Latin

Latin – A-Level Qualification

Examining Body:

OCR

Entry Criteria:

Ideally Grade 5 GCSE Latin

Course Leader:

Dr C Coppola

Why? :

A well-respected course with a wide range of benefits appropriate to many careers and interests, there are many reasons to study Latin. Latin trains the mind and develops logical thinking and semantics. Latin provides excellent training for careers such as advertising, law and research, even science and engineering. Above all, the most important reason for your selection of Latin as an A-level is the enjoyment of learning Latin. There is joy in successfully understanding a challenging passage and in understanding better the fascinating world which the Romans occupied. A thoughtful, logical and interesting person will be more employable and better company. These are only some of the reasons why Latin is the subject for you.

Course Structure:

The course is split into two parts, each worth 50% of the qualification. The two parts are language and literature. Final written exams is the only method of assessment in this course. The language element builds on the language points learnt for the Latin GCSE. Through reading original texts as written by Roman authors such as Livy or Ovid, increasingly higher levels of Latin passages can be understood and translated. The other element involves the study of both prose and verse literature. More so than the corresponding elements in GCSE Latin, the texts will be appreciated and the themes will be explored. The themes may be political scandal, moral actions, heroic actions or love; the intention is that students are able to consider the Roman views on these and form their own views in response, as well as appreciate the texts’ literary aspects. As the course progresses, students should feel increasingly confident and be increasingly fluent in translating and understanding Latin texts. Full support will be provided to facilitate the gradual improvement.

Extended Learning:

This will include preparing for a reading of the set texts, learning the ideas and features of the material and considering the themes of the ancient world. The work can take many forms, including exam style questions or mind maps. Vocabulary learning, language exercises and translations may also be set.