CLT 2300 Celtic Cultures in Transition

CLT the Syllabus: the books 1. Rebuilding the Celtic Languages: Reversing Language Shift in the Celtic Countries, Y Lolfa. Ed. Diarmuid O Neill. 2. The Last of the Celts, Marcus Tanner. Yale University Press. 3. Student pack (not available yet). Will include information about writers, and extracts from their work.

CLT the Syllabus COURSE REQUIREMENTS There will be one midterm during the course as well as an an essay which will encourage you to do your own research on a specific aspect of one modern Celtic culture. There will also be a final exam based on the work you will have done during the semester.

CLT the Syllabus The breakdown for marking is as follows: Midterm 30% 28 February Essay: 40% 3 April Exam: 30%.

CLT the Syllabus IMPORTANT DATES: MIDTERM: 28 February. ESSAY SUBMISSION: 3 April

CLT the Syllabus You must attend 80% of all classes for this course. Failure to do so can lead to exclusion from the final exam and a F grade. An attendance sheet will be circulated at the beginning of each class from 17 January until the last day of classes.. PLEASE NOTE: ACCORDING TO FACULTY REGULATIONS ALL REQUIREMENTS OF THE COURSE MUST BE FULFILLED. IF NOT THIS LEADS TO AN INCOMPLETE GRADE (INC). THE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS COURSE CAN BE FOUND ABOVE IN BASIC COURSE INFORMATION. DIOLCH!

CLT the Syllabus PLAGIARISM Ensure that you have understood the University’s policy on plagiarism. You can find full information on the following website.

What Will You Learn About in this Course? Recent politics Language matters Writers and their ideas Film

Politics: Some of the topics Scotland- it has been announced that a referendum will be held in Scotland about independence. We will follow events closely, discover what the implications are for the UK. Will the UK break up? What would the fall-out be for the other ‘Celtic’ nations of the UK?

Language planning We will be examining the interaction of language and society in the Celtic countries today. Wales- how will the appointment of a Language Commissioner (inspired by the Canadian model) further encourage the use of what is the most used Celtic language- Welsh?

Language Planning How does language revitalization become a political issue? Is Ireland successful in promoting Irish (Gaeilge) in today’s Ireland? Has the French State successfully undermined Breton in Brittany to the point that it has lost most of its prestige? What is the work of the Ofis ar Brezhoneg?

Language Planning Is Scottish Gaelic the national language of Scotland, or only a regional language within Scotland? How many languages does Scotland have? Does the revitalization of Gaelic have an impact on Scotland’s image of itself?

Writers and their ideas We will also be reading short passages by contemporary writers from the Celtic world. We will also look at the lives of some of these writers and examine their ideas about the countries in which they live. Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill and Cathal Siarcaigh from Ireland.

Writers and their ideas From Cornwall we will read some of the new generation of Cornish-language writers: Tim Saunders, Neil Kennedy,Judith Larham. We’ll see that languages can re-emerge from the past and find a new beginning.

Writers and their ideas We have a taste of Welsh writing too from such contemporary writers as Gwyneth Lewis (whose poetry is inscribed across the new parliament building in Cardiff, Wales). We’ll talk about the novelist Mihangel Morgan and the dramatist Michael Povey. We’ll talk about the writer Brian Stowall and his Vampire novel in Manx. And much else….

Film making in the Celtic countries We will watch a small number of Celtic- language movies (with English sub-titles). At the moment we are hoping that we will have films in Irish, Welsh and Scottish Gaelic. The purpose will be to observe how ‘Celtic’ societies today are very different one from the other, and how they are fully integrated into the contemporary, fragmented world we live in.

Not in This Course…. Some things you won’t encounter in this course: Folklore Ancient customs Language learning Medieval History Singing.