Language

Come join us as we read the Gospel of John in the original Greek! This module will review grammar where needed, discuss the latest lexical tools, touch on textual issues, but mostly work through this text at a relaxed pace.

Find yourself in need of a refresher for your Greek skills? Come join us for reading the Gospel of John in the original Greek! This module will review grammar where needed, discuss the latest lexical tools, touch on textual issues, but mostly work through this text at a relaxed pace.

Dr. Peter Baker, then of the University of Virginia, translated Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland into Old English. This module will work with and translate back into Modern English this fun and delightful text, Æðelgyðe Ellendæda on Wundorlande: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland in Old English.

These selections will help introduce students to the breadth and depth of Old English texts available for advanced study. Each month, Dr. Larry Swain and/or Dr. Isaac Schendel surveys the group to see which text students are most interested in exploring next.

Some of the texts we could explore in a given month include:
• Advanced Old English Readings: Beowulf I
• Advanced Old English Readings: Beowulf II
• Advanced Old English Readings: Riddles
• Advanced Old English Readings in Prose: The Old English Boethius
• Advanced Old English Readings: Genesis A 1
• Advanced Old English Readings: Genesis A 2
• Advanced Old English Readings in Poetry: Judith and Exodus
• Advanced Old English Readings: Heroic Elegies
• Advanced Old English Readings: Cynewulf's Juliana
• Advanced Old English Readings: Cynewulf's Christ II
• Advanced Old English Readings: Apollonius of Tyre
• Advanced Old English Readings: Ælfric's Lives of the Saints
• Advanced Old English Readings: Ælfric's Letter to Sigeweard
• Advanced Old English Readings: The Blickling Homilies
• Advanced Old English Readings: Selections in Prose
• Advanced Old English: Alice in Wonderland
• Advanced Old English: Tolkien's Old English Poetry

Including these texts taught by Dr. Isaac Schendel:
• Readings in Old English: The Battle of Maldon & Group Reading
• Intermediate Old English: The Homilies of Wulfstan
• The Old Saxon for Old English Readers (The Old Saxon Hêliand I)

Note: Please refer to the Required Texts section on a month's iteration page to see which texts the group has decided upon for a given month.

Cynewulf is one of the few poets whose name we know from the Old English period. He composed 4 narrative poems casting saints' lives into Old English poetry. "Christ II" is so named because it is one of three poems dealing with key moments in Christ's life: the "Advent" and Incarnation, the Ascension, and the Harrowing of Hell. This middle poem is the one we know as certainly as we can that it was composed by Cynewulf and has a number of very interesting features.

Welcome to the Readings in Poetry page for the Advanced Old English Series in which students explore, in alternating months, a work of prose and then a work of poetry to introduce students to the breadth and depth of Old English texts available for study. Each month Dr. Swain surveys the group to see what they want to tackle next from month to month.

In this series of Advanced Old English Readings we explore, in alternating months, a work of prose and then a work of poetry to introduce students to the breadth and depth of Old English texts available for study. Each month Dr. Swain surveys the group to see what they want to tackle next from month to month.

Welcome to the Readings in Prose page for the Advanced Old English Series in which students explore, in alternating months, a work of prose and then a work of poetry to introduce students to the breadth and depth of Old English texts available for study. Each month Dr. Swain surveys the group to see what they want to tackle next from month to month.

Most people know that J. R. R. Tolkien was a scholar as well as a writer of speculative fiction. His scholarship was extensive and one of his primary areas was Old English language and literature. But fewer fans know that he also composed poetry in Old English, especially in the early stages of his career. This module will attempt to gather and translate Tolkien's Old English poetry from the various sources in HoME and other sources where they are printed.

Designed for intermediate students of Classical or Biblical Greek with roughly a year under their belts, this course will provide a detailed look at the inflectional system of Ancient Greek, moving past the memorization of paradigms to provide a rich linguistic explanation for why Ancient Greek word forms work the way they do.

Come join us as we begin to learn basic Japanese, focusing on the four areas of reading, writing, speaking, and listening comprehension. Over the course of this module series we will start by learning: the characteristics of the three scripts (hiragana, katakana, and kanji); how to read and write hiragana; to be able to say and understand set phrases (social interaction-related); how to formulate a simple declarative sentence (AはBです structure); how to formulate a simple interrogative sentence; how to read orally; and vocabulary relevant to dialogues in the textbook. 一緒に日本語を勉強しましょうか! (Shall we study Japanese together?!)

