Dydh da ha CLCS a'gas dynnergh! Welcome to the Cornish Language & Culture Society (CLCS) at Tremough!
(Started in 2022!)
This wonderful Celtic language – Kernewek - is undergoing a successful revival in Cornwall and further afield. Cornwall Council has an official Cornish language office and undergraduates are a key source of speakers who can take this momentum forward. Tremough is potentially an ideal environment for Cornish language use amid a landscape filled with Cornish place names. However, until now, there was no group supporting Cornish language speakers at any level, nor any society helping to provide broader appreciation of, and involvement in, its culture. Enter CLCS! A recent year (2021) saw the historic inception of the beginners Cornish module (PLC1130), which unfortunately is not offered in 2023-2024. Further context to this society is provided by a vibrant Cornish language postgraduate scene, regular visiting scholars and the Language and Society Unit (Institute of Cornish Studies). This group will provide advice, resources and encouragement for those learning Cornish and will contribute to the linguistic culture of Cornwall, past, present and future.
The Cornish Language and Culture Society exists to help students learn, practice and use Cornish language, at and around Tremough. Everyone at every level of language proficiency will be able to use and improve their Cornish language in a supportive setting. The medieval plays, written in Cornish and forming the foundation of the Cornish language we use today, were likely to have been composed at Glasney College in Penryn, very near Tremough. Members can become better acquainted with these texts and their importance through recitations, enactments and close reading of excerpts. Of course, we’ll also be talking about the exciting, creative and practical ways in which Cornish language is used now!
As well as this, our society also seeks to celebrate everything Cornish. From music to plays to the beautiful countryside and beaches, the Cornish Language and Culture Society is perfect for anyone who loves Cornwall as much as we do!
At the Welcome Fayre/Freshers in Sep '22 and 'Sep 23, many people mentioned being interested in learning Cornish while at Tremough. That's a great idea! At CLCS we are gauging interest and we need to know, as soon as possible, how many would be interested. If you are, please just write us a line and we'll get back to you and see what we can organise!
Exeter university at Tremough is, unfortunately, no longer offering the PLC1130/2230 Cornish language module (we at CLCS sympathise with students who would have wanted to take this!) - as alternatives, there are some off-campus options, for example:
... and many others, as you can see from Go Cornish's page for finding classes - all of these are not part of university-level courses and confer no credits, and except where mentioned are not part of a university's education provision. Other possibilities include Esther Johns' beginners' class held Mondays in-person at Helston - 15km from Penryn (estherjcroft@aol.com); Deborah Pollard's class on Tuesday evenings in-person at Redruth - 10 km from Penryn (info@learncornishdreckly.org.uk); Janice Lobb's online course via Cussul an Tavas concentrating on later historical forms of Cornish (janicelobb@gmail.com); and the online Kernowek Standard classes of Ian Jackson and Viv Taksis (https://www.skeulantavas.com/events). There are many options - contact us at CLCS please for any advice wanted!
CLCS members on campus will also be glad to help.
Whether you are learning and using Cornish via an external class, or through no class, or through the erstwhile PLC1130/2230 module, CLCS is here to help you learn and use the language on campus. We hope to arrange meetings at convenient times, to help students ensure that their learning 'sticks', through making use of the language.
CLCS possible activities long list
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Activity
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Materials
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Location
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Quiz (handouts, questions on screen, prizes, some in Cornish)
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Handout sheets (questions, answers), pens, ppt
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Any room on campus with a screen (& PA?)
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Guided walk – near campus (i.e. Penryn, Mabe, maybe Falmouth)
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Handouts, book
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Within 20 mins walk of campus
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Guided walk – away from campus
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Transport (minibus?), handouts, refreshments
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Up to 40 km from campus
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Conversation sessions
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Any room on campus
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Invited speaker event
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Any room on campus
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Modern book discussion
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Spare book copies?
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Any room on campus
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Traditional text discussion
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Handouts?
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Any room on campus
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Drama Texts Rehearsal / performance
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Props?
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Any room / maybe drama facility
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Cornish language taster sessions
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Any room on campus
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Cooking demonstration
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Ingredients
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Somewhere with kitchen!
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Visit to Yeth an Werin off-campus
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Transport (minibus)
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Talk e.g. ‘Cornish language: facts, maybes & myths’ – technical level
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Any room on campus
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Talk e.g. ‘Cornish language: facts, maybes & myths’ – intro level
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Any room on campus
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Online Scavenger hunt
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Briefly around campus
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Actual scavenger hunt
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Some place(s) off campus
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Previous Festivals and conferences e.g.
Upcoming Cornish language & culture events for 2023/2024:
et al! ..... for more, see: https://kalenderkernewek.weebly.com/