MA Modern Languages and Cultures / Course details

This course unit is divided into 5 teaching blocks, each comprising one lecture and one seminar. Students will be introduced to a range of theories and methods such as postcolonial theory, environmental studies, gender and film studies, and digital humanities that underpin language-based research in the humanities. It introduces students to the development of such theories and methods and how to apply them critically. Each of the five blocks is taught by a specialist in the relevant theories and methods. In addition to its theoretical focus, the unit accommodates practical examples of uses of these theories and methods, allowing students to apply them to their own research specialisms and encouraging them to develop a critical perspective on the assumptions underlying their research. This module is team taught by staff in Modern Languages and Cultures and the precise content of seminar topics may vary from year to year depending on staff availability.. 

The unit aims to:

• give students the necessary conceptual tools for research in language-based disciplines

• introduce students to key theoretical ideas that shape current academic thinking, such as Marxism, psychoanalysis, postcolonial theory, cultural theory, gender and film studies.

• provide students with the necessary critical vocabulary to conduct original research and to participate in a intellectual exchange across disciplines and topics.

 

Possible topics may include: Digital Humanities, Material Textual Culture, Book History, Religion and History, Environmental Studies, Gender Studies, Visual Culture, Film Studies, Decolonial Studies, post-structuralism, and structuralism.

The unit will be divided into 5 main blocks of 2 x 2-hour sessions, each devoted to a specific theory or method. In each block, the first session will be lecture based and will introduce the relevant theory and method in relation to a specific primary theoretical text; the second session will be a practical seminar session concentrating on the application of the theoretical ideas introduced in the preceding session. In addition there will be an introductory seminar at the beginning of the semester 1.

Reading will normally be provided electronically and uploaded onto Blackboard.

• Be able to outline and explain the development of three key theoretical concepts which underpin language-based research in the humanities;
• be familiar with major critical and theoretical debates which inform research in their subject-area;
• be able to elaborate personal theoretical responses to subject-specific research questions;
• have obtained an interdisciplinary perspective on subject-specific topics;
• have developed a sophisticated critical vocabulary and a critical perspective on their own research

• be able to build a coherent and cogent argument using theoretical concepts;
• be able to use theoretical concepts in empirical research.

• have developed essay writing techniques involving complex arguments;
• have developed an ability to independently respond to complex theoretical formulations.

• be able to communicate ideas and sustain an argument, using relevant critical material, in discussion, and essays
• demonstrate advanced analytical skills and the ability to synthesise information
• demonstrate sophisticated oral and written communication skills
• manage time and prioritise tasks
• work on a number of tasks simultaneously and under time pressure
• exercise initiative and take personal responsibility

2 article reviews- 30%

Feedback Method	Formative and Summative
Written feedback on essay plan	Formative
In-person feedback during office hours of staff	Formative
In-class feedback during seminars	Formative

 

Recommended readings related to each of the five teaching blocks will be posted on Blackboard

Information

One of the two article reviews will be submitted no later than Week 6. The second article review will be submitted no later than Week 11.

The students’ oral asynchronous presentations will be made available on BB. Presentations will be posted on BB no later than Week 11 and made available to all students. These can take the form of a narrated PowerPoint presentation or any other similar format. The presentations will build on two or three major aspects of a specific theory presented in the course of the semester. 

The final essay will focus on the application of one of the five theories presented in the semester  to a topic relevant to the student’s research interests.