TEACHING LATIN AT EDGBARROW

Teaching Latin at Edg arro

AN INTERVIEW BY FINN LOCK

Every Wednesday, in a corner of the locally-based Edgbarrow School, you will find a combined group of Wellingtonians and Edgbarrow students, fixated on a mutual focus. Their purpose? Unlocking the linguistic and literary mysteries of the Latin tongue – together. One Wellingtonian explains the thinking behind the student-led scheme: “We were keen to build an academic partnership outside of the Wellington grounds and develop our relationship with the local community. As more people attempt Latin at Edgbarrow, the partnership will grow, and we’ll offer more student-run sessions.”

The Sixth Form Classicists from Wellington who teach the course have found the scheme addictive and rewarding, even outside of the consolidation it offers in their subject, “we’d highly recommend getting involved – it’s an experience that has really developed our inter-personal skills. It makes you a more well-rounded individual, and a better student as well as a better teacher.”

The Edgbarrow students who are coached in Latin through the programme are also hooked. Classics does not tend to feature in the public education system, so the collaboration offers an insight into a cultural backbone that would otherwise remain obscured to them. One Edgbarrow student said they kept “falling into the traps that the linguistic rules of Latin can pose” but that the Wellingtonians had helped them to overcome these difficulties. “Being able to share our learning methods is really beneficial to both them and us,” agreed another Wellington student, “you become better at explaining concepts to people efficiently – and effectively.”

The intellectual atmosphere in the room is tangible – both sets of students are relishing their pursuit of a common goal. Another Wellingtonian finds the experience expands beyond just an academic extra-curricular, defining the truly collegiate spirit of a Wellington service, “At first you feel out of place here, but almost instantly you start to feel like part of a family, because everyone around you shares a common interest.”

Do the groups of students think there’s limited value in studying a dead language? From their reaction, absolutely not - it seems they’ve found Latin to be alive and kicking. “The skills we’re learning and applying will be useful in the workplace and later in life,” they insist. Both schools’ parting words, indeed, look not to the past but to the future: “Latin – it’s the way forward!”

RESPONSIBILITY