This module would be an intro-level course designed to get students acquainted with the grammatical system of Tolkien's most complete invented language, with the goal of understanding pronunciation, inflection, and basic vocabulary of Quenya by the end of the module, with the option to continue on into "primary source" Quenya poetry translation (and perhaps composition!) in a later module.

The Beginning Scottish Gaelic series consists of three intoructory modules, introducing language and grammar in line with European fluency standard A1. Covering basic conversation, vocabulary building, introducing case structure, irregular verbs, and prepositional pronouns, this module will be using the A1 Inntrigeadh resources from SpeakGaelic.scot.

Module 1 Class Delivery
Class 1 and 2 will cover Topic 1: New Friends
Class 3 and 4 will cover Topic 2: Places
Class 5 and 6 will cover Topic 3: Weather
Class 7 and 8 will cover Topic 4: Family

Module 2 Class Delivery
Class 1 and 2 will cover Topic 5: Home
Class 3 and 4 will cover Topic 6: Time
Class 5 and 6 will cover Topic 7: Work
Class 7 and 8 will cover Topic 8: Time Off

Module 3 Class Delivery
Class 1 and 2 will cover Topic 9: Food & Drink
Class 3 and 4 will cover Topic 10: Shopping
Class 5 and 6 will cover Topic 11: Day-to-day
Class 7 and 8 will cover Topic 12: Describing People

After the 3-module opening series, students wishing to continue learning Scottish Gaelic can proceed to Gaelic Foundations 1.

Read what Chaucer wrote in his own language! The famed Canterbury Tales are a wonderful read in Middle English and this module will focus on The Miller’s Tale.

In this mini module of four one-hour sessions, we will have fun with Latin Christmas Carols. Any "homework" is optional, texts will be provided, fun shall be had!!! Come and enjoy!

Note: This mini module is a special group experience designed for a small and intimate group of 3 to 4 students for the cost of 1 Token.

This is the textual language of the early classical Chinese philosophical and literary tradition, bearing a relationship to modern forms of Chinese like that of classical Latin to a modern Romance language. Just as one does not need to know Italian to study Latin, no prior knowledge of modern forms of Chinese is needed to study the classical language. This language served as a kind of "lingua franca" throughout East Asia for much of history, much like the role Church Latin served in medieval Europe. In this module we will begin building the grammar, syntax, and vocabulary to eventually be able to engage with the texts associated with Chinese thinkers such as Confucius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, and Mozi. If a cohort forms, we can continue this study within a continuing sequence. We will focus exclusively on developing the ability to read it as a literary language.

This is the landing page for Dr. Isaac Schendel's Conversational German Series. For more information check out the module links below.

Also: Please wishlist this page if you are interested in taking Dr. Schendel's Conversation German Series when we offer it next.

Japanese is a complex language with a strong emphasis on formality. In any given situation, there are multiple ways to communicate the same idea. This course will introduce some of those common situations in daily life and offer some practical, useful, and modern ways to communicate within them.

Hei alle sammen! Hello everyone! Want to make good use of your spare time and learn something useful? How about Norwegian? It's quite easy to gain a basic level and the language has some very special traits you will love! We'll learn to introduce ourselves, use simple phrases, talk about everyday things and practise speaking in different common situations. Bonus: every lesson comes with bite-sized facts about Norwegian history and culture. Velkommen til Norge og norske språket! Welcome to Norway and the Norwegian language!

The Communicative language teaching approach will be used: every lesson we'll practice words and phrases in specific contexts, with more focus on sentence and vocabulary building than grammatical content.

The module will follow an 8-session structure as shown below:

Outline	8-Session Structure
Week 1	Session 1: Introducing yourself, pronunciation basics
	Session 2: Basic activities, days and numbers
Week 2	Session 3: Professions, more activities
	Session 4: Family members, daily routine, telling time
Week 3	Session 5: Weekend plans, simple conversations
	Session 6: Food, clothes, where things are
Week 4	Session 7: Going shopping
	Session 8:Final practice

This module would be an introduction to the Egyptian Book of the Dead without presuming a knowledge of Egyptian Hieroglyphs. We would read about and discuss the origins, transmission, context, and look closely at some different examples.

