Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic Studies

Hi - just seen this cours ein the cambridge brochure and think it looks interesting. I am thinking of applying for English but I am also considering this course. Anyone know anything about it/taken the course? What's it like and how do you think it would compare to the English course?

Thanks :smile:

Reply 1

FadeToBlackout

15

ASNaC is a very unique degree! Its kind of like Classics in that it has language analysis style bits along with History. Its very hard to classify; the chances are, though, that you'll find an aspect of it you like as you cover a varied amount.

It normally involves translation from the Norse or Anglo-Saxon or Old English, which is cool. It is ahrd work as you have to learn teh language first- you can't really come here with an A-Level in old English...

I don't know a huge amount about the actual degree side of things; the social side I know a little bit more anout as I'm god friends with an ASNaC. You may well be the only ASNaC in your year, and hence you'll generally know the other ASNaCs from other colleges really well. They tend to group and they're all loely people! They have "ASNaC Pub" on a regular basis, which is a very social event. Everey ASNaC I know is a nice person, really.

Hope that helps!

Reply 2

epitome

11

What's it like and how do you think it would compare to the English course?

I obviously can't speak for the ASNaC side of things, but as you were thinking of applying for English I'm kind of relevant. It's a different subject to English; you're learning languages, and about different cultures (as well as, yes, the literature stuff). SO they do require quite different skills.

It also might be useful to know that you can do an Anglo-Saxon paper within the English Tripos, and you can do that for all 3 years. There are, too, options to do Old Irish and things like that (also in the ASNaC Tripos). Also, you could do Part 1 of one thing, and Part 2 in another. Lots of ways around having to do just one! :smile:

Reply 3

Minta2

I did Asnac for very short space of time, and would like to advise you to think very carefully before applying for it. The claim that they teach the languages from scratch I found to be somewhat suspicious. Their idea of 'teaching' the languages consisted of getting 30 people together in a room, making sure everyone knew what an inflected language was in the first 5 minutes, going round the class and getting everyone to read a line of Old Norse from a passage (in the first lesson!) and then giving you a passage from an original text to translate for homework with no other help than a vocab list. The guy who took the first Old English class basically expected us to be able to teach ourselves, and the Medieval Welsh tutor was actively trying to get people to quit his class because too many people wanted to take the subject that year (which was the Department's fault for admitting too many students). No proper grammar teaching, no chance to build up vocab gradually. Be very careful. I would strongly advise you against Asnac unless you are already doing something like Latin or Greek A level, which makes it vital to know points of syntax and how inflected languages work, or are a natural whizz at language learning.

With regards to the general atmsophere of the subject, I found it to be a cipher in the English Faculty. It had 2 or 3 rows of shelves in the English library and appeared to be a homeless subject - we had lectures in the History Faculty, Law Faculty, Economics Faculty and Raised Faculty Building all in the space of a week. I disliked being shunted round from one Faculty to another, as such a thing didn't exactly help me feel settled. We also had people sitting on the floor in quite a few lectures, as in that year the Department had let in too many first years. Hopefully they've acquired a bit more commonsense since last year...

Reply 4

gooseymcgoose

11

i've hear it criticised a lot by other subjects who question its academic merit and seem to see it as lacking any critical approach, or any well defined frameworks. lots of stories about asnacs going to archaeology classes and saying 'appalling' things.

Reply 5

epitome

11

i've hear it criticised a lot by other subjects who question its academic merit and seem to see it as lacking any critical approach, or any well defined frameworks. lots of stories about asnacs going to archaeology classes and saying 'appalling' things.

It does have a reputation for being a less academic course, but I think this is a very, very dodgy thing indeed. English, too, is seen as a "doss"...but surely it's all about the individual? (English, for me, is NOT a doss. It is hard work, and I love it that way. If I wanted to do less work, I could. But I don't want to).

As Minta2 says, MUCH of the stuff is self-taught. I hate to say this, and possibly rile some people, but Cambridge is *about* self-education. The more you put into the work, the more you WILL get out of the place from supervisions etc. Supervisions are funny beasts, but it's a simple thing really: if you put in minimal work, supervisions will be tough, or at least uninspiring; if you put in a lot of work and actually think around what you're doing, you'll get FAR more out of them.

Yes, there are some people doing ASNaC who aren't really bothered about doing the work, and who are a bit...dozy. But there are others who do work really hard, and who (unsurprisingly) can actually speak/read all of the languages they learn. I am in awe of anyone who an grasp Old Welsh, Old Irish, Old English, Old Norse, Modern Icelandic...and I will never say that the subject is a doss for that reason. If you do ANY subject badly/half-heartedly, it's a doss (natural talent essential). If you work hard, and care about the subject and actually make it the centre of your Cambridge life, it's not unacademic, or easy.

I hate the way people dismiss subjects. I for one couldn't do ASNaC well - I simply don't have the language skills.

In quick response to Minta2: some people are better at teaching themselves/self motivation, and others prefer to be *taught*. This depends very much on the individual. As for facilities, etc. the UL has everything needed for ASNaC, and it is not the only subject not to have a decent library. (Sorry you had a crap experience of it though - that sucks).

Wizalaura, if you want to study ASNaC because you're *genuinely* interested in it, DO IT. It might not automatically lead to a career (like Law or Medicine), and it's a bit obscure...but we NEED people to keep learning/researching this stuff. And education for its own sake is something not encouraged enough.

Reply 6

Cexy

Don't forget that there's always the option to transfer out after the first or second years if you don't like it - it's fairly easy to move from ASNaC into the Languages, English or Archaeology degrees.

Of the four ASNaCs in my college and in my year, their eventual destinations were

1 transferred to Archaeology after two years, and then graduated at the end of her third year.
1 transferred to English after two years, and is about to graduate after her fourth year.
1 continued to the fourth year of ASNaC and is graduating this year before starting a job next year.
1 continued to the fourth year of ASNaC and is going on to do research into medieval coins or something next year.

So there are lots of options even after you've applied. If it interests you, then go for it! :smile:

Reply 7

FadeToBlackout

15

it's fairly easy to move from ASNaC into the Languages, English or Archaeology degrees.

Or even History... :p:

As epitome says, its not really a doss subject and you won't do very well if you have that opinion.

Reply 8

epitome

11

its not really a doss subject and you won't do very well if you have that opinion.

Quite. If you do something properly, it's always going to be hard work. (In a way - obviously, if you're enjoying it too it's not just a slog. But still tough).