Course 2024-2025

Language and society [LANGB304]

  • 5 credits
  • 15h+30h
  • 1st quarter
Language of instruction: English

Learning outcomes

(1) Study Shakespeare as a "living" author. Deepen the student's understanding of the complexity and the historicity of the literary phenomenon. Widen the student's knowledge of the metalanguage of literary studies. Further develop the student's literary erudition. Further improve the student's knowledge of the English language in various stylistic forms and historical dialects.

(2) Knowledge of multimodal communication strategies on the Internet and of their linguistic relevance and interest

Oral and written skills in English allowing students to competently present literary and linguistic pieces of academic argumentation (level C1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) 

Objectives

(1) Study Shakespeare as a "living" author. Deepen the student's understanding of the complexity and the historicity of the literary phenomenon. Widen the student's knowledge of the metalanguage of literary studies. Further develop the student's literary erudition. Further improve the student's knowledge of the English language in various stylistic forms and historical dialects.

(2) Studying emerging forms of communication such as Internet memes and understanding their linguistic forms and functions.

In terms of language skills, enabling students to attain levels C2 for receptive skills and B2+ for productive skills, as defined by the Council of Europe in its Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

Content

(1) Reading of Macbeth as well as of fragments from Julius Caesar, Hamlet and King Lear.

(2) Study of existing linguistic analyses of Internet memes, and application and extension to other cases.

Table of contents

Julius Caesar

King Lear

Hamlet

Macbeth

 

Exercises description

Reading of Macbeth (with related activities, such as attending a performance of the play).

 


Teaching methods

(1) Reading of (fragments from) the plays with comments by teacher. Dramatic reading exercises. Video fragments. Presentation of selected fragments by the students (coached by instructor). Attending performances of the chosen plays. Personal reading.

(2) Reading of scholarly articles with the help of the teacher. Presentation of article contents by students, and presentation of their own analyses.

Taking part in any activities organised by the department (whether intra muros or extra muros) as part of this course is considered to be part and parcel of the learning experience and is obligatory.

Evaluations

(1) Continuous assessment. Test on Macbeth.Oral exam.

(2) Written exam and oral presentation(s)

Weighting of the different course components:

  • Oral exam on part (1) (Shakespeare): 6/20
  • Written exam on the exercises accompanying part (1) (Shakespeare): 6/20
  • Written exam on part (2) (Internet memes): 6/20
  • Oral presentation(s) on part (2) (Internet memes): 2/20

Recommended readings

(1) Editions of the plays studied.

(2) Scholarly articles.

Language of instruction

English

Location for course

NAMUR

Organizer

Faculté de philosophie et lettres
Rue de Bruxelles, 61
5000 NAMUR

Degree of Reference

Undergraduate Degree