160135 VO The Lord of the Rings: language and culture in Tolkien's Middle Earth (2010W)

• familiarity with Tolkien’s life and his fictional and academic work (the social context of his writing)
• knowledge of the history and chronology of Tolkien’s creation of Middle Earth and the Lord of the Rings (Überlieferungsgeschichte)
• understanding of the basic functions of Language in society, both as defined by modern linguistics and as it appears in the Lord of the Rings
• ability to examine Tolkien’s work with a critical eye toward his use of language (both real and created)