LATIN
Aims The study of Latin both improves students ’ problem-solving and linguistic skills via a systematic study of the Latin language and develops a more general understanding of the ancient world through reading selections of literature by Roman authors . These two aims – increasing students ’ understanding of language in general and giving them an appreciation of Roman literature and culture ( so crucial to the development of Western society today ) – make Latin GCSE a highly respected qualification at university and beyond .
Skills GCSE Latin will therefore enable students to improve , at an appropriate level , competence in reading Latin , and , as a result , develop more general linguistic and grammatical awareness ; to read , understand , appreciate and make a personal response to Latin literature in the original language ; to develop an analytical approach to language by seeing English in relation to a language of a very different structure and by observing the influence of Latin on English ; to acquire some understanding of Roman civilisation , thereby developing a sensitive understanding of the motives and attitudes of people of a different time and culture , as well as Rome ’ s influence on the modern world .
Content A substantial proportion of the GCSE grammatical content will have been covered by the end of Year 9 . In Year 10 , therefore , students will quickly encounter unadapted Latin literature and start to discuss the style and content of what they have read . Prescribed set texts change all the time , but previous GCSE literature selections have included
Virgil ’ s account of Dido ’ s doomed love affair and subsequent suicide , Pliny ’ s letter describing the eruption of Vesuvius , Catullus ’ love poetry , and the Druids ’ practices of human sacrifice . The final exam consists of a language paper ( comprehension and translation ) and questions on the literature set texts which students have studied in class . There is no coursework element within Latin GCSE .
Enrichment Although by no means compulsory , students are very much encouraged to take part in the Year 10 Classics study trip to Pompeii and the Bay of Naples , which normally takes place in the Easter holiday or May half term . Students are also encouraged to think beyond the requirements of the syllabus through wider reading and occasional theatre and museum trips . It is necessary to have studied Latin at this level in order to take it in the Sixth Form , where it is an option at both Higher and Standard Level in Group 2 ( Languages ) of the IB Diploma , and can also be taken as a second language in Group 6 . However , the skills gained within a Latin GCSE course are transferrable to a huge range of subjects within the IB and beyond . As one employer puts it : ‘ Latin and Classics produce a highly ordered mind and the ability to present arguments and cases precisely . Classicists ... are proper thinkers .’
THE MIDDLE SCHOOL | AT SEVENOAKS 41