Schedule
Scheduling for Latin IV and above will be determined later. It will be decided based on input from those who will be participating in each particular class.
Latin I:
Latin II:
Latin III:
The spring semester begins on January 4, 2010 and goes to April 30, 2010.
The summer semester begins on May 10, 2010 and goes to August 27, 2010.
Be aware that the class times shown are subject to the twice-yearly U.S.-daylight-standard-time/daylight-saving-time hour time change. If you live in an area that does not observe this particular time change, be aware that for you the time of the class will change by an hour mid-semester. The time change in the spring 2010 semester will be happening on March 14. On this day, clocks in observing areas will be set forward one hour. If you live in a region that observes this time change, though, for you class will always be held at the times listed above.
Projected Semester Dates
Entering the Online Classroom
Students enter the video portion of the online classroom by clicking on the button marked “Enter Classroom”
at the top of the Carmenta Online Latin Classroom web page. This opens
WiZiQ in a new window. The audio portion of the online classroom is
provided by Skype. The student will have to go to Skype.com one time,
before the semester begins, to download the Skype program on his
computer. Once Skype is downloaded, it will remain on the student's
computer. Every day, before class, each student will open the Skype
program on his computer and link up with the instructor's Skype
account. He will then open the WiZiQ window, sign in, and link up with
the instructor's account there too. The student will keep the WiZiQ
window open on his screen while the Skype window runs behind it,
allowing them to run simultaneously. The use of the two programs at
once will allow the class to have the best audio and video quality
possible, which will more than make up for the slight inconvenience of
keeping open the two separate windows.
N.B.: Rarely a student may have trouble downloading the Skype program onto her computer. Normally the download happens within seconds, but every so often a person's computer may have difficulty with this. Please make sure that you are able to download Skype ahead of time so that you have time to correct any problems that may arise.
Course Composition
The complete course is broken into two main parts. The first part follows Collins’ Primer of Ecclesiastical Latin
text and is split into four sections, each a semester long: Latin I,
Latin II, Latin III, and Latin IV. The second part follows Orberg’s
Lingua Latina and is divided into Latin V, Latin VI, Latin VII, and
Latin VIII. I will offer all sections of the course in every semester.
This will allow students to begin the course whenever it is convenient
for them. It will also give them the option of repeating a semester if
necessary or (even though I can’t say that I recommend this) taking a
semester off and continuing the following semester. My one absolute
requirement (and this I am sure need not even be mentioned but I’ll
mention it anyway) is that every student take the semesters in order.
Course Texts
I believe this text is suitable for any Latin student, no matter what the student’s particular goals in taking the language. The first four semesters of the course are equivalent to the first 2 years (4 Semesters) of Latin taken in most university settings. Each semester class is equivalent in class time to a 3-credit course at a college or university. The text used for the fifth through eighth semesters of the course is Lingua Latina by Hans Orberg. This text is also reasonably priced and can be purchased on the following sites: Click for sites. Orberg’s text is composed entirely in the Latin language and is well suited to students who are past the beginning level. The author’s format is excellent for improving students’ Latin vocabulary and teaching them an instinctive understanding of Latin idiom. The fifth through eighth semesters of the course are
equivalent to the third and fourth years (fifth through eighth
semesters) of Latin.
Beginning in the third semester we also make use of Conversational Latin for Oral Proficiency
by John C. Traupman as a supplementary text. Traupman's text provides
specific aid to the student in the conversational use of the Latin
language, focussing on Latin idioms and vocabulary that may be of use
to a person speaking Latin in the context of the modern world. Students
continue to make use of this text throughout the course. The text can
be purchased on these sites: Click for sites.
A Note on the Text
The first half of this course is taught from the beginning Latin text A Primer of Ecclesiastical Latin
by John F. Collins. I have chosen this text because it is better
organized and far clearer (at least in my opinion) than other beginning
Latin texts I have seen. Learning a language is enough of a challenge
without it being made more difficult by a confusing and ill-conceived
course-book. The fact that the text is geared toward a specific dialect
of Latin, Ecclesiastical Latin (also called Medieval Latin)—the Latin
that served as the common language of the educated in the Western world
and is still used by the Catholic Church—should not be a barrier to
those interested in learning Latin as a means for gaining access to
texts from the Classical period. The two dialects are (in regard to
grammar at least, which is the main focus of the course) almost
identical. Plus, all grammatical rules necessary to a beginning
education in Classical Latin are contained in this text anyway. The
Ecclesiastical/Medieval rule variations, and there really are very few,
are taught as an addition to previously-taught Classical rules. In
short, whether the student plans to read and study Classical or
Ecclesiastical/Medieval Latin texts, this course-book will be an amply
sufficient introduction; and since any serious student of the language
must be well-versed in both, this broader coverage of the historical
variations in the language is hardly a disadvantage. An accomplished
Latinist must be able to nimbly read his way through Virgil and
Descartes, Horace and the Vulgate. Latin is a language that has had
many faces: ancient and modern, vulgar and literary, sacred and
profane. The point of the course is to provide students with the basic
skills necessary so that they may in time be able to become acquainted
with all of it.
General Course Outline
Latin I-IV: In the first four semesters of the course, the main
focus is on the grammar of the Latin language. Latin grammar is related
to English grammar, allowing the student to acquire a greater
understanding of the rules of his native tongue, which leads quickly to
improved English speaking and writing skills.
