ECTS credits ECTS credits: 6
ECTS Hours Rules/Memories Student's work ECTS: 99 Hours of tutorials: 3 Expository Class: 24 Interactive Classroom: 24 Total: 150
Use languages Spanish, Galician, English
Type: Ordinary Degree Subject RD 1393/2007 - 822/2021
Departments: English and German Philology
Areas: English Philology
Center Faculty of Philology
Call: First Semester
Teaching: With teaching
Enrolment: Enrollable
To provide students with a more detailed vision of the British and Irish world (including the study of traditions and beliefs) to favour their identification with the culture of the British Isles and/or Ireland and with his/her own culture. The study of this subject helps students to enhance their humanistic formation.
A second objective is the students’ correct and adequate assimilation of the contents that can be found in the next section.
This overall vision of the subject deals with the culture and traditions of Ireland and the British Isles.
UNITS
1. Culture and Folklore. Definitions. The Culture and Folklore of Britain and Ireland
2. Britannia and Hibernia: Myth and Origin
3. Historical-mythological and Legendary characters, Heroes/Heroines, Legends
4. Supernatural Beings: Fairies, Ghosts and Fabulous Beasts
5. Music
6. Games and Sport
7. Festivities and Festivals
8. "Typically British"
Unit 6 must be prepared by the students independently in the form of a test. The teacher will provide both the test and the contents. At least one question from the test will be included in the final exam.
Basic bibliography
Ashe, G. 1990. Mythology of the British Isles. (Guild Publishing. London).
Folklore, Myths and Legends of Britain. (Published by the Reader´s Digest Association Limited. London, 1973).
Hole, C. 1995. A Dictionary of British Folk Customs. (Helicon Publishing Ltd. Oxford).
Marc, Alexander. 2002. A Companion to the Folklore, Myths and Customs of Britain. Stroud, Gloucestershire: Sutton.
Rabley, Stephen. 1996. Customs and Traditions in Britain. Essex, England : Addison Wesley Longman.
Westwood, J. 1987. Albion. A Guide to Legendary Britain (Paladin. Grafton Books. London).
Complementary bibliography
Ashdown-Hill, John. 2015. The Mythology of Richard III. Stroud, Gloucestershire: Amberley.
Boán Francis, Iago. 2020. El bestiario rowlingiano en la saga Harry Potter : fuentes literarias y mitológicas: tesis de doctorado.
Bord, J. and C. 1986. Sacred Waters: Holy Wells and Water Lore in Britain and Ireland. (Paladin. Grafton Books. London).
Bradshaw, B & Roberts, P. British Consciousness and Identity. (Routledge, 1998).
Briggs, K. 1979. A Dictionary of Fairies. (Penguin Books).
Briggs, K. 2004. A Dictionary of British Folk-Tales in the English Language. London & New York: Routledge.
Carson, Annette. 2008. Richard III: The Maligned King. Stroud: The History Press.
Evans, E. E. 1979. Irish Folk Ways. (Routledge & Kegan Paul. London).
Gardiner, J. ed. Who's Who in British History. (Collins & Brown, London, 2000).
Gusdorf, F. & John Wisdom. 2008. Anglofun. Great Britain. Ellipses.
Hutton, R. 1996. The Stations of the Sun. A History of the Ritual Year in Britain. (Oxford University Press).
Kightly, C. 1986. The Customs and Ceremonies of Britain. An Encyclopaedia of Living Traditions. (Thames & Hudson. London).
Kramer, J. Britain and Ireland. A Concise History. (Routledge, London & New York, 2007).
Lindop, C. and Fisher, D. Discover Britain. A Practical Guide to the Language, Country and People. (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge,1986).
Longman. Longman Dictionary of English Language and Culture. (Longman, 1993).
MacDowall, D. Britain in Close-up. (Longman, Essex, 1997).
Morgan, K.O. ed. The Young Oxford History of Britain and Ireland. (Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1996).
