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2017/18 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

FREN2080 Laughter, Love and Chivalry: Society and Culture in the French Middle Ages

20 creditsClass Size: 13

Module manager: Rosalind Brown Grant
Email: r.brown-grant@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun) View Timetable

Year running 2017/18

Pre-requisite qualifications

Satisfactory completion of Level 1 French or equivalent

This module is mutually exclusive with

FREN2081Laughter, Love and Chivalry: Society and Culture in the Fren
FREN2082Laughter, Love and Chivalry: Society and Culture in the Fren

Module replaces

FREN2081/2082

This module is approved as a discovery module

Module summary

If you think the Middle Ages are dead and gone, think again! Modern popular culture in fact owes a huge debt to medieval literature, - whether in films like Star Wars which are just updated epic quests, in love songs with their age-old iconography of hearts and arrows, or in spoofs like Monty Python and the Holy Grail which continue a tradition of self-parody dating back to the Middle Age itself.To find out more about this vibrant culture whose influence is still so keenly felt today, read on...This module provides students with a detailed introduction to the extraordinary variety of texts written in the French Middle Ages; from love lyric poems to bawdy comic tales, and from chivalric verse romance to prose parodies. In addition to analysing set texts we will use a computer-assisted language-learning programme in order to acquire a good reading knowledge of the Old French language.Lectures contextualising the various genres will alternate with literary seminars as well as with linguistic seminars which students will prepare in advance in self-study sessions on computer. To complement the study of written texts, there will also be opportunities to hear medieval music, to look at medieval art, to see the medieval manuscripts in the Brotherton Library and to enjoy a hands-on medieval weapons session at the Royal Armouries Museum here in Leeds.

Objectives

On completion of this module, students should be able to:

- read a variety of literary genres in medieval French literature of the 12th and 13th centuries: lyric poetry, fabliaux, lays, longer verse and prose narratives;
- possess a good reading knowledge of Old French;
- develop a range of skills: research (individual and collaborative); critical analysis and evaluation (primary and secondary material); and structured, coherent presentation (oral and written) in French and in English.

Syllabus

This course has been specially designed to give students a detailed introduction to the extraordinary variety of texts written in the French Middle Ages; from love lyric poems to bawdy comic tales, from chivalric verse romance to prose parodies.

In addition to studying set texts representing these different genres, we will be using a computer-assisted language learning package to enable students to acquire a good reading knowledge of the Old French language. Lectures contextualising the various genres will alternate with literary seminars as well as with linguistic seminars which students will have prepared in advance in self-study sessions on computer.

To complement the study of texts, there will also be opportunities to hear medieval music, see the medieval manuscripts in the Brotherton Library and to enjoy a hands-on medieval weapons visit to the Royal Armouries Museum here in Leeds.

Teaching methods

Delivery typeNumberLength hoursStudent hours
Lecture131.0013.00
Seminar171.0017.00
Private study hours170.00
Total Contact hours30.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)200.00

Private study

- Backround reading for lectures and seminars
- preparation for seminar presentations
- researching for essay
- revision for exam.

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

Regular student presentations with opportunity to write presentations up and submit as practice essays, opportunity to discuss plans for writing assessed essays.

Methods of assessment


Coursework
Assessment typeNotes% of formal assessment
Essay2,500 word essay in English due end of semester 250.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)50.00

Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated


Exams
Exam typeExam duration% of formal assessment
Standard exam (closed essays, MCQs etc)2 hr 20 mins50.00
Total percentage (Assessment Exams)50.00

Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 23/02/2017

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