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ENG20230

Academic Year 2026/2027

Reading Old English I (ENG20230)

Subject:
English
College:
Arts & Humanities
School:
English, Drama & Film
Level:
2 (Intermediate)
Credits:
5
Module Coordinator:
Assoc Professor Rebecca Stephenson
Trimester:
Autumn
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

This course aims to introduce students to the basics of Old English. The course begins with an introduction to pronunciation and to necessary grammatical concepts. It progresses by combining reading and translation of short texts with a continuing study of grammar. Students will apply their knowledge to a translation of some short literary texts in Old English. The module will also include a short introduction to Anglo-Saxon culture.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

On completion of this course students will :1. have gained a knowledge of key grammatical terminology. 2. have gained a knowledge of the basics of Old English grammar. 3. have an ability to translate, with the aid of a glossary, an unseen Old English text 4. have read some Old English prose and poetry. 5. have a sense of Anglo-Saxon culture.

The United Nations identified seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as core to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and UCD contributes in general to SDG 4 Quality Education. Further SDGs explored within this module if relevant are listed below. A scale of 1 - 5 indicates the extent to which the SDG is covered.


 

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Seminar (or Webinar)

24

Specified Learning Activities

48

Autonomous Student Learning

53

Total

125


Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
Interactive classroom-based learning. Old English will be treated as learning a foreign-language, and we will do a variety of activities in order to facilitate such language learning. Along the way, we will learn how to use grammatical terms effectively to describe Modern English.

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Pre-requisite:
ENG10030 - Literary Genre, ENG10220 - Literature and Crisis, ENG10230 - Reading World Literature


 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade In Module Component Repeat Offered
Quizzes/Short Exercises: This is a language-learning class, and you will have a weekly assignment on the weekly grammar topic. Such frequent assignments are excluded from the self-declare policy for late work. Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 9, Week 10, Week 11, Week 12 Alternative linear conversion grade scale 40% No
50
No
Exam (In-person): 2-hour end-of-term exam. You will be asked to translate 2 texts, one seen and one previously unseen. You will then have to answer grammatical questions about the texts. End of trimester
Duration:
2 hr(s)
Graded No
50
No

As part of UCD's student support, under the Additional Consideration policy, extensions may be available for the following assessments in the module: Assignment (including essay/poster), Portfolio, Reflective Assignment, Report(s), and Individual Project.


Carry forward of passed components
No
 

Remediation Type Remediation Timing
In-Module Resit Prior to relevant Programme Exam Board
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, on an activity or draft prior to summative assessment
• Online automated feedback
• Peer review activities
• Self-assessment activities

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Students will be expected to complete daily homework and translation assignments. These are reviewed/assessed in class meetings. Explicit feedback on translations will be given at least once a semester. The Final exam will comprise one previously-seen translation and unseen translation, so that we are able to assess whether you can read Old English. Please note, class attendance is crucial to receiving a good mark in this module, as most feedback occurs during class sessions.

Name Role
Assoc Professor Rebecca Stephenson Lecturer / Co-Lecturer

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Autumn Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - Autumn: All Weeks Mon 12:00 - 12:50
Autumn Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - Autumn: All Weeks Wed 12:00 - 12:50