Latin

OCR

Latin is a fantastic A Level choice. It combines the linguistic skills of language study with the chance to read some of the finest literature ever written. It also gives a historical depth to the study of modern languages and English literature. Latin goes well with science subjects too and several past pupils who have gone on to study medicine have taken Latin as a fourth A Level. There are several summer schools available which give further breadth and depth to the lessons provided at school: we strongly recommend that Year 12 students attend the one at King’s College London at the beginning of July.

Requirements: 7 in Latin, and in English Language or English Literature at GCSE

Unit 1 Unseen Translation (H443/01) Written exam 1 hour 45 minutes (33% of total marks)

Unit 2 Prose Composition or Comprehension (H443/02) Written exam 1 hour 15 minutes (17% of total marks)

Unit 3 Prose Literature (H443/03) Written exam 2 hours (25% of total marks)

Unit 4 Verse Literature (H443/04) Written exam 2 hours (25% of total marks) By the end of Year 12 students will have learned all the remaining grammar and syntax in Latin By the end of Year 13 students will be able to tackle unadapted Latin verse and prose As part of our language study we will read short extracts from a range of Latin authors

All students will be taught prose composition as this is also excellent training for the linguistic questions in the comprehension option In Year 13, students can decide which option to take in the final exam

We study two texts, one in Year 12 and one in Year 13 – often Tacitus, the outstanding historian who chronicled the lives of the first emperors, or Cicero, the famous orator and politician who lived in the turbulent final days of the Republic Exam questions on the first text will be similar to the longer questions at GCSE, with questions on the author’s style and the wider context of the passage The second text includes further reading of the author in translation, which enables students to explore wider themes. In addition to questions on literary style there will be an essay question on these wider themes

We recommend that students read a translation of the whole Aeneid in their own time As with the prose paper, there will be stylistic analysis questions and a wider ranging essay question on the second text We also study two verse texts: at least one of these is taken from the Aeneid, as Virgil was the Shakespeare of his day. The other text may include Ovid, other love poets or more of Virgil’s work The Year 13 text also includes reading some more of the Aeneid in translation

Classics gives one the ability to work out the meaning of most English words from their classical derivations. It also unlocks a vast range of rich literature. Lucie