Morgan, K.O. ed. The Oxford Illustrated History of Britain. (Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1997, 2009).
Norman, E. A History of Modern Ireland. (Penguin, Suffolk, 1971).
Oakland, J. British Civilization. (Routledge, London, 1991).
Pounds, N. J. G. The Culture of the English People. (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1994).
Pryor, F. 2010. The Making of the British Landscape. (Allen Lane. London).
Seymour, J. 1990. The Forgotten Arts. (Dorling Kindersley Ltd. London).
Snyder, C. A. 2003. The Britons. (Blackwell Publishing. London).
The Wordsworth Dictionary of Phrase and Phable. 1993. Ware, Hertfordshire: Wordsworth Editions.
Thompson, E. P. 1991. Customs in Common. (The Merlin Press, Ltd.London).
Valdés Miyares, J.R. & Tazón Salce, J.E. A Sourcebook of British Civilization. (Universidad de Oviedo, Servicio de Publicaciones, 1996).
Wales, Prince of. A Vision of Britain. (Doubleday, London, 1989).
Highly recommended:
EzProxy service (remote access to 12000 magazine titles, more than 51000 e-book titles and 42 databases, all accessible through reBUSCa and Portico):https://www.usc.gal/gl/servizos/biblioteca/utilidades/ezproxy.html
Students are required to have an intermediate-advanced level of the English language in addition to the Spanish and Galician languages. They must also have a certain knowledge of the history and culture of the British Isles acquired in the first year course History and Culture of the English-speaking countries. They will also have to be able to establish correspondences and similarities between the customs and traditions of their own countries and those of Ireland and the British Isles.
The following skills and abilities are to be developed by the student:
- Reading comprehension and analysis of cultural texts
- Capacity for relating diverse cultural aspects corresponding to different periods
- Debating
- Responsibility for their own work
- Stimulation of critical and independent thought
- Acceptance of cultural diversity
- Creativity
- Practice and consolidation of written English
Basic and general competences of the subject in the verified memory of the degree at http://www.usc.es/gl/centros/filoloxia/graos/grao_ingles/grao_ingles.ht…
CB1- Students have to prove that they possess and understand the knowledge belonging to their field of study, which has its roots in secondary education. Usually, this level is supported by advanced textbooks although it may include some aspects which imply acquired knowledge originated in the forefront of the students' field of study.
CB2- Students will have to know how to apply their knowledge to their work or vocation in a professional way. They will also have to master the competencies, which are usually shown through the elaboration and defence of arguments and the solution to problems within their field of study.
CB3- Students should have the capacity to extract and to interpret relevant data (usually within their field of study) in order to make judgements including a reflection on relevant social, scientific and ethical topics.
CB4- Students will be able to transmit information, ideas, problems and solutions to both a specialised and a non-specialised audience.
CB5- Students will have developed those learning abilities which are necessary for the undertaking of later studies with a high level of autonomy.
CG1- Linguistic and communicative competence: use of the English language as a means for oral and written communication, for representation and understanding of reality, for construction and communication of knowledge and for the organisation and auto-regulation of thoughts, emotions and behaviour. The knowledge, attitudes and skills inherent to this competence allow students to express thoughts, emotions, experiences and opinions in the English language. They could also engage into dialogues, make ethical and critical judgements, generate ideas, structure knowledge, give coherence and cohesion to their discourse and actions, adopt decisions and enjoy reading, listening or expressing themselves both orally and in writing.
CG8- Competence in the processing of information, culture and literature in a second language.
The participation of the student, which will be fostered with diverse activities, illustrations and practical explanations, is the basis for the teaching method to be used in class.
Although it is true that the contents of the subject are susceptible to a more theoretical explanation, we will try to combine the theory with a much more practical approach. Therefore, illustrative materials such as maps, photocopies of historical-cultural documents, screenings of historical films, TV shows and/or documentaries, portraits and biographies of relevant historical/legendary/mythological characters, articles, information and contents on the internet, etc. will support the contents of each unit.
