Newcastle University

Pre Requisite Comment

Equivalent qualifications are often also acceptable, e.g. CLA1001 taken in an earlier year.

Co Requisite Comment

NONE

Aims

This module follows on from CLA1001 and covers most of the remainder of Latin grammar; this will enable you to translate and analyse some original Latin texts for yourself.

The module aims to:
•develop further the skills and knowledge that students have acquired in CLA1001
•provide students with an enhanced knowledge of Latin grammar and vocabulary
•deal with some of the less complicated Latin texts in the original
•equip students to take Latin at the intermediate level

The aims of the 'Latin in Action' component and its related assessment are:
1. to help students to solidify and extend their working knowledge of basic vocabulary and its usage;
2. to give students an opportunity to put their developing knowledge of key grammatical patterns and syntactical structures into practice;
3. to help students to develop their ability to analyse and appreciate the effects of different modes of expression in the language, including differences of meaning and style, without the aid of a published translation;
4. to train students in the application of language skills to literary analysis, and in critical reading of texts in the original language;
5. to assist students in developing and applying increasingly nuanced translation strategies based on the foregoing skills; and
6. to enhance students' ability to read classical literature more meaningfully by applying all these skills to unfamiliar texts in the original language.
Several methods are used in supporting these aims, as appropriate to the level, the readings, and the specific grammatical elements being learned. ‘In Action’ class exercises and assessed assignments are usually based on the close study of one or more short passages of text in the original language. Methods may include translation of passages into English; translation from English into Latin/Greek; comparison of published translations; stylistic analysis; scansion of passages of verse; memorisation of short excerpts; recitation.

Outline Of Syllabus

- continuing with the grammar as introduced in the relevant textbook, including most of the important forms of Latin verbs and nouns;
- continuing to build a Latin vocabulary;
- “Latin in Action”: exercises practising the application of the grammar learnt to real Latin texts.

Intended Knowledge Outcomes

On completion of the module students should have acquired:
1. a knowledge of most of the features of Latin Grammar, including a command of important grammatical forms and syntactical structures of Latin;
2. a sound knowledge of the 'tables' (setting out the verbal system and most of its forms, as well as forms of nouns, adjectives, etc.) covered in this semester;
3. an enhanced knowledge of Latin vocabulary.

Intended Skill Outcomes

Students should have acquired:
1. the ability to translate some of the less complicated original Latin texts for themselves with the aid of a dictionary.
2. skills of analysis of a Latin text;
3. the adaptability to apply the skills learnt to new pieces of Latin.

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

General rationale: This set-up aims to preserve the (traditional) method for from-scratch language teaching which has worked so well over the past years, and has been commended by students.

The four taught classes per week introduce, explain, demonstrate, and give students the opportunity to apply under guidance, the knowledge of the Latin language and the approach to analysing Latin texts which the module aims to instil. Time is set aside in each session for students to ask questions.

In private study, students consolidate knowledge imparted in the taught classes, further practise applying that knowledge to set exercises, and learn to use their language skills to think in analytical and constructive ways about original Latin texts. Written exercises are set in order to aid students review, apply, and consolidate their linguistic knowledge.

Sessions will be held in person unless covid-related guidance prevents us from doing so. In this case we will hold class meetings as synchronous on-line sessions via Zoom.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

Written examination: An examination is still inevitably the best way of testing students' assimilation of linguistic knowledge and skills in both seen and unseen texts, without the use of aids such as grammar-charts. It is thus the ideal format for assessing students' assimilation and command of the taught material.

The assignment is designed to assess students' ability to apply their linguistic knowledge and analytical and problem-solving skills to original literary texts in a way that develops and tests their skills of close literary analysis.

The tests ensure students’ constant review of the material covered in the module, and allow the teacher to detect difficulties early on in the semester and provide students with constant feedback on their progress.

The short homework exercises help students review and consolidate the material introduced to them in the previous session.

Submitted work tests intended knowledge and skills outcomes, develops key skills in research, reading and writing.

This module cannot be made available to Study-abroad, non-Erasmus exchange and Loyola students under any circumstances.

All Erasmus students at Newcastle University are expected to do the same assessment as students registered for a degree.

General Notes

N/A