SLL10050 Languages, Nations, Cultures

Academic Year 2022/2023

How did societies come to be organised into nations and what role did ‘national languages’ play in this process? How do individuals identify emotionally with large abstract entities such as nations? And how do cultural narratives work to maintain – and to challenge – a sense of national belonging? These questions are central to the discipline of modern languages and students in this module will begin to explore them by reflecting on their own experiences, by considering the ideas of key thinkers, and by applying some of these concepts to objects that aim to express a particular cultural or national identity. As well as introducing students to these central disciplinary questions, this module also offers students the opportunity to reflect on their future path within the modern languages programme at UCD.

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Curricular information is subject to change

Learning Outcomes:

At the end of this module, students will
• Demonstrate a critical awareness of language(s) and belonging as social constructs.
• Demonstrate an understanding of key concepts such as ‘nation’, ‘state’ ‘nation-state’ ‘culture’ and ‘cultural nationalism’.
• Be able to identify and describe simple examples of cultural nationalism in a variety of contemporary media and to critically evaluate them.
• Demonstrate an ability to independently research cultural and linguistic examples relevant to the course material, in English and/or other languages in which they are proficient.
Demonstrate the ability to co-operate on tasks in small groups, showing an efficient management of time and equitable distribution of effort.

Indicative Module Content:

In this module students will reflect on the relationship between language and identity. They will discuss key ideas relating to the concepts of nation, state and culture in selected writings from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. A variety of media sources will be critically evaluated in relation to concepts of nation and nationalism. Examples of cultural practice, such as museums, monuments, material culture or commemorations, will be discussed with regard to questions of belonging.

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

20

Specified Learning Activities

50

Autonomous Student Learning

30

Total

100

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
This module will be taught in two weekly classes. Sessions will include short presentations by the lecturer, small group activities and group discussions. Students will be asked to prepare reading and short tasks in advance of classes.

Much of the learning and assessment in this module will take place in small groups. Active participation and physical attendance at all attendance is mandatory.

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 
Assessment Strategy  
Description Timing Open Book Exam Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade
Group Project: Short report based on a reading assignment. Varies over the Trimester n/a Graded No

20

Assignment: End of module assignment. Coursework (End of Trimester) n/a Graded No

40

Group Project: A short report based on an assigned reading task. Varies over the Trimester n/a Graded No

20

Group Project: Short report based on an assigned reading task. Varies over the Trimester n/a Graded No

20


Carry forward of passed components
No
 
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, on an activity or draft prior to summative assessment
• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment
• Peer review activities

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Peer feedback is an integral part of the group assessments. Group feedback will be given on group projects over the course of the module. Individual/ group feedback will be given on plans prior to submission of the final assessment.

Name Role
Assoc Professor Paolo Acquaviva Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Dr Siobhan Donovan Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Dr Tara Plunkett Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Assoc Professor Gillian Pye Lecturer / Co-Lecturer