In general, we have taken our didactic strategy from the model of Baker and Westrup known as PPP: three consecutive phases of presentation, practice and production. In the presentation phase (2 theory hours per week), the lecturer offers an essentially theoretical approach to the contents (always with the support of practical illustrations like photocopies, maps, historical-cultural documents, etc.). For the practice phase (1 hour per week), the students will do some activities related to the theoretical content of each unit. Finally, for the production phase, the student will be required to produce autonomous activities such as those indicated in the assessment section of this program and which contribute to the final grade.
As established in the section 'Contents', unit 6 must be prepared by the students independently in the form of a test. The teacher will provide both the test and the contents. At least one question from the test will be included in the final exam.
Students will have to do the activities designed by the lecturers for the continuous evaluation and take the final exam in the first and/or second opportunities.
The mark of the continuous evaluation counts as 40% of the final mark of the subject and the final exam counts as 60%.
IMPORTANT: It is ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY TO SCORE 3 MINIMUM (out of 6) in the final exam for the mark of the continuous evaluation to be taken into account. If you fail to score this minimum, then you fail the subject.
For students who are officially exempt from attending lectures the exam will count as 100% of the final mark of the subject in both opportunities.
Also in both opportunities, those students whose schedule of the subject coincides partially or totally with that of another subject (proof must be presented, e.g. scanned copy of the registration) and/or repeaters may CHOOSE one of the following assessment systems:
a) Just the final exam: 100% of the final mark of the subject.
b) The standard assessment: the mark of the continuous evaluation of the current academic year 2025-2026 (40% of the final mark of the subject) and the final exam (60% of the final mark of the subject).
c) Only those students re-taking the subject: the mark of the continuous evaluation of the previous academic year (2024-2025) (40% of the final mark of the subject) and the final exam (60% of the final mark of the subject). If a student does not have a grade from continuous assessment from the previous academic year, the mark from the immediately preceding year in which they obtained one may be retained.
Additionally, these students MUST communicate their decision to the course coordinator (cristina.mouron [at] usc.es (cristina[dot]mouron[at]usc[dot]es)) via institutional email (USC e-mail address) by 23:59 on Friday, OCTOBER 3RD. Otherwise, they will be assessed considering the standard assessment system: the mark of the continuous evaluation of the current academic year 2025-2026 (40% of the final mark of the subject) and the final exam (60% of the final mark of the subject).
The mark of the continuous evaluation will be kept for the second opportunity.
The assessment system will be the same in both opportunities.
The exams and assignments must be written in English. Correct language will be taken into account when marking these activities.
IMPORTANT: the repetition of basic grammatical mistakes in the final exam will result in a direct fail of the exam.
For cases of fraudulent conduct over exercises or tests, what is included in the "Normativa de avaliación do rendemento académico dos estudantes e de revisión de cualificacións" will apply: " Fraudulent exams, tests or tasks required for the evaluation of a subject will imply a fail in the corresponding opportunity, regardless of the disciplinary process that may be opened against the offending student. Among others, plagiarised works or those obtained from sources accessible to the public without reworking or reinterpretation and without quotation to authors and sources will also be considered fraudulent". Therefore, the detection of the smallest fraud will mean a zero in the subject and the established disciplinary measures will be taken.
For continuous assessment, students must complete the following tasks. Each task will be graded according to the specific criteria included. The maximum grade for each task is also indicated:
- 1 group oral presentation (up to 1 point): A task on a historical, mythological, or legendary figure will be assigned for an in-class presentation. Evaluation criteria: depth and quality of the information; clarity, coherence, and adequacy of the contents; accuracy and coherence in oral expression; effectiveness of the oral delivery during the classroom presentation.
