The purpose of this assessment task is to apply the graduate capabilities you have acquired during the Ancient Languages major in relation to a series of six Seminar topics (to be outlined on the unit’s iLearn site). These Seminars will run in Weeks 2–7.

Read the introduction to each topic and at least 3 of the recommended readings prescribed for each week, including one on a language you have not studied directly to test whether the concepts/methodologies presented can be applied to the language(s) you have studied). Also find at least one additional reading relevant to the topic that is not included in the bibliography provided. Then reflect and post brief responses in the Seminar Forum (on the iLearn site) to the questions set for consideration. You should take the introduction to each week’s topic and the recommended readings as a starting point only. Ensure that your discussion posts develop further the seminar outline, considering issues which you have encountered personally in your studies at Macquarie. You should exchange ideas with your fellow students, and not feel limited to a single post. The minimum total length of your weekly correspondence is 200 words.

Your Work-in-Progress (WIP) Report will consist of:

• a 100-word abstract of your Linguistic Commentary topic

• a 250-word outline of methodological issues relating to your topic

• a 250-word outline of theoretical issues relating to your topic

The Report will be presented and discussed in a staff-student interview in Week 7 (details of the schedule will be provided on the unit’s iLearn site) and the final version to be submitted via Turnitin in Week 8.

The purpose of the two part portfolio assessment is to showcase and learn to communicate the extent of your language learning as part of the Ancient Languages major. A portfolio typically contains indicative examples of your work and for the purposes of this capstone unit will comprise two parts: a self-assessment and reflection report (described below) and an example of your technical skills (see Portfolio Part B: Linguistic Commentary below).

The Self-Assessment and Reflection Report (no more than 1000 words) is designed to help you to reflect on and communicate the linguistic knowledge and skills you have acquired in the course of the Ancient Languages major. It is intended to form the basis of both written and verbal communication about your language training (e.g. as part of self-presentation in relevant social media, in job interviews, at conferences).

The Self-Assessment and Reflection Report should contain the following components:

• a description of the languages, scripts, and types of text you have studied

• a discussion of key resources you have used (e.g. key grammars, dictionaries, digital resources)

• a summary of fundamental skills you have acquired, including any areas in which you feel you have particularly excelled, and any difficulties you have overcome

• a discussion of your perception of the significance of languages for the study of relevant ancient cultures

The report should be presented primarily in connected prose but some sections (e.g. description of languages, scripts, and types of texts) may be in point form. It should be written for non-language specialists and therefore use appropriately accessible language.

You may wish to consult the learning capabilities and outcomes in the unit guides for this unit or earlier language units for relevant key words and concepts. Do make sure you select and adapt these to your specific circumstance and experience. You should provide specific and illustrative examples where appropriate and in so doing reference the capstone seminar participation and linguistic commentary project in your report.

The purpose of the Linguistic Commentary is to consolidate and synthesise the technical knowledge and skills you have acquired over the course of the major. You will submit an extended linguistic commentary (no more than 3,000 words) on a text or set of related texts written in one of the ancient languages you have studied within the major. The text(s) for analysis should be chosen in consultation with a relevant Departmental expert and the unit convenor.

The chosen text(s) should be translated and the translation included in your assessment submission, but you will be assessed on the commentary alone (the translation will not count toward the 3,000-word limit). The commentary needs to be linguistic in its focus (not e.g. literary or historical), but you will have wide scope to select the type of features you want to analyse. You should draw on the discussion and readings you completed for at least three of the seminar topics in order to enhance your discussion of features of the chosen text(s). The length of the text(s) analysed should not normally exceed 100 lines. The topic and content of your commentary will conform in all respects to the abstract submitted as part of your Work in Progress Report.