Latin II: At the beginning of the second semester, Latin conversation is introduced into the course. Students engage in conversation in the Latin language during class and in the course’s chat room outside of class. Teaching students to speak the Latin language has, unfortunately, been neglected by most Latin teachers for many years, and in most educational settings it continues to be left out of the Latin curriculum. This is despite the fact that it is an extremely helpful aid for students in learning the Latin language. In fact, I personally feel that conversation is essential. Without the continuous compositional practice involved in speech and response to another’s speech, it is far harder for students to learn Latin vocabulary and idiom and almost impossible for them to retain it for any length of time.
Latin VI: In the sixth semester the students are first introduced, very slowly, to certain classical texts by great Latin writers such as Julius Caesar, Catullus, Suetonius, and Ovid. In the beginning these passages are relatively simple, but they grow gradually more and more difficult and complex over the next year, up to the end of the course. Many teachers have their students translate classical texts much earlier, at almost the beginning of their Latin educations, but I believe that this is a mistake. When students are forced to tackle texts that are too hard for them, they frequently grow frustrated. Because they have not built up sufficient knowledge of vocabulary and idiom, they end up spending enormous amounts of time in translation, referring far too frequently to dictionary and grammar. It is a painful way of learning the language, and a very slow way. Therefore, even though there is a periodic integration at this point of classical authors, the focus in the course continues through the sixth, seventh, and eighth semesters to be on Lingua Latina. The point of this course is always to teach the language rather than to make students familiar with specific texts. If they learn Latin well and thoroughly at this point, their future experience of these texts will turn out be far more pleasant and rewarding.
General Course Syllabus
Latin I
Units 1 - 10 of the Primer Includes:
Latin II
Units 11-20 of the Primer Includes:
Latin III
Units 21-30 of the Primer Includes:
Units 31-35 of the Primer Includes: Latin V Cap. I-IX of Lingua Latina Latin VI Cap. X-XVIII of Lingua Latina Latin VII Cap. XIX-XXVII of Lingua Latina Latin VIII Cap. XXVIII-XXXV of Lingua Latina
Transfers
I will only allow students to start in a more
advanced semester, rather than starting from Latin I, if they are able
to demonstrate sufficient knowledge of the material they are seeking to
skip. But most students who have taken Latin previously, if it was at
any time but the very recent past, will probably do best to begin in
Latin I. It will be a nice refresher and will serve to make firm again
in students’ minds classroom material that may over time have become
vague and nebulous.
Latin I Course Calendar
The calendar provides a general outline of the
semester, acting as a guideline for instructor and students. I have
done my best to anticipate the time that will be required for each
unit. Still, students should be aware that I may veer somewhat from the
pace outlined here. All material scheduled for this semester will be
covered, but I cannot promise that any particular unit will be covered
on the exact day that it is scheduled. For this reason, I do not list
the semester’s homework assignments on the calendar. I prefer to have a
greater flexibility in this area, and so I will not announce each day’s
assignment to students until the end of that day’s class period. Click here to see the Spring 2010 Course Calendar and Summer 2010 Course Calendar.
Assignments and Grading
I will be assigning daily homework assignments that are due by the next
class meeting. These homework assignments, to be awarded full credit, must be received by me, in my
email box, no later than five minutes after the beginning of the class
on which the assignment is due. Students will be given, at best, partial credit for
late assignments. The most points a turned-in homework assignment can
receive is 10 points. I will deduct points for incompleteness and
mistakes. I will give students each new homework assignment at the end
of the class period.
Tests will be taken by students at the beginning of the class period on the day for which they have been scheduled. I will deduct points for incompleteness and mistakes. A mid-semester review test will be taken by students at the half-way point in the semester. The exact date is listed on the semester calendar. This test is worth 260 possible points. I will deduct points for incompleteness and mistakes. A final test will be taken by students on the last day of the semester. Students will have the entire class period to take the test. It is worth 300 possible points. As usual, I will deduct points for incompleteness and mistakes.
There will be no extra credit offered, so take each homework assignment and test seriously. Homework that is turned in less than a week late will receive no more than 5 points out of 10. Homework turned in more than a week late will receive no points.
Breakdown of Points for Each Individual Semester
Note: The number of homework assignments (and so total semester points as well)
may vary slightly depending on the exact number of class periods in any
particular semester.
The percentage grade will be calculated by
totalling the points earned by the student during the semester,
dividing that number by 1000, and then multiplying by 100.
Academic Integrity
I request that students maintain academic honesty. Using references
(books, internet resources, Latin grammars, Latin dictionaries, etc.)
while you are taking a test that I have not specified as allowable for
use will only hinder your progress in the class. Please adhere to all
rules concerning test-taking and the independent completion of homework
assignments. Your compliance will make a huge difference in what you
finally get out of the course.
Missed Assignments
If a student misses or is late in turning in a homework assignment or
test, and the student has a good reason for this, I ask that the
student contact me as soon as possible so that I will know not to mark
the student down for it and, if applicable, we can arrange for a
make-up. I will certainly understand if you have a valid excuse. My
final goal is always to make sure that students learn the course
material, and I will do whatever I can to make that happen. I will
always do my best to assist the student in learning despite any
problems or unexpected events that may arise in the student’s life. On
the other hand, though, be aware that homework or tests missed or
turned in late without a valid excuse will earn the student a grade of
zero for the assignment. If you have any questions about what
constitutes a valid excuse or any other questions at all about the
course, please don’t hesitate to contact me: Contact page.
Technical Requirements Most computer platforms are acceptable for accessing the online classroom. Windows, Mac, and Linux all work well. Any internet connection will work in the online classroom, but a broadband connection is highly recommended for a better experience. |
