Danish, Norwegian and Swedish. The course will be built around a series of audio-visual presentations and students will be expected to actively take part in online discussion groups based on the video presentations and reading material.
Breakdown of Learning & Teaching Activities:
Each week, the students will watch between 2 and 3 short videos (max. 10 minutes) to introduce them to the specific themes to be studied [Asynchronous]. These videos are linked to further resources and core reading materials, available via the course Learn page [Asynchronous]. After engaging with the teaching and reading materials, students will complete a graded Multiple-Choice Quiz via Learn [Asynchronous]. The Quiz will test whether the students have absorbed and understood the factual underpinning of a named theme from their readings.
All students will also be assigned to small autonomous learning groups for the purpose of participating in a weekly discussion group, focusing on 5-6 questions relating to the week¿s themes. Each group will discuss these questions amongst themselves outwith class time. The whole class will then meet synchronously, with one member from each group communicating their conclusions to the whole class [Synchronous]. When students are unable to attend the discussion group, they will make an audio recording of their answers and submit them in advance. The remainder of the discussion will be recorded for the benefit of students who cannot attend in person or via the internet. Teaching staff will respond to questions posted on the group discussion board for the remainder of that week [Asynchronous].
Over the first 5 weeks of the course, the students will formulate individual essay proposals, identifying a viable topic for a discursive essay.
Potentially Re-Traumatising Content:
In this course, we will be discussing content that may be re-traumatising to some students. We believe in the importance of engaging with this material and so please rest assured that we will work with you to ensure you can participate fully and demonstrate your achievement of the learning outcomes of the course, without compromising your wellbeing or your academic development. If you have concerns at any point, we invite you to approach the course organiser to discuss how we can best support you in your work on this course. We affirm that you will be treated with dignity and respect in all discussions and at every stage of the course.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
| Additional Costs | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | In order to be eligible to take 4th Year Options, Visiting Students should have the equivalent of at least two years of study at University level of the appropriate language(s) and culture(s). Non-visiting students will be permitted at the discretion of the Course Organiser |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Explain how changes in language happen and critically examine language-internal and external processes at select historical stages of the history of the three modern Scandinavian languages, Danish, Norwegian and Swedish.
- Demonstrate good knowledge of the evidence and some of the theories behind the historical development of Modern Scandinavian while proving a critical approach to the data.
- Produce clear, complex reports, articles and essays, which develop arguments both critically and systematically with the use of relevant emphases, subsidiary points, and examples.
- Demonstrate finely honed communication, presentation and interaction skills across a wide range of media and circumstances, both formal and informal, for lay and specialised audiences.
- Consistently exercise autonomy and initiative, taking significant responsibility for the work of others and for a range of resources to bring about new thinking.
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Arne Kruse
Tel: (0131 6)50 4025
Email: Arne.Kruse@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Miss Gillian Paterson
Tel: (0131 6)50 3646
Email: Gillian.Paterson@ed.ac.uk |
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