Tracing Transitional English in the Twelfth Century

The Leiden University Old English ColloQuest is a digital, dynamic edition of an Old English text that adapts to each different learner to offer an appropriate level of challenge. The nature and number of glosses (translation aids) on the text adjust for each individual user based on the user’s answers…

An exploration across thirteen essays by critics, translators and creative writers on the modern-day afterlives of Old English, delving into how it has been transplanted and recreated in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.

This special issue of the peer-reviewed journal Amsterdamer Beiträge zur älteren Germanistik (Brill, 2021) brings together articles that explore new digital ways of analyzing and annotating Old English vocabulary.

With his dance routine and YouTube clips, he even manages to make grammar fun. His infectious enthusiasm and innovative teaching methods have won Thijs Porck, a lecturer in Old and Middle English, a nomination for the LUS Teaching Prize.

This project aims to uncover a series of sites of difference and innovation. In particular, it locates itself in two kinds of distancing: geo-cultural (ie. in the non-European space of Japan) and medial (ie. in innovative expressive media).

From films, video games and historical novels to Nordic folk bands, Old English from the early Middle Ages is experiencing a revival in the 21st century. Together with international colleagues, university lecturer Thijs Porck (LUCAS) made a book about the 'resurrection' of this dead language.

The aim of the project is to understand the process of formation of Bon religious identity in Tibet at the turn of the first millennium AD.

This project proposes to connect two discourses highly present in contemporary literary criticism in China, as well as on the world literary scene and academic circles: the discussion on emigration literature and the concept of ‘essayness’ derived mainly from (post)modern Western theories of the ess…

This project contests the assumption of criminologists that gender differences in recorded crime are static over time and that women are in general less likely to commit a crime than men.

The project Going Dutch investigates why the link between being or becoming Dutch, and knowledge of Standard Dutch is so often taken for granted in public discourse, by diving into its historical roots.

How did British scholars and scientists in the period of discipline formation envision, experience and resist scholarly temptations?

How did nineteenth century scholars evaluate each other and each other’s work through more or less informal practices of peer review?

The project examines the political conflict in the Red River Valley of Louisiana between the majority-black Republican Party and the overwhelmingly white Democratic Party by studying the composition and actions of each party.

Why did some Eurasians opt for staying in the former colony while others left for the metropolis or another country?

How did the life course, with all its biological, social and cultural aspects, influence the lives, writings, and art of the inhabitants of early medieval England?

What was the nature of the urban network in the Roman provinces of Germania Superior, Raetia and Noricum and how stood this in relation with economic and social developments?

The Old Observatory of Leiden is the oldest surviving university observatory in the world. While students of Leiden University receive lectures in the main part of the building, the visitor center in the basement and the telescopes on the building serve the general public. Here you will find information…

This thesis explores several aspects of these Early Old Babylonian Amorites.

English Language and Linguistics at Leiden University focuses on English language usage and linguistics around the world, including in countries where English is spoken as a second language or as part of a mixed language.

The Old Observatory is still used intensively as a university building. Yet there is still plenty to see and experience in this beautiful monument. Find out what the possibilities are here.

The Academic Language Centre provides a wide range of English courses. The courses differ with regard to level, content and frequency.

How were war heroes and war criminals created, and how do these images relate to the historical context?

The principle aim of the project is to study the genesis and the quantitative properties of the Early Roman urban network of the Balkan and the Danube provinces.

Stephen Moore defended his thesis on 26 May 2020.

When do fire making tools appear in prehistory, and how might the use of these tools manifest in the archaeological record?

Four different astronomical societies are active in the Old Observatory. We are very proud of the commitment these associations show to organize activities.

The one-year, English-taught master's programme in English Literature and Culture focuses on the interaction between literature and key political and social issues such as identity, migration, memory and the metropolis, but also between literature and the literary tradition, and literature and film.

Humanities, Centre for the Arts in Society

From Great-Britain to the United States and from Australia to South Africa: people around the whole world speak and write English. In Leiden you will broaden your knowledge of the English language and the rich Literature and culture of the global English world on academic level.

On May 2nd, Petr Kocharov succesfully defended his doctoral thesis and graduated. The Leiden University Centre for Linguistics congratulates Petr on this great result.

While Old Germanic studies might seem dated and, regrettably, occupies a less than secure position in various academic institutions, exciting new research presented by young researchers shows that the field is still vibrant and may have a bright future. On Thursday, the 7th of April, the ‘Junius Symposium…

Arts and leisure, Arts and leisure

The English section at the Academic Language Centre offers numerous courses in Academic Skills. These courses are intended to train participants in the use of English writing and presenting skills in an academic context. The courses are aimed at BA students and MA students. In addition, we also offer…

For admission to the Graduate School you will be asked to demonstrate you proficiency in English by means of an IELTS or TOEFL test. The certificates must be recent (not older than two years).

Clear English Pronunciation provides students with the tools to effectively communicate in English without centring solely on native-speaker pronunciation models.

Publishing about your research is a key aspect of your career as a researcher; the majority of research publications are written in English. When applying for research funding, too, it is very important to ensure that your application is written in clear, accessible English. Maria Sherwood-Smith, Academic…

Conference, Symposium

Conference, Symposium