The Hieroglyphics series will present students with a basic understanding of Egyptian hieroglyphs, grammar, and knowledge about how to proceed with further study. In this series of 4 modules, we will discuss how to translate steles that you are likely to encounter in museums, as well as their cultural significance. As student progress, the class will tackle more complex translation. Each one-month module builds on the previous one, so students ready to learn Hieroglyphics will communicate with our Director and Professor Gaffney to make the right placement for everyone.

This series of modules introduces the vocabulary and grammar of the Gothic language, the oldest attested body of literature in a Germanic language (4th century AD), not just by talking about grammar, but by doing real translations of real Gothic texts. While no prior language study experience is necessary or expected, it is certainly a benefit to understand basic grammatical terms in English (or equivalent) or have knowledge of learning to read another language.

Want to read the NT in the original Greek? The Greek translation of the Old Testament? This module’s for you! The first module seeks to introduce learners to the basics of ancient Greek: the alphabet, introduction to the verb system (tenses and moods) and the noun system (the very helpful article, first and second declension). Over several modules, the students will learn the foundations of the language and then students will be able to read texts.

This series is for people looking to begin their journey with Mandarin--the language spoken throughout much of China and its surrounding territories. We will follow the HSK (Chinese Proficiency Test-Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi 汉语水平考试 ) Standard Course Curriculum for HSK Level 1.

Throughout the course we will also look at some authentic materials, including song lyrics and dialogue from popular T.V. and movies. These will help to give us context for what we are learning and gauge where we are in our journey.

If you've ever wished to understand and speak Mandarin, here's a great stepping stone to get you started!

Designed for students who have completed an introductory Latin textbook and wish to explore real Latin texts at a gentle pace, this class will walk students through a selection of Psalms from the Latin Vulgate, adapting the quantity of texts and homework to meet the needs of the enrolled students. We will parse passages and read the psalms clause by clause, moving somewhat slowly to allow ample time for grammatical review as students test different translation techniques and absorb new abbreviations, grammatical quirks, and irregular or new forms.

Note: Students who took this module in 2023 are welcome to repeat it; the 2024 module will feature different psalms than its predecessor.

The Anglo-Saxon monk, priest and bishop Wulfstan (†1023) is, after Ælfric of Eynsham, the most famous author of Old English homilies. His alliterative prose, inventive vocabulary, and – most importantly – his fire-and-brimstone preaching style make him a joy to read. The scenes he invokes are both terrifying and captivating, and his descriptions of the invading Vikings as God’s punishment offer a unique glimpse into the mentality of a terrified English people in the 10th and 11th centuries. Come join us for a month of Anglo-Saxon “Old Time Religion” and see if you can master reciting the Old English phrase “Leofan men” with a Johnny Cash accent (suede tunic optional).

This unit is open to anyone who has a basic familiarity with the Old English language. We will begin by reading Wulfstan’s most famous sermon, the “Sermon of the Wolf” (Sermo Lupi ad Anglos), to gain familiarity with his style and to see some Viking action. After that, we will continue on to “On False Gods” for a bit more Christian vs. Pagan Linguistic Bloodsports before moving on to his more pious eschatological work. Wulfstan’s oeuvre is large, so each iteration of this module can focus on a different facet of his work.

The Old English poem The Phoenix, a 677-line alliterative reworking of the Latin De Ave Phoenice, combines striking similes and intricate (if somewhat overworked) allegories with a simple, formulaic style that renders the poem a classic example of Anglo-Saxon wrestling with Classical ideas. The result is an intermediate-level work which offers Old English students a chance to move beyond coursebook Old English and into reading scholarly textual editions. Join Dr. Isaac for a relaxed reading group experience as we work through the text and engage with it on every level: reading closely, interpreting on a literary level, and (time permitting) comparing it with other texts in Old and Middle English, Old Norse, and Latin.

There are currently two good editions of The Phoenix, one from the Exeter Series of Medieval texts (978-0859893428; originally published in 1964 but republished in 1990) and a dual-language (Old English/Modern English) one with Dumbarton Oaks Medieval Library series in the volume Old English Shorter Poems, Volume I: Religious and Didactic (ISBN: 978-0674057890). Either edition is fine.

This module is designed to provide the student with sufficient knowledge of Biblical Hebrew to read the Torah in its original language. The student will progress through four main stages:

1. The students will be acquainted with the Hebrew alphabet, syllabication, and pronunciation. 2. After learning how to read and pronounce Hebrew words students will move on to Hebrew nouns, adjectives, prepositions, etc. 3. In stage the Hebrew verbal stems will be explored. 4. In this final stage the downloadable Logos software will be used and demonstrated to put it all together to assist in translating/reading the Torah.

