Teaching medieval and early-modern culture to students of modern languages

Date: 23 May, 2008
Location: The Ramsden Room, St Catharine's College, Cambridge
Event type: Workshop

Location map | Programme

students in class

This workshop is repeated in November.

This workshop aims to support the teaching of medieval and early-modern culture in modern languages - an area which is often felt to be in decline. The workshop starts from the premise that the study of medieval and early-modern culture is pedagogically important and intellectually valuable, enriching students’ lives and providing them with central skills. The workshops will be determinedly upbeat: our purpose is not to lament any changes which have occurred, but to identify practical ways in which we can engage and inspire students. The subject range is deliberately very broad: the aim is to identify transferable good practice in a wide range of national and historical contexts. Colleagues who teach pre-nineteenth-century topics in all national contexts are invited to participate.

The workshop will address the following topics

  • How might changes in A-level syllabi affect the teaching of medieval and early-modern culture at university level?
  • Which practices work – and how can these good practices be shared by colleagues?
  • What models are being developed outside modern languages departments in teaching medieval and early-modern culture, which might help us engage students?
  • In what ways can interdisciplinary approaches invigorate study of medieval and early-modern culture?
  • What resources already exist to support our work in this field, and which need to be developed?

This event is organised under the Subject Centre's Workshops to go scheme, with support from the Faculty of Arts, University of Leeds. Organised by Matthew Treherne, m.treherne@leeds.ac.uk and Claire Honess, c.e.honess@leeds.ac.uk (Leeds Centre for Dante Studies, Department of Italian, University of Leeds) and Abigail Brundin (Department of Italian, University of Cambridge).

Workshop fee

There is no charge for employees and postgraduate students of publicly funded UK educational institutions. The fee for employees and postgraduate students of private institutions/organisations and non-UK institutions is £40.00.

Lunch will be provided. Please note we reserve the right to charge a £50.00 non-attendance fee.

Provisional programme for 23 May 2008
Time Session
11.00 - 11.30 Registration and welcome
11.30 - 12.30 Opening talk
12.30 - 13.30 Lunch
13.30 - 15.00 Presentation of individual practice by colleagues
15.00 - 15.15 Coffee
15.15 - 16.15 Breakout sessions
16.15 - 16.30 Close