Course Details in 2026/27 Session

Module Title	LH Uniformity and diversity in the Iberian-Romance speaking world
School	Lan, Cult, Art Hist & Music
Department	Modern Languages
Module Code	09 32380
Module Lead	Alice Corr
Level	Honours Level
Credits	20
Semester	Semester 1
Pre-requisites
Co-requisites
Restrictions	None
Contact Hours	Seminar-20 hours Practical Classes and workshops-10 hours Guided independent study-170 hours Total: 200 hours
Exclusions
Description	Ever wondered how many different types of Spanish or Portuguese are spoken across the world? Why Spanish and Portuguese look so similar written down, but sound completely different? Are Brazilian Portuguese and European Portuguese two languages or one? Where do the varieties spoken in Africa and Asia fit in? Why, if they all come from Latin, do Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan and Galician "count" as languages, but lesser-spoken varieties like Asturian or Aragonese are sometimes called dialects instead of languages? How different and similar are these languages from other Latin-derived ‘Romance’ languages (e.g. Italian, French), as well as to languages to which they are not related?. This task-based module will explore the linguistic diversity of the Iberian-Romance language family—that is, the group of modern-day descendants of Latin as originally spoken on the Iberian Peninsula—in search of the linguistic ‘blueprint’ that unites its languages and dialects. Through practical sessions, students will analyse a range of Iberian-Romance varieties, learning to identify the key linguistic characteristics of this family as a whole, as well as the key linguistic characteristics of each variety individually. Students will develop STEM skills by taking a scientific approach to the study of language, whilst simultaneously deepening their understanding of the linguistic behaviour of their specialist language(s)—i.e. Spanish, Portuguese or Catalan—within the language’s broader linguistic and socio-historical heritage. By the end of the module, students will thus be equipped with the evidence and skills to contribute to popular and academic debates about language and combat misconceptions surrounding issues such as endangered languages and non-standard dialects, linguistic diversity, and multilingualism.
Learning Outcomes	By the end of the module students should be able to: identify and analyse key characteristics of the Iberian-Romance language family, and structural differences between the individual linguistic varieties (languages/dialects) of which the family is composed; analyse critically data and issues related to language, and the Iberian-Romance languages in particular, through the use of ‘STEM’ skills (hypothesis formulation and evaluation; evidence-based analysis, argumentation and problem-solving), in order to identity, describe and discuss linguistic variation across the language family; identify patterns and construct generalizations across the Iberian-Romance language family by comparing the behaviours of individual Iberian-Romance languages with the wider family’s linguistic identity; articulate and approach problems within a scientific framework, and take steps to resolve issues using the scientific method, including contextualising the linguistic behaviours of an individual language within the wider sociolinguistic picture.
Assessment	32380-01 : Linguistic Exercises (2,000 word equiv) in English : Coursework (60%) 32380-02 : Research Project (2,000 words) in English : Coursework (40%)
Assessment Methods & Exceptions	Portfolio of evidence (task-based, equivalent to 3,500 words), written in English (100%)
Other
Reading List