The module will follow an 8-session structure as shown below:

Outline	8-Session Structure
Week 1	Session 1: Introduction to class objectives and Hebrew alphabet
	Session 2: Hebrew syllabication, pronunciation and practice
Week 2	Session 3: Hebrew nouns, adjective, and prepositions, pronunciation and practice
	Session 4: Hebrew verbal stems part one, pronunciation and practice
Week 3	Session 5: Hebrew verbal stems part two, pronunciation and practice
	Session 6: Logos software introduction, Hebrew sentence structure
Week 4	Session 7: Logos software continued, intro to Hebrew poetry
	Session 8: Using Logos software to translation from the Torah

Why do people increasingly find Shakespeare challenging to read? Why do we translate Beowulf? How did Latin become Spanish, Italian, French, and other languages? Languages change over time. They are affected by internal and external factors. Many of these changes are recorded, and some fairly well understood. In this module we will explore the variety of changes that occur to languages over time, including sounds, word structure and order, and semantics, as well as language spread and language death. This module can be taken by itself or as part of a larger Introductory Linguistics sequence of modules.

How do we group and categorize languages? What does it mean that two languages are related? What is a parent language? Which languages are more closely related and which are not? Some languages are genetically related, meaning they have a common origin, while others are typologically similar, in that they have similar structures. While English is well known, and Indo-European, the language family it is in is also well studied, it is just one of 7000 languages in the world. We will explore the world's languages, how they fit into their own families, discuss how relationships are determined, and what we can learn when talk about language families. This module can be taken by itself or as part of a larger Introductory Linguistics sequence of modules.

Languages come in contact with each other all the time and have done so throughout history. Many of the patterns that emerge from language contact have been studied and can provide some explanation for what happens. Why do English and Spanish drive out some languages? What happens when one language, through invasion or culture, moves into the area of another language? How do languages compete with one another and how do they “cooperate”? We will explore the varieties of language contact in this course, through military expansion, cultural dominance, and side by side contact, as well as other forms of interaction between languages, and look at the results. This module can be taken by itself or as part of a larger Introductory Linguistics sequence of modules.

Morphology is the study of how words are formed and the meaning in their constituent parts. In this module we will explore English morphology first, to build up a vocabulary of useful terms and ideas, and then move on to other languages, both familiar and rare. We will examine different strategies that languages use to communicate information and how that information is encoded into words. We will use a number of problem sets or puzzles to “take apart” other languages, to learn more about their structure, and to take away some interesting new facts about language. We will look at Turkish, Swahili, and others to see the variety of human languages. This module can be taken by itself or as part of a larger Introductory Linguistics sequence of modules.

Phonetics is the study of speech sounds (and, in the case of sign languages, how gestures reflect their own meaning). We will explore how sounds are made and heard. Our goal will be to understand the IPA, or International Phonetic Alphabet, how to listen to and write out English, as well as to explore the variety of sounds in the words languages. We will practice transcribing English, which, for many people, provides additional insight into how the language sounds and why language learning is challenging. This module can be taken by itself or as part of a larger Introductory Linguistics sequence of modules.

Phonology is the study of how languages organize their sounds. Each language has its own rules or constraints on what sounds they use, what combinations of sound are allowed, and how sounds change in different environments. This module will first look at some of the patterns of English but will then explore a number of phenomena across the world's languages. Problem sets, or small linguistic puzzles, will help us figure our patterns and train us to look for other patterns in the languages we encounter. This module can be taken by itself or as part of a larger Introductory Linguistics sequence of modules. However, it is helpful if you have taken phonetics or have some familiarity with the IPA.

Sociolinguistics explores how society uses language. This includes how we view a “standard dialect”, how different groups of people or demographics use language differently from that dialect, how languages varies over geographic regions, and how we use language to create identity or exclude. We will look at the dialects of the US, their vocabulary, sounds, and structures, as well as other countries and regions. Why do I say “frappe, bubbler, and clicker”? And why do they sound like “frap, bubbla, and clicka”? Do you drink “soda, coke, pop, or what?” This module can be taken by itself or as part of a larger Introductory Linguistics sequence of modules.

