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CCIV20100

Academic Year 2025/2026

Intro to Medieval Welsh (CCIV20100)

Subject:
Celtic Civilization
College:
Arts & Humanities
School:
Irish, Celtic Stud & Folklore
Level:
2 (Intermediate)
Credits:
5
Module Coordinator:
Assoc Professor Fangzhe Qiu
Trimester:
Autumn
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

Welsh is the oldest living language of Britain, and is related closely to Cornish and Breton (together forming the Brythonic or British branch of the Celtic languages), and more distantly to Irish and the other languages of the Goidelic branch of Celtic.

Written texts in Welsh survive from around the eigth century, and from the mid-thirteenth century onwards we have a large number of manuscripts in Welsh containinig a rich assortment of material, including such highlights as the love and nature poetry of Dafydd ap Gwilym and the enchanting tales of the Mabinogion. This module offers beginners in the language a carefully-graded introduction to this rich field.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

This course offers an introduction to Middle Welsh for those who have had no previous exposure to it. The emphasis will be on acquiring a practical reading knowledge of the language, and will be taught primarily by the guided reading of a selection of Welsh prose. With the help of a glossary, and the gradual introduction of the necessary formal grammar, students will be enabled by the end of the module to pronounce, read, understand and translate an edited text with some facility.

Indicative Module Content:

We will be using the latest progressive textbook, Brent Miles' An Introduction to Middle Welsh, Brent Miles, (Toronto 2023) for this module. The author has authorised us to use an electronic copy of his book, which will be provided on Brightspace. We will also learn to use the Geriadur Prifysgol Cymru dictionary.

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Small Group

24
Specified Learning Activities

26
Autonomous Student Learning

50
Total

100

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
This module will be classroom-based and build on the close interaction between lecturer and students. The lecturer will explain the textbook content and work on detailed grammatical points in class, and discuss the exercises with students.

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations
Learning Exclusions:

Introduction to Medieval Welsh 2


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade In Module Component Repeat Offered
Quizzes/Short Exercises: Students are asked to finish selected exercises on the textbook before class, and then present their answers in class. The final mark on this assessment will be given at the end of the trimester Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8, Week 9, Week 10, Week 11, Week 12 Graded No
20
 No
Quizzes/Short Exercises: In-class test 1 (30 min) on Middle Welsh grammar and vocabulary Week 5 Graded No
25
 No
Quizzes/Short Exercises: In-class test 2 (30 min) on Middle Welsh grammar and vocabulary Week 10 Graded No
25
 No
Quizzes/Short Exercises: Final Brightspace open-book quiz: translate a Middle Welsh passage and answer questions Week 14, Week 15 Alternative linear conversion grade scale 40% No
30
 No

Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Spring No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Not yet recorded.

Evans, D. Simon. A Grammar of Middle Welsh. (Reprint 2006). Dublin: Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, 1964.
Thomson, R, ed. Pwyll Pendeuic Dyuet. Dublin: School of Celtic Studies Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, 2003.
Miles, Brent. An Introduction to Middle Welsh: A Learner’s Grammar of the Medieval Language and Reader. Toronto: University of Toronto, 2023. (available at http://hdl.handle.net/1807/128582)
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