Module Identifier EL10820  
Module Title LANGUAGE, CULTURE, AND IDENTITY IN EUROPE  
Academic Year 2006/2007  
Co-ordinator Professor David A Trotter  
Semester Semester 2 (Taught over 2 semesters)  
Other staff Professor David A Trotter, Adriano Vincentelli, Dr Winifred V Davies, Mr Jose M Goni Perez  
Course delivery Lecture   11 Hours.  
  Seminars / Tutorials   3 Hours.  
Assessment
Assessment TypeAssessment Length/DetailsProportion
Semester Exam2 Hours written examination (2 essay questions).60%
Semester Assessment 2 x 1500 word essays40%
Supplementary Exam2/3 Hours 1 x 2-hour examination if continuous assessment submitted. 1 x 3-hour examination if no continuous assessment submitted.100%

Learning outcomes

On completion of this module, students should be able to


Brief description

The module provides an introduction, by a variety of case-studies focused on France, Germany, Italy and Spain, to issues of identity, nationality, and language which have been of central importance to the development of Europe.   

The module will explore fundamental conflicts between nationality and 'Europeanness'; centre and periphery; regions and nation-states; cultural and historical particularism and a shared European heritage and identity.   

It will draw on expertise in the Department and offer students a combination of approaches embedded in specific languages and cultures which they are unlikely to have experienced before. It will ensure that students in European Languages have the opportunity to acquire some understanding of the broader European picture into which their chosen language(s) fit(s). It will provide a non-language-specific general preparation for subsequent study of society, politics, language and culture of all the languages taught in the Department. It will be open to students outside the Department and presupposes no linguistic competence.

The module is deliberately 'thin' in order to allow students, over the duration of the module, to assimilate the ideas concerned and to deepen their understanding of the underlying general themes.

Reading Lists

Books
** General Text
Hooper, J (1995) The New Spaniards Penguin (or later edition)
Kurlansky, M The Basque History of the World Jonathan Cape
Le Roy Ladurie, E (2001) Histoire de France des regions: la peripherie francaise des origines a nos jours Seuil
Ross, Christopher J (2000) Spain 1812-1996 Arnold
Sahlins, Peter (1989) Boundaries: the making of France and Spain in the Pyrenees University of California Press
Tosi, Arturo (2001) Language and society in a changing Italy Multilingual Matters
Wesseling, H L (2002) Certain Ideas of France: Essays on French History and Civilization Greenwood Press
** Recommended Text
Cavalli-Sforza, Luigi Luca (2001) Genes, peoples and languages Penguin, London
Hobsbawm, E J (1992) Nations and nationalism since 1780. Programme, myth, reality CUP 1990, second edn. 1992
Wright, Sue (2000) Community and Communication. The role of language in nation state building and European integration. Multilingual Matters
** Supplementary Text
Baranski, Zygmunt G. Cambridge companion to modern Italian culture edition 2001 part pages . Cambridge ; New York : Cambridge University Press 0521559820
Barbour, Stephen Variation in German Camb.U.P. 0521357047
Carr, Raymond Modern Spain,1875-1980 edition n.e. . Oxf.U.P. 0192801295
Clyne, Michael G. German Language in a Changing Europe edition 2r.e.of "Language and Society in the German-speaking Countries" . Camb.U.P. 0521499704
Elliott, J.H. Imperial Spain 1469-1716 edition 2r.e. . Penguin 0141007036
Forgacs, David Italian Cultural Studies Oxf.U.P. 0198715099
Hooper, John New Spaniards edition 2r.e.of "The Spaniards: A Portrait of the New Spain" . Penguin 0140131914
Kurlansky, Mark Basque history of the world London : Vintage 0099284138
Le Roy Ladurie, Emmanuel Histoire de France des regions Paris : Seuil 2020415682
Maiden, Martin Linguistic History of Italian Longman 0582059283
Ross, Christopher J. Spain,1812-1996 Arnold 0340741139
Sahlins, Peter Boundaries Univ.California P. 0520074157
Stevenson, Patrick German-speaking World Routledge 0415129850
Tosi Language and society in a changing Italy Clevedon ; Buffalo : Multilingual Matters 1853595004
Wesseling, H.L. Certain Ideas of France Greenwood Press,London 0313323410
Language and Nationalism in Europe Oxf.U.P. 0198236719
** Recommended Consultation
Baranski, Z G & West, R J (2001) The Cambridge companion to modern Italian culture Cambridge University Press
Barbour, S & Carmichael, C (eds) (2000) Language and Nationalism in Europe Oxford University Press
Barbour, S & Stevenson, P (1990) Variation in German Cambridge University Press
Carr, Raymond (2001) Modern Spain 1875-1980 Oxford University Press
Clyne, M (1995) The German Language in a Changing Europe Cambridge University Press
Elliott, J H Imperial Spain 1469-1716 Penguin
Forgacs, D & Lumley, R (1996) Italian cultural studies: an introduction Oxford University Press
Maiden, M (1995) A linguistic history of Italian Longman
Stevenson, P (1997) The German-Speaking World Routledge

Notes

This module is at CQFW Level 4