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Module

CLA1001 : Beginners' Latin in Action 1

  • Offered for Year: 2020/21
  • Module Leader(s): Professor Jakob Wisse
  • Owning School: History, Classics and Archaeology
  • Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
Semester 1 Credit Value: 20
ECTS Credits: 10.0

Aims

This module will give students a basic knowledge of Latin, sufficient for dealing, at an elementary level, with some of the linguistic aspects of Latin texts. In addition, it aims at developing students' skills of literary analysis of Latin texts.

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

- the principles of Latin, and its differences from English;
- The Latin grammar as introduced in the relevant Latin textbook, including such central material as the more elementary forms of the verbs, the case-forms of nouns etc.;
- “Latin in Action”: exercises practising the application of the grammar learnt to real Latin texts.

Teaching Methods

Module leaders are revising this content in light of the Covid 19 restrictions.
Revised and approved detail information will be available by 17 August.

Assessment Methods

Module leaders are revising this content in light of the Covid 19 restrictions.
Revised and approved detail information will be available by 17 August.

Reading Lists

Timetable