In this series, we will continue to explore the beauty of the Japanese language and culture. We will read tales, learn more complex structures, widen general vocabulary, and we will also start reading and writing kanji. みなさん、これからも一緒に日本語を勉強したい！楽しみにしています！

Join us as we continue learning (advanced) basic Japanese, focusing on the areas of reading and listening comprehension, with some attention to speaking and writing. Over the course of this module series we will work our way through the Genki II textbook, building upon the foundation built from the Genki I text. 一緒に日本語を勉強しませんか

In this series of modules, you will get familiarized with basic Japanese vocabulary and structures. Using a communicative approach, you’ll learn basic expressions, start to learn the hiragana script, and recognize katakana and kanji in a fun and interactive way. We will also explore Japanese culture in general. いっしょに日本語を学びましょう！

This course is for those who have an interest in Japanese culture and wish to begin studying Japanese. We will begin by learning Hiragana and Katakana and cover some basic grammatical structures. We will also cover some conversational Japanese and explore how it is used in anime, manga, and music.

This Japanese module has the potential to grow into a series of beginner courses. Japanese is a language of great nuance and depth. This module will open the door to that world and build a foundation for greater insight into Japan's culture and its people.

This module is offered for those Japanese language students who wish to take the Japanese Language Proficiency Test, level N5. We will not be learning new language skills in this module. Instead we will be reviewing and repetitively practicing the precise set of skills tested on the JLPT N5 test, as well as covering various test-taking strategies. We'll cover all the sections in the exam and, apart from working in class, we'll have some homework assignments to further develop test-related skills. Upon passing the test, participants will receive an official certification of language skill level from the Japanese government.

In this series we’ll study Japanese using different tools such as videos, games, and different exercises. We’ll explore different aspects of Japanese culture and work on more complex vocabulary, grammar, and sentence patterns. We’ll also watch lots of videos, play games, and read graded readers among other things.

Note: Japanese Through Culture is for students who already have a basic level of Japanese.

The goal of this course is to study Japanese by analyzing song lyrics. While there will be an initial list of songs, students will be invited to either choose or vote on songs they would like to analyze (depending on number of students), and then we will spend each class studying the vocabulary and grammar contained in those songs.

What do Korean dramas, K-pop, webtoons, and Korean films all have in common? ... The Korean language!

This module is for those who are ready to begin their journey in Korean. In this first step, we will learn to read the Korean alphabet (Hangeul), cover basic vocabulary, and begin exploring grammar and honorifics. We will be following a textbook, but will also spend time exploring song lyrics and a webtoon. The textbook we will be following is: Yonsei Korean 1-1 published by the Yonsei Korean Institute.

Note: This course has the potential to become a series of modules for those who wish to pursue higher levels of proficiency.

Designed for absolute beginners as well as past Latin scholars who want to review at relative leisure, Signum’s 12-module Latin in a Year series surveys core Latin grammar and basic classical vocabulary. Each month, students will tackle new grammatical concepts and paradigms, learn new vocabulary, and practice translating short sentences and longer passages. Optional homework is available for the overzealous. Each one-month module builds on the previous one, so students with prior experience are encouraged to communicate with our Director and Professor Acker to find the right entry point. See the list below for some general guidelines of what material is explored over the course of each module.

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Month 1: Overview of nouns and verbs (present active verbs, 1st and 2nd declension)
Month 2: Adding new tenses (imperfect and future active) and a new declension (3rd)
Month 3: 3rd and 4th conjugations (existing tenses) and new pronouns
Month 4: New verb tenses (perfect system) and more pronouns; numerals
Month 5: Passive verb forms; 4th declension nouns; more pronouns
Month 6: 5th declension, but mostly participles
Month 7: Comparatives, superlatives, and some irregular forms
Month 8: Basic subjunctives
Month 9: Irregular verbs and conditions
Month 10: Subjunctives, deponents, datives, and more irregular verbs
Month 11: (more) finicky grammar
Month 12: Basic readings
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When the weight of grammatical forms and memorization would benefit from time to practice and process, the Latin Readings for Advanced Beginners modules offer respite from the regular Latin in a Year program on an ad hoc basis. As appropriate to their skill levels, Latin in a Year students (other scholars are welcome too!) will spend one month reading selected passages from selected textbooks, Latin readers, and (when appropriate) intermediate Latin texts to support their current grammatical skills. The difficulty level and recommended grammatical knowledge for each module will typically be based upon the progress of one or more existing Latin in a Year cohorts, but the SPACE staff or module preceptor will be happy to provide more information.

