Ancient Language Directed Study TRS5117

  • Academic Session: 2024-25
  • School: School of Critical Studies
  • Credits: 20
  • Level: Level 5 (SCQF level 11)
  • Typically Offered: Either Semester 1 or Semester 2
  • Available to Visiting Students: Yes
  • Collaborative Online International Learning: No

Short Description

This course enables students to learn a new language relevant to biblical studies or to improve (at an intermediate or advanced level) through directed study, including Greek, Hebrew, or Aramaic. Students will be assigned to an instructor, who they will meet regularly during the term. This course focuses on language acquisition (syntax, grammar, parts of speech), translation specific to student competencies, and the development of research questions for programme dissertation and future PG research. This course builds disciplinary skills (e.g., independent research, self-motivation, linguistic capability) essential for Masters level graduate attributes or PhD-level research that is tailored to each student.

Timetable

10 x 2hr tutorial (individual or small group, depending on cohort) weekly over 10 weeks

Requirements of Entry

Standard entry to Masters at College level.

Evidence of previous introductory courses in Biblical Hebrew or Ancient/Koine Greek.

Excluded Courses

None

Co-requisites

None

Assessment

Set exercise on text (translation project, including commentary on translation and exegetical notes on interpretation) - 2500 words (50%)

Research essay - 2500 words (50%)

Course Aims

This course aims to:

■ Increase language competencies for engaging central primary sources 

■ Inculcate key disciplinary skills relevant to each student's interests, enabling innovative research at the PGT and PGR levels

■ Create the toolkit necessary for independent language acquisition and the acquisition of other disciplinary and transferable skills (e.g. independent study, self-motivation, perseverance, increased linguistic and grammatical knowledge)

Intended Learning Outcomes of Course

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

■ Critically interpret texts in the original language

■ Display improved knowledge of the syntactic, semantic, and grammatical structure of the language in its historical contexts

■ Demonstrate an increased ability to read and interpret texts at an appropriate level in this language 

■ Identify linguistic ambiguities inherent in language

■ Exhibit an improved ability to translate from an ancient language into English

Minimum Requirement for Award of Credits

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.