Latin

Why study Latin?

Latin at A Level is a challenging but rewarding option. The class sizes tend to be small and there is much greater scope than at GCSE to explore both the language, literature, society and culture of the Roman world. The examination is split 50:50 between language work and literature which means you need to be strong in both disciplines. The grammar and syntax are a significant step up from the GCSE and the expectation for vocabulary learning is high. At A Level we study Latin authors, many of whom are still widely read today. Reading a 2000 year old text, unchanged in all that time, and getting to know the mind of its author is an engaging experience. Students may find themselves discussing politics or poetic technique one day, then history or law the next. Students will become highly tuned to the nuances of the Latin language and develop skills in critical thinking and analysis. Many of the skills needed to do well in science-based subjects are practised in the study of Latin. A Level Latin can also help for a career in business or law. Latin is highly regarded amongst employers and seen as good training for many careers in the commercial world. In fact, Latin is useful for a wide range of university courses and career choices.

A grade 8 or 9 at GCSE is strongly recommended for Latin A Level.

Subject content

The course follows the OCR syllabus and consists of four examinations all to be taken in Year 13: Students build their knowledge of vocabulary and linguistic structures through reading and studying prose and verse texts in Latin, and by translating short passages of English into Latin. Students study texts written by one prose unseen author (Livy) and one verse unseen author (Ovid) to develop linguistic competence. Two examinations test these skills: n H443/01 – Unseen Translation (01) 100 mark exam lasting 1 hour 45 minutes 33% of the total A Level n H443/02 – Prose Composition or Comprehension (02) 50 mark exam lasting 1 hour 15 minutes 17% of the total A Level

Students study Prose and Verse literature set texts in depth. Texts chosen in recent years include Tacitus’ Histories chronicling the year of the four emperors (69 AD) and Virgil’s Aeneid XI, a key book in this most famous epic poem, exploring the key themes of glory, suffering, revenge and heroism. Students also read additional literature in translation in order to understand the context from which the set texts have been taken. Two further examinations test these skills: n H443/03 – Prose Literature (03) 75 mark exam lasting 2 hours 25% of the total A Level n H443/04 – Verse Literature (04) 75 mark exam lasting 2 hours 25% of the total A Level