- 1 short essay on the film Elizabeth (up to 1 point). To be completed in class. Evaluation criteria: knowledge of theoretical content; level of quality achieved; precision and clarity in the expression of ideas; capacity for critical analysis; ability to integrate and relate content; accuracy and coherence in written expression.
- 1 essay on the work The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey (1951) (up to 1.5 puntos). To be done in class after reading the work. The activity will be guided by the lecturer. Evaluation criteria: knowledge of theoretical content; level of quality achieved; precision and clarity in the expression of ideas; capacity for critical analysis; ability to integrate and relate content; accuracy and coherence in written expression.
- British/Irish Music: The Songs of Our Lives (up to 0,5 points). Autonomous assignment to be completed on the Virtual Campus about British and Irish songs. Group discussion in class. Evaluation criteria: completion of the assignment by the deadline; level of quality achieved; precision and clarity in the expression of ideas; capacity for critical analysis; ability to integrate and relate content; accuracy and coherence in written expression; accuracy and coherence in oral expression.
Deadlines, instructions, and guidelines for the tasks will be made available on the Virtual Campus well in advance.
The design of continuous assessment tasks supports the development of autonomy and personal initiative (General Competence CG6 of the degree), as students take responsibility for their own learning by actively engaging in the assessment process.
In addition to the assignments designed for the continuous assessment grade, specialized seminars and/or lectures on a historical and/or cultural topic may be proposed outside of regular class hours. Attendance is not mandatory, but it may be taken into consideration when the final grade for the course is very close to the next higher grade.
The activities of the continuous evaluation must be completed by the due date determined by the lecturer. Otherwise, the task will not be considered for the continuous evaluation.
IMPORTANT: ATTENDANCE AND ASSESSMENT
Attendance: Students MUST attend at least 75% of the total hours for the course to be eligible to pass the subject and sit the final exam.
According to the “Regulamento de asistencia a clase nas ensinanzas oficiais de grao e máster da USC” (USC Regulations on Class Attendance in Official Undergraduate and Master’s Programmes) (approved on 25 November 2024), absences from class and assessment activities may be justified as follows:
Article 3.2 – Justified Absences from Class
The following will be considered valid reasons for absence:
a) Sitting official exams or selection procedures for public administration posts, with certification from the relevant authority.
b) Participation in university governing bodies or external academic bodies as a student representative, with appropriate documentation.
c) Hospitalisation or non-deferrable medical appointments, with certification from the relevant health professional or institution.
d) Illness preventing physical presence, duly documented.
e) Academic strikes or collective actions that block access to classrooms.
f) Serious illness or death of a close relative (up to second-degree), with proof.
g) Compliance with public duties, duly justified.
h) Official mobility restrictions due to weather alerts or states of emergency.
i) Participation in elite or high-performance sporting activities, in accordance with regional or USC-specific regulations.
j) Any other force majeure duly substantiated.
Article 3.3. Students must notify their lecturer within five working days of the end of the circumstance preventing attendance. If there is a disagreement, the final decision will rest with the faculty's management or the relevant committee.
Article 3.4 – Attendance Compliance
Attendance will be considered fulfilled without justification if absences do not exceed 10% of total programmed hours (including both lecture and interactive sessions), except in activities explicitly marked as compulsory.
Article 5 – Absence from Assessment Activities
1. The reasons for justified class absences listed above also apply to absences from assessment activities. However, in the case of elite athletes, flexibility will only apply when there is a direct conflict with official competitions or training sessions, properly certified by the relevant sports federation.
2. In cases of justified absence, students have the right to reschedule the assessment. The new date will be set by the course instructor, preferably in agreement with the student, and must be before the closing of grade records. Whenever possible, at least two working days must pass between notification and the new assessment date.