Tolkien wrote a grammar of the Adûnaic language, the language of Númenor, as part of his Notion Club Papers in the 1940s. Unlike his other language invention, this work was never revisited and so, even though it is incomplete, we don’t have to sort through multiple layers of corrections and changes-of-mind. This is an uncharacteristically “clean” description of one of Tolkien’s languages.

In this module, we’ll take on the role of budding philologists, working our way through the “Report”. We’ll not only get more insight into Tolkien’s language invention but into grammar, philology, and linguistics in general. We’ll draw comparisons with “real” languages of the primary world and see how languages were described in the tradition Tolkien was trained in.

During the 12th and 13th centuries, the Provençal tradition of courtly love poetry spread to Germany, where it became the lyrical genre known as Minnesang. It quickly took on a life of its own and developed into a medieval literary scene of the best type—complete with rivalries, drama, and satire! Come join us for a month of reading a selection of poems from this almost inexhaustible literary field.

This class is simultaneously meant as a literary survey and as language practice for Signum’s growing cohort of Middle High German enthusiasts. For every iteration, Dr. Schendel chooses a selection of poetry from the Early, Classical, and Late periods based on student interest. The shorter length of these poems makes them perfect reading material for beginning-, intermediate-, and even advanced-level MHG readers and will allow for an in-depth discussion of the poems.

The reading texts (which vary by iteration) will be supplied from a number of anthologies and editions according to the Fair Use doctrine, but Dr. Schendel will also provide ISBN numbers so students can buy their own copies. After all, who wouldn’t like to impress their houseguests with a hardcover copy of Des Minnesangs Frühling on the coffee table?

This is the landing page for Dr. Isaac Schendel's Middle High German Series which consists of two modules: Middle High German 1: An Epic Introduction and Middle High German 2: An Epic Continuation. For more information check out the module links below.

Also: Please wishlist this page if you are interested in taking Dr. Schendel's Middle High German series when we offer it next.

Ready to begin learning Old English? This series of modules introduces students to the vocabulary and structure of the earliest recorded form of the English language. One year of modules prepares the student to read texts from over a thousand years ago! Each one-month module builds on the previous one, so students ready to learn Old English will communicate with our Director and Professor Swain to make the right placement for everyone.

This series of modules introduces you to the vocabulary and grammar of Old Norse, preparing you to read medieval sagas, eddic poetry, and even Viking-Age runic inscriptions. Each one-month module builds on the previous one, so students ready to learn Old Norse will communicate with our Director and Professor Anderson to choose the right placement for everyone.

This course introduces the basics of Middle English language and literature, including grammar, syntax, and pronunciation. Designed for students new to reading Middle English texts in their original form, the course focuses mainly on the English of London and the south of England in the thirteenth through fifteenth centuries—the language of Chaucer, Gower, Langland and others.

As a language-learning course as well as a literature course, the first half of each meeting will be devoted to reading Middle English aloud and answering questions about pronunciation and comprehension; the second half will focus on the reading’s content, from basics of plot and conventions of genre to the historical context of each text. Course readings include: a selection of lyric poetry, two short poems by Chaucer, the chivalric romance Sir Orfeo, the Chester play of Noah’s Flood, a chronicle of the reign of King Henry V, Chaucer’s Treatise on the Astrolabe, and selections from the first English autobiography by a woman, The Book of Margery Kemp.

This series will help introduce students to the breadth and depth of Greek texts available for intermediate-level study. Each month, Dr. Larry Swain surveys the group to see which text students are most interested in exploring next.

Some of the texts we could explore in a given month include:
• Stump the Swain: Easy Classical Greek Readings
• Easy Koine Greek Readings
• Advanced Greek Readings: Gospel of Matthew
• Advanced Greek Readings: Gospel of John Series
• Advanced Greek Readings: Paul's Letter to the Galatians

Note: Please refer to the Required Texts section on a month's iteration page to see which texts the group has decided upon for a given month.

This series will help introduce students to the breadth and depth of Latin texts available for intermediate-level study . Each month, our preceptors survey the group using the Intermediate Latin Series survey form to see which text students are most interested in exploring next.

