About the name
The title for our project is an Old English term that
translates literally as ‘a storehouse of words’. It is
found in a passage in the poem Andreas, where we
are told that: ‘ongan ða[...] reordigan, wordlocan onspeonn’ –
Then [he] began to speak, to unlatch the storehouse of words
The phrase ‘wordlocan onspeonn’ is equivalent to
‘reordigan’ and means speak, but it also carries the
sense of opening the mind (‘onspeon’ means unclasp,
unfasten), which together with the concept of a storehouse
of words seems an apt metaphor for a language
teaching and learning tool.
About the Project
The Wordloca programme, created by
graphic designers, Parade Design,
resembles an Anglo-Saxon manuscript, so
that as students turn the pages of the manuscript
to work through each lesson, they encounter not
only comprehensive grammatical explanations,
and an introduction to the cultural and literary
context of Anglo-Saxon England, but also
original manuscript illuminations, cartoon
images and recordings which create a stimulating,
integrated learning environment.
The wordloca team consists of
Directors:
Katie Long: Katie is a Teaching Fellow in Old and Middle English
literature at University College Dublin, where she teaches Old and
Middle English language and literature at undergraduate and
postgraduate level. Her research interests include Old English poetry,
in particular, wisdom poetry, but also include Norse language and
literature and Modern English grammar and dialects. Katie is responsible for grammar and exercises.
Juliet Mullins: Juliet is a Lecturer in Old English at University College
Cork, where she teaches Old English language and literature courses
at undergraduate and postgraduate level. Her research interests include
Old English but also Latin, Norse and medieval Irish literature and
culture. Her love of languages extends from the medieval
to the modern. Juliet is responsible for contexts, texts and vocabulary.
About the Project
Design
Parade Design is a Dublin-based graphic design and web-development agency. Our services include: website design, applications, CD-ROMS, printwork, corporate identity and branding. We pride ourselves in creating user-friendly, attractive design that is tailored to the individual needs of the client. For further information, including client list, please visit our website www.parade.ie
Recordings:
James Daly
Reelgood Facilities
Readers:
Mary Clayton (UCD)
Alan Fletcher (UCD)
UK Advisor:
Philippa Semper
(University of Birmingham)
Cartoons:
Julianne Knowles
(freelance)
Wordloca has received funding from a President’s Award for Teaching and
Learning (UCD) and from the National Academy for NAIRTL (National
Academy for Integrating Research and Teaching and Learning) www.nairtl.ie
