This course teaches complete beginners to speak, understand, read, and write Ladino (also known as Judeo-Spanish). Ladino is the traditional language of the Sephardim, the descendants of the Jews exiled from Spain in 1492. It is a Romance language that has a high degree of similarity to Spanish but it is written in a form of the Hebrew alphabet and has significant Hebrew, Greek, and Turkish components as well as differences from Spanish in both pronunciation and grammar.  

Throughout most of its history, Ladino was spoken and written by Sephardic Jews living in the Ottoman Empire (especially Turkey, Greece, Serbia, Bulgaria), as well as in North Africa (chiefly Morocco). Over the centuries it developed a rich oral and literary tradition including Bible translations and commentaries, ballads, folktales, and narrative. In the 19th century it also became the language of a thriving press, and novels, short stories, and plays in Ladino became widespread.  

The Holocaust combined with emigration away from the traditional Sephardic heartlands in the historical Ottoman Empire resulted in a severe reduction in speaker numbers in the 20th century, and Ladino is now severely endangered worldwide. However, in the 21st century there is a renewed interest in the language and its literature and culture, which is leading to a resurgence with a particularly strong online presence.  

 This course offers a rare chance to engage with this fascinating language and its rich culture and history. It will familiarise you with both spoken and written Ladino by means of conversation, audio materials, and a wide variety of written texts including stories, folktales, extracts from novels, plays, and more. No prior knowledge of Hebrew or Spanish is required.

This module provides students with a solid understanding of the politics of Japan by analysing various political, social, economic and environmental issues...

This module provides students with a solid understanding of the politics of Japan by analysing various political, social, economic and environmental issues which have shaped the island nation. The module will encourage students to look beyond stereotypes and learn about the politics of Japan in a nuanced, contextualised way.
Japan is classed alongside North America and Europe as part of the developed world, yet the Western imagery of Japan is a prime example of an exoticising, Orientalist discourse. With this contradiction in mind, this module investigates Japan's modernisation with an emphasis on how it managed the transition from a closed country to one of the world's pre-eminent economies. In doing so, the module will touch upon Japanism as a form of Orientalism, deconstruct narratives of Japanese exceptionalism and contextualise its politics in both international and domestic contexts, paying particular attention to a multi-layered and anti-hegemonic reading of Japan.

 