Course Catalogue

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This course will engage with original manuscript and printed materials produced during the medieval and early modern periods including books held in Glasgow University Library Special Collections. We contextualise these artefacts within the cultures and societies within which they were produced. You will learn to read their script and describe aspects of their decoration, make-up and sociocultural functions.

2 x 1hr sessions per week over 10 weeks as scheduled on MyCampus

This is one of the Honours options in English Language and Linguistics and may not run every year. The options that are running this session are available on MyCampus.

Available to all students fulfilling requirements for Honours entry into English Language and Linguistics, and by arrangement to visiting students or students of other Honours programmes who qualify under the University's 25% regulation.

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The standard assessments for this course are:

■ Portfolio of 4 online exercises - 25%

■ Timed transcription activity 1 (class test) - 12.5%

■ Timed transcription activity 2 (class test) - 12.5%

■ Commentary exercise 1 (1250 words) - 25%

■ Commentary exercise 2 (1250 words) - 25%

If required, for instance where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, the following alternatives are available:

■ There is no alternative to the online exercises, but extra time or flexible deadlines can be offered as reasonable adjustments (students should follow the usual process for extensions).

■ Online test as an alternative to the in-person class test.

■ There is no alternative to the commentary exercises, but flexible deadlines can be offered as a reasonable adjustment (students should follow the usual process for extensions).

Further reasonable adjustments may be provided where necessary. Students are encouraged to consult with the course convenor.

This course aims to:

■ help students contextualise selected manuscript and early printed book materials within the cultures and societies within which they were produced;

■ demonstrate how selected manuscripts and early printed books were produced, transmitted and received;

■ develop students' understanding of changes in book production during the medieval period;

■ show students how to examine original sources - manuscripts and early printed books - held in Glasgow University Library Special Collections and from digital surrogates.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ describe the layout, codicology, scripts and decoration (as appropriate) of selected manuscripts and printed books produced during the medieval and early modern periods;

■ transcribe passages from English manuscripts selected for study;

■ discuss and contextualise selected manuscripts and early printed books within the culture and society in which they were produced;

■ discuss the approaches and techniques available to and used by editors of specific texts;

■ discuss the history and reception of selected texts.