Some of the texts we could explore in a given month include:
• Latin: The Vulgate Gospel of Matthew
• Latin: Plautus' Miles Gloriosus (the Braggart Soldier)
• Latin: Augustine's Confessions
• Intermediate Latin Readings: Catullus
• Intermediate Latin Readings: The Vulgate Bible 1
• Intermediate Latin Readings: The Vulgate Hester
• Intermediate Latin Readings: Caesar’s Gallic Wars
• Intermediate Latin Readings: Martial’s Epigrammata
• Intermediate Latin Readings: Gesta Romanorum
• Intermediate Latin Readings: Horace
• Advanced Latin Readings: Cicero's Pro Archia Oration
• Advanced Latin Readings: Aesop's Fables
• Advanced Latin Readings: Hobbitus Ille
• Advanced Latin Readings: Silius Italicus' 'Punica'
• Advanced Latin Readings: Vergil's Aeneid in a Year

Note: Please refer to the Required Texts section on a month's iteration page to see which texts the group has decided upon for a given month.

Havelock the Dane is lovely fairy tale type story that sits between heroic epic and developing Romance genres looking into a now distant past, and showing how an unjustly treated child grows to be a great king.

This series will help introduce students to the breadth and depth of texts available for study in Middle High German. Each month, Dr. Isaac Schendel surveys the group to see which text students are most interested in exploring next.

This module, which builds on the skills taught in the previous Middle High German Modules, looks at another representative of the Medieval German so-called Spielmannsdichtung (pseudo-minstrel tales). It tells the story of the Duke Ernest, who after unsuccessfully waging an assassination attempt and civil war against his misled step-father (and Holy Roman Emperor) flees to the Far East as a crusader, encountering mythical creatures and far-off places reminiscent to anyone who has read the Old English Wonders of the East.

We will follow the methods used in other Middle High German modules and look at the Herzog Ernst poem both as literature and as a chance for interested students to continue perfecting their Middle High German reading skills. We will read selections of the text in the original language and translate them into English. Since it’s not entirely feasible to assume that everyone has access to a modern English translation, we will primarily discuss the translated sections, although a summary of the poem in general will be given.

Questions discussed in the module will include questions of genre (as always) and the connection between the frame story and the second narrative, monsters and the bridal-quest, the medieval political philosophy and the HRE (Holy Roman Empire), crusade poetry, and more.

The language of Herzog Ernst is roughly equivalent to the language of the Nibelungenlied, so completion of the Middle High German 1 and 2 modules are strongly encouraged. If you have any questions or need help, please feel free to contact Dr. Schendel.

In 2024, Oxford University Press published An Introduction to Middle High German, which promises to become the new standard textbook for learning Middle High German. It has a selection of readings, both prose and poetry, all of which are edited for readability and annotated for instruction.

Due to popular demand, we at Signum University’s SPACE program are offering a month of just perusing the Introduction textbook and reading the prose as a group. We will begin with the introductory text “Von den siben planêten” by Berthold von Regensburg before moving on to the religious literature at the end of the book. Time permitting, we will also look at legal texts in the larger Oxford Guide to Middle High German, which will be supplied as scans according to the Fair Use doctrine. These readings will offer a chance to focus on the language’s syntax when it is not as heavily constrained by the demands of meter and rhyme.

This course is open to both veterans and newcomers to SPACE’s small, but growing Middle High German program.

(Note: This module can be joined in any month.)

This series will help introduce students to the breadth and depth of Old Norse texts available for study. Each month, Dr. Anderson surveys the group using the Old Norse survey form to see which text students are most interested in exploring next.

Some of the texts we could explore in a given month include:
• Vǫlsunga Saga (“The Saga of the Vǫlsungs”)
• The excerpted short texts in Jesse Byock’s Viking Language 2 (which can both be ordered from Amazon, etc.)
• The other short but complete texts in Byock’s saga series: The Tale of Thorstein Staff-struck and/or Saga of the People of Weapon’s Fjord (which can both be ordered from Amazon, etc.)
• Njáls saga. (There is a modernized Icelandic text online.)
• Laxdœla saga. (There is a modernized Icelandic text online.)
• Egil’s saga. (A free PDF of a good edition is available from the Viking Society.)
• The Prose Edda, or portions thereof (Free PDFs are available from the Viking Society.)
• Something from the legendary sagas (besides Vǫlsunga saga), e.g.:
--- Hrólfs saga kraka. (There is a modernized Icelandic text online.)
--- Hervarar saga ok Heiðreks (A free PDF of C. Tolkien’s edition/translation is available from the Viking Society.)
--- Ragnars saga loðbrókar (Olsen’s 1908 edition is available as a PDF online.)
• Something form the chivalric and/or Arthurian sagas (various texts online or in print).
• Eddic poetry (various texts are available online).
• Faroese ballads of the Vǫlsungs (not technically “Old Norse”, but the 19th-century editions are available online).