The subject comprises 15 weeks:
Week 1: Unit 1
Week 2: Unit 1
Week 3: Unit 2
Week 4: Unit 2
Week 5: Unit 3
Week 6: Unit 3
Week 7: Unit 3
Week 8: Unit 4
Week 9: Unit 4
Week 10: Unit 5
Week 11: Unit 5
Week 12: Unit 7
Week 13: Unit 7
Week 14: Unit 8
Week 15: Unit 8
As established in the sections 'Contents' and 'Methodology', unit 6 must be prepared by the students independently in the form of a test. The teacher will provide both the test and the contents. At least one question from the test will be included in the final exam.
Since this is an ECTS subject, the student will need 150 hours (lectures and autonomous work included) to pass the subject.
Attending class and participation are obligatory, as well as complementing the lectures by reading and reviewing the aforementioned and recommended bibliography, and doing all the activities designed for the subject. In this way, the student will benefit from having two marks (those of the continuous evaluation and the final exam) instead of having to rely upon just one mark in one or both opportunities.
The students are also encouraged to attend any type of extra-curricular activity that may bring them in contact with social and cultural aspects of Great Britain and Ireland, such as attending plays or films shown at the cinema or even activities at the Faculty. Besides, the lecturer may suggest specialised bibliography, (fiction) books, films, TV series, and documentaries dealing with British and Irish historical, social and cultural aspects, also at the student’s request.
The course will be taught in English, though Galician and Spanish may be used occasionally.
Fraudulent practice in any course activity will not be tolerated under any circumstances.
IMPORTANT: CLASSROOM CONDUCT REGULATIONS
In accordance with Article 36(c) of the Lei Orgánica do Sistema Universitario (LOSU) (Organic Law of the University System: LOSU), which lists as a student obligation: “to comply with the guidelines set by teaching staff and university authorities”, the following classroom rules apply:
1. The use of mobile phones is not allowed during either lecture or interactive sessions, except when used as a work tool following the instructions given by the lecturers. Students will be held responsible for any legal and academic consequences that may arise from inappropriate use. Tablets and laptops may only be used for note-taking and accessing materials from the Virtual Campus. Use of any electronic device during assessment activities is not permitted unless explicitly authorised by the lecturers.
2. Students must arrive no later than 10 minutes after the beginning of class; otherwise, they will not be allowed to enter.
3. No food consumption is allowed in the classroom during the classes.
4. To be counted as attending a session, students must remain in the classroom until the end, except in cases of justified reasons such as sudden illness.
According to the "Regulamento polo que se establecen as normas de convivencia da USC" (USC Code of Conduct; 30 March 2023), students must take the following into account:
1. Article 44: Repeatedly disrupting the normal development of class activities may be considered a serious offence and may result in sanctions, including suspension for up to one month or the loss of the right to sit exams in the affected course.
2. Article 43: Inappropriate behaviour in class may also lead to the initiation of disciplinary proceedings.
IMPORTANT: Emails that do not come from the student's corporate address (USC address) will not be answered.
The USC has additional tutorial support service to help diversity (students with specific needs). https://www.usc.gal/gl/servizos/area/inclusion-participacion-social. E-mail: sepiu.santiago [at] usc.es (sepiu[dot]santiago[at]usc[dot]es).
Cristina Mouron Figueroa
Coordinador/a- Department
- English and German Philology
- Area
- English Philology
- Phone
- 881811832
- cristina.mouron [at] usc.es
- Category
- Professor: University Lecturer
| Thursday | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 13:00-14:00 | Grupo /CLE_01 | English | C05 |
| 14:00-15:00 | Grupo /CLE_01 | English | C05 |
| Friday | |||
| 13:00-14:00 | Grupo /CLIS_01 | English | D04 |
| 01.15.2026 09:30-13:30 | Grupo /CLE_01 | D09 |
| 01.15.2026 09:30-13:30 | Grupo /CLIS_01 | D09 |
| 06.10.2026 09:30-13:30 | Grupo /CLIS_01 | D09 |
| 06.10.2026 09:30-13:30 | Grupo /CLE_01 | D09 |