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"Latin was, by far, the most obvious choice I made when I chose my GCSE options. If you have a love for learning about the ancient world, problem solving or logic, Latin is the subject for you. In Latin you take on a much more hands-on approach to learning about the foundations of our culture by translating original sources and exploring the mindset and intentions of ancient Roman authors. Whilst building on the grammar and translation skills learnt at KS3 in much more depth, one of the best things about Latin is that is full of weird and wonderful stories and events, whether it be Salvius blackmailing Lucius Marcius Memor into murdering the esteemed King Cogidubnus, or the melodramatic love poems of Catullus. The skills learnt in Latin are translatable to every other subject - for example, I often find that some of the ancient literary techniques can be used to impress my English teachers! Whatever you are into, Latin has something for everyone!"
What is Latin GCSE?
What is Latin GCSE?
Course description
Course description
This course is available to students studying Latin in Year 9. It is strongly advised that students should have started the subject in Year 7 or Year 8, but we may make exceptions for those that have started in Year 9 and show great ability and enthusiasm for the subject.
Students will study for the OCR Latin GCSE. The lessons will be first based around the Cambridge Latin Course content. For the language and cultural studies there will be an emphasis on Roman Britain. We will then move onto John Taylor’s Essential Latin GCSE and our own linguistic notes. At a certain point in the year we will move away from the textbooks and on to study the set texts. The students will be examined both on their knowledge of texts that they have already studied and their ability to translate and answer questions on texts they have not seen before.
Latin is a subject for students who enjoy languages and have an interest in the ancient world. It combines the cultural analysis of History, the code-breaking of Maths, linguistics of MFL and the literary skills of English. It helps students with the modern romance languages (French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and Romanian), while also improving their English fluency, vocabulary and grammar. It is useful for careers in law, medicine, science, history, classics and archaeology, among many others. Most importantly, it is for students who want to experience a world that is simultaneously alien and familiar to our own.
Course structure
Course structure
Unseen translation and comprehension: Latin Language (50% of the GCSE, 1 hour 30 minutes) (Mythology and domestic life).
Set texts:
Latin Prose Literature: Apuleius, Metamorphoses Book V – Cupid and Psyche - The tale concerns the overcoming of obstacles to the love between Cupid, the god of desire, and Psyche, a beautiful woman. Cupid has fallen in love with Psyche though she doesn’t know who he is. The extract we study covers her discovery of his identity, and the jealous intervention and fate of her sisters. This story has provided foundational inspiration for several later fairy tales such as Cinderella, the Little Mermaid, and Beauty and the beast
Latin Verse Literature: Virgil’s Aeneid Book 2 – we look at the great Roman epic, Virgil’s Aeneid, at the point the Trojan Horse is revealed to the Trojans, long wearied by the decade-long siege. Laocoön, priest of Apollo, warns against accepting such a gift, and he and his sons suffer a cruel fate for daring to oppose a Greek plot backed by the gods. This story has been immortalised in sculpture, and reflects the harshness of fate.
Each set text unit is worth 25% of the final mark. Each exam lasts 1 hour.
Qualification: GCSE in Latin
Exam Board:OCR GCSE - Latin (9-1) - J282 - OCR
Director of Learning: Mr A McHale
"I picked Latin at GCSE because the literature we studied appealed to me so much! I wanted to know about the origins of our modern languages, and I didn't realise how many words sound and look alike! It's always fun to see what words/phrases look like in comparison to English! Furthermore, the literature is so interesting to see all the techniques that have been used, as well as the way it's structured; the storylines are all very interesting as well! Latin really helps you understand the etymology of our language! We hope to have you on the Latin course next year!"
"I have thoroughly enjoyed the Latin course, learning of Regulus’ deceit was thrilling, and I enjoyed reading the story of Germanicus and Piso, each lesson left me wanting to know more and translate more. The handouts given at the start of the course were extremely useful, especially the grammar books which helped me understand the endings more, and was an easy resource to use whenever I was working out what tense a word was during translation. The vocabulary handout and mini-tests were extremely useful and helped me to remember them more. Overall I really recommend taking Latin, it will make the two years of GCSE fun!"
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