Master of Arts in Historical Linguistics and Literature

This MA programme combines the expertise in the field of historical linguistics and literature for about ten languages or groups of languages. Linguistics and literature are not considered as isolated fields of study: texts are always situated within the culture-historical context of their origins and use. The programme responds to the needs of the cultural sector, where there is an increasing interest in national and international heritage, in libraries and archives, in the history of the book and the effects of the past.

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Master's Programme

1 year 60 credits

Faculty of Arts and Philosophy

Dutch

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1 General Courses 10

Subscribe to 10 credit units from the following list, with 5 credit units with reference a.

Course	Ref	MT1	Semester	Language	Instructor	Crdt
Book History	a	1	sem 1	en	Kornee van der Haven	5

Theory and Methods of the History of Literature		1	sem 1	nl	Youri Desplenter	5

Language Variation and Change		1	sem 1	en	Giuseppe Magistro	6

2 Elective Courses 25

Subscribe to no less than 20 and no more than 25 credit units from the following list, with no less than 15 credit units with reference k.

References:

k = courses belonging to a choice of electives in Historical Linguistics and Literature

Course	Ref	MT1	Semester	Language	Instructor	Crdt
German Linguistics: Historical Evolution of the German Language	k	1	sem 1	de	Anne Breitbarth	5

Topics of the Advanced Study of German Linguistics: System Linguistics	k	1	sem 2	de	Anne Breitbarth	5

English Linguistics: Old and Middle English	k	1	sem 2	en		5

Literature in English: Older Period I	k	1	sem 1	en	Elly McCausland	5

Literature in English: Older Period II	k	1	sem 1	en	Eloïse Forestier	5

Modern French Literature: Specific Problems III	k	1	sem 2	fr	Alexander Roose	5

The Diachronic Study of French	k	1	sem 1	fr	Peter Lauwers	5

Greek Linguistics: Specific Problems	k	1	sem 2	en	Andrea Cuomo	5

Greek Literature: Specific Problems	k	1	sem 1	nl	Evelien Bracke	5

Medieval Greek Language and Literature	k	1	sem 1	en	Floris Bernard	5

Non-literary ancient Greek Texts	k	1	sem 2	nl,en	Klaas Bentein	5

Italian Linguistics: Specific Problems II	k	1	sem 2	it	Kim Groothuis	5

Italian Literature: Specific Problems II	k	1	sem 2	it	Guylian Nemegeer	5

Latin Linguistics: Specific Problems I	k	1	sem 1	en	Giovanbattista Galdi	5

Latin Linguistics: Specific Problems II	k	1	sem 2	nl	Simon Aerts	5

Latin Poetics: Antiquity	k	1	sem 1	nl	Marco Formisano	5

Latin Poetics: Middle Ages	k	1	sem 2	en	Wim Verbaal	5

Old Dutch	k	1			Youri Desplenter	5

Dutch Linguistics: Linguistic Analysis of Old Dutch Texts	k	1	sem 2	nl	Timothy Colleman	5

Dutch Literature: Older Period I	k	1	sem 1	nl	Youri Desplenter	5

Dutch Literature: Older Period II	k	1	sem 2	nl	Kornee van der Haven	5

Portuguese Linguistics and Literature	k	1	sem 2	nl,pt	Renata Enghels	5

Lusophonic Language, History and Culture	k	1	sem 1	nl,pt	Renata Enghels	5

Nordic Linguistics: Old Norse and Language History	k	1	sem 2	en	Johanna Barddal	5

Gothic	k	1	sem 1	en	Anne Breitbarth	5

Spanish in Contact and Contrast	k	1	sem 1	es	Renata Enghels	5

Spanish Linguistics: Spanish of Latin America	k	1	sem 2	es	Marlies Jansegers	5

Special Topics: Spanish Literature and Culture	k	1	sem 2	es	Elizabeth Amann	5

Language Variation and Change		1	sem 1	en	Giuseppe Magistro	6

Theory and Methods of the History of Literature		1	sem 1	nl	Youri Desplenter	5

Comparative Indo-European Linguistics		1	sem 1	nl,fr	Leonid Kulikov	5

Historical Anthropology: Middle Ages and Early Modern Period		1	sem 2	nl	Anne-Laure Van Bruaene	5

