CLASSICAL LANGUAGES
CLASSICAL LANGUAGES
( Latin and / or Classical Greek )
Students are encouraged to become aware of the place of classical texts in the history of European literature and ideas
Studying Latin or Classical Greek within the IB Diploma gives students a number of transferable skills and enables them to explore their interests in literature , history and language . Within both Higher and Standard Level , students read a range of authors and texts , so that , while developing their linguistic abilities , they also improve their critical appreciation of the cultural contexts , philosophical ideas and literary qualities contained in these works .
Pupils are encouraged to become aware of the place of these crucial texts in the development of European literature and ideas , through interrogating the historical environments and cultural attitudes that shaped the production and reception of these texts as well as by considering the essential differences and similarities between Classical civilisations and their own . Moreover , the nature of the process of translating from Latin or Greek develops students ’ problem-solving skills . texts change from year to year , but have recently included sections of : l Virgil ’ s Aeneid l Homer ’ s Odyssey l Greek tragedies by Sophocles l The Annals of Tacitus l Love poetry by Ovid and Catullus l Plato ’ s dialogues
Higher Level students read a greater number of extracts within these topics and face a more challenging unseen paper than Standard Level students .
There is also a short internally assessed element to the course . This involves research on a topic of the student ’ s choice , which could be religion , mythology , art , archaeology , daily life or history , and the creation of a collection of primary sources on that topic , annotated and evaluated by the student – this is often our candidates ’ favourite part of the course . Higher Level students also undertake a short prose composition with accompanying English commentary which showcases their appreciation for the importance of form , meaning , purpose and audience of a text .
The Classics department also offers a study trip to Rome for Lower Sixth students studying Latin or Greek , usually in the May half term ; this popular trip enables students to appreciate the context of their studies and bring the history and literature that they have been studying to life .
Students are assessed on their understanding of the prescribed set texts and their cultural background , as well as their ability to translate and interpret an unseen passage . Set authors and
16 THE IB AT SEVENOAKS | GROUP TWO