But there are many other possibilities!

Using Scottish Gaelic songs to gain a deeper understanding of the language and culture. Covering mouth music, religious music, working music, and ballads.

This course does not require any past experience with Scottish Gaelic. Open to all.

This series is designed for beginners of Spanish who have had very little or no previous contact with the language. The purpose of the course is to build up communication skills through interactive and dynamic sessions. The modules overview essential vocabulary, expressions, and grammar, but we’ll also take a look at cultural aspects such as celebrations, artists, music, and food. This is a progressive course: each module builds on the concepts studied in the previous one, so that, as the modules advance, other students with prior knowledge may join. Vamos a aprender español!

In an interactive language course, we will explore the grammar, culture, and vocabulary of the largest Scandinavian language spoken today. From Vikings to Volvos to IKEA, Sweden is internationally recognized as a leader of cultural thought and political neutrality. The Swedish language is from the branch of North Germanic languages, meaning a lot of built in cognates exist for speakers of other Germanic languages (including English).

Kom och tala svenska med mig!

Old Saxon, the continental cousin to Old English, was the language spoken in Northern Germany from the ninth to the twelfth century. It is closely related to and mutually intelligible with Anglo-Saxon, so Old English students will easily be able to read and understand it. The language boasts a number of smaller texts, but the Hêliand, an epic poem of nearly 6,000 lines, remains its most prestigious literary monument. It tells the story of Jesus Christ (the “Hêliand,” meaning “Savior”) reimagined as a Saxon lord with a retinue of twelve thanes, and it is comparable to the Old English Beowulf. In this module, we will read and discuss selections of this poem. Some familiarity with Old English is required.

In this puzzle-solving course we will work to piece together Tolkien’s invented languages based primarily on how they are used in The Lord of the Rings. Although much richer linguistic information became publicly available later, this course will look primarily at those aspects of the languages revealed through the main text and appendices of The Lord of the Rings.

In the module Tolkien’s Invented Languages in The Lord of the Rings, we exclusively looked at Tolkien's language invention from the perspective of how the languages were used in The Lord of the Rings. In this follow-on module, we will explore the linguistic information in The Road Goes Ever On, The Silmarillion, The History of Middle-earth, the Letters, as well as publications such as Parma Eldalamberon and Vinyar Tengwar. If you've ever wanted to get a handle on the primary sources for information about Tolkien's invented languages beyond The Lord of the Rings, this is the module for you!

This module will study various writing systems invented or adapted by Tolkien. We will primarily look at the Tengwar and the Angerthas (Cirth) described in The Lord of the Rings but we will also touch on other systems such as the Hobbit runes and other runic variants as well as the Goblin Alphabet from Letters from Father Christmas. Along the way we will introduce some basic phonetics and place Tolkien’s inventions in the context of the writing systems of the primary world.

Many people do not realize the variety of language structures and strange language phenomena that exist in the world's languages. This class will introduce a number of features that can be found across the globe. These include object agreement, verbs that necessarily encode the shape of items, ergativity, discourse particles, languages with 20 grammatical gender classes, pronoun hierarchies, circumfixes and infixes, and the complex systems of taboo words that arise in some languages. We will look at a number of these, at what is rare, common, surprising, but all of which are real. Language families from Africa, the Caucasus, Siberia, Australia, and the Americas.

The module will follow an 8-session structure as shown below.

Outline	8-Session Structure
Week 1	Lecture 1: Introduction to languages, English, linguistics, and glossing
	Discussion 1: How to we make sense of English and what else to expect in the world's languages?
Week 2	Lecture 2: Agreement, ergativity
	Discussion 2: Problem set and identifying parts of unusual phenomena
Week 3	Lecture 3: Evidentiality, Genders
	Discussion 3: Noun class, word gender exercise
Week 4	Lecture 4: Taboo language and word classes, and shape
	Discussion 4: Word class and shape puzzle