Theories of Cultural History		1	sem 2	nl	Alexander Roose	5

Theory of History		1	sem 1	nl	Berber Bevernage	5

History of Science		1	sem 2	nl	Maarten Van Dyck	5

Capita Selecta in Ancient and Medieval Philosophy: Analysis of Text		1	sem 1	nl	Danny Praet	5

Historical Scripts and Cultures of Writing in the Middle Ages		1	sem 1	en	Els De Paermentier	5

Theory of Literary Translation		1	sem 1	en	Arvi Sepp	5

Research Project		1	year	nl,en	Klaas Willems	5

Research Project		1	year	nl,en	Lieve Van Hoof	5

2.1 Free Choice

5

Subscribe to no more than 5 credit units from the study programmes of the Faculty, of Ghent University (including the Ghent University Elective Courses) or from another University of the Flemish Community. Subject to approval by the faculty.

List of Ghent University Elective Courses

3 Work Placement 10

Course	Ref	MT1	Semester	Language	Instructor	Crdt
Research Internship		1	year	nl	Youri Desplenter	10

4 Master's Dissertation 15

Course	Ref	MT1	Semester	Language	Instructor	Crdt
Master's Dissertation		1	year	nl	Giovanbattista Galdi	15

Learning outcomes

To have an in-depth knowledge of the historical dimension of at least one language.

To demonstrate a thorough scientific understanding of the diachronic language system and its development.

To demonstrate a thorough scientific understanding of the specific characteristics and the history of the language and literature.

To assess literary and linguistic methods of analysis actively and critically and to apply them when tackling new problems in historical linguistics and literature.

To compare the chosen languages and their literatures, and their mutual influence and interaction.

To critically assess historical phenomena and philosophical, cultural and socio-political processes in the language area under study.

To include related and auxiliary sciences into research on historical linguistics or historical literature in a critical manner.

To gain understanding into the principles and algorithms of digital search environments and their impact on search results, and to choose thus an appropriate search strategy, use it responsibly and evaluate it critically.

To be able to define autonomously a research project in a scientific manner.

To have a critical understanding of the international specialist literature and of the latest developments in the field and in various research methodologies.

To be able to select research models in a critical manner and to adapt them for own research.

To be able to process autonomously scientific data and to produce scientifically sound results.

To be able to critically apply theoretical, philosophical and ideological aspects of historical linguistics and literature and its historiography to complex problems.

To be able to interpret the historical and ideological nature of research questions and to question the research process.

Autonomously compare, select, use and critically evaluate digital analysis methods to perform analyzes (content, network, relational, spatial, structural or stylistic).

To have an excellent linguistic awareness: to critically assess the fundamental role of language in human interaction and in cultural productions, and to act accordingly by using language in a creative way.

To incorporate conflicting views on sources, analyses and theories into one's own research.

To critically assess one's own research and that of others.

To display scientific curiosity and a lifelong learning attitude.

To report on the research area, on one’s own research and on the internship to colleagues and lay people, in one or two of the chosen foreign languages and in Dutch, both orally and in writing.

To present research results orally and in writing, in an academically appropriate manner.

To execute tasks in a team, at an academic level.

To incorporate ethical and normative aspects into scientific work.

To critically assess the consequences of one’s own research onto society.

To incorporate social responsibility and commmitment, cultural sensitivity and respect for diversity into scientific work.

Getting acquainted with the daily reality in a specific workplace in order to orientate oneself in the job market and thus to choose a suitable career in function of his/her own interests and ambitions.

To be able to adopt a professional and deontological attitude.

To be able to implement knowledge and skills.

To integrate in a team and participate in daily operations.

To be able to deal with feedback in a constructive way.

To be able to answer research questions in a research-based and practice-relevant way.