Course Objectives

KET's Latin II course addresses the five components of the National Standards for Foreign Language Learning.

1.1	Students engage in conversations, provide and obtain information, express feelings and emotions, and exchange opinions. Students are encouraged to use Latin when possible, but the stress is in the written word and text comprehension. Students have passages both in 'new' Latin created for their level of expertise and samplers of original works.
1.2	Students understand and interpret written and spoken language. Students read several works and respond to comprehension questions on the passages rather than merely translate the materials. Responses are made either in English and in Latin to questions posed in the two languages. At times it may be an English response to a Latin question or the reverse, at times an English response to an English question or a Latin response to a Latin question. The oral component is presented through dictation passages in which students write what they hear.
1.3	Students present information, concepts, and ideas to an audience of listeners or readers on a variety of topics. Students have projects in which they must demonstrate an understanding of the language through their creative efforts. (New owner of Roman Inn Project, Advertisements, Tickets and Reviews of Roman sports events as examples.)

2.1

Students demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the practices and perspectives of the culture studied.
Students are asked through the various 'forum' opportunities to display an understanding of Roman daily life (travel, housing, city life, dining), entertainment, government structures. They look at the various philosophies and religions of the ancient world.

2.2

Students demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the products and the perspectives of the culture studied.
Viewing society through the eyes of a wealthy Roman matron, students see that life was not highly valued in ancient Rome. A young girl questions her restricted role while young boys seem to have much more freedom. Discipline and learning vary according to ones social status. Food (Trimalchio's Banquet) varies for different social classes. Students have opportunities to prepare Roman foods and see that substitution of some products is necessary. (E.G. Items such as garum are no longer available. Tomatoes were not part of a Roman diet but asparagus was.) Students read an epitaph about a Roman matron to see how valued she was by her husband and learn through reading some Roman laws what rights Roman women possessed.

3.1

Students reinforce and further their knowledge of other disciplines through the foreign language.
Students are asked to read some materials on the Internet in French and Italian to see the relationship these languages have to Latin and recognize that without studying a Romance language, one can generally understand what is written. Students build English vocabulary through a study of Latin root words, prefixes and suffixes.

3.2

Students acquire information and recognize the distinctive viewpoints that are only available through the foreign language and its cultures.
Students look at the wording in Latin to understand that it is not the words but the concept that is being transferred. There is a translator available on the Internet. When students use this device, they see how merely translating words can leave one with a totally incomprehensible statement. This can be quite humorous as well as informative. Students understand the difficulty of translating poetry and music but especially humor into another culture-that at times only the original language can give the emotion intended by the author. Students appreciate that much of what we know of this ancient civilization comes to us in the written word in texts, inscriptions, and coins.

4.1

Students demonstrate understanding of the nature of language through comparisons of the language studied and their own.
Students continually look at etymology and grammar comparisons in the two languages.

4.2

Students demonstrate understanding of the concept of culture through comparisons of the cultures studied and their own.
Students make a comparison of Rome in 80 AD with their own community. Students view the social mores of the time with those of today to see that in some ways there are so many differences and in other ways there are none. Students understand that the society of ancient Rome changed in the 1200 years it existed just as society of America has changed in the past 224 years. Students understand a blanket statement cannot encompass a whole - whether it be because of the time span or the philosophical differences that exist within a people.

5.1

Students use the language both within and beyond the school setting.
Students participate in foreign language competitions when available, take the National Latin Exam, and create a Roman environment for their schools during foreign language week. Students use Latin daily when encountering new vocabulary. The grammar skills acquired in Latin continue to be of use in the building of English skills as well as learning a second foreign language. Students who elect to study a modern language have more time to concentrate on their oral skills since they have learned the grammatical differences that English has with so many modern languages.

5.2

Students show evidence of becoming lifelong learners by using the language for personal enjoyment and enrichment.
Students see Roman influences in art and architecture, literary themes, operas. Those who have the opportunities later in life will see Roman evidence throughout Europe. Students understand that diversity in culture does not make one more correct than the other. Rather they see how one influences and makes richer ones life today.