Latin

Rationale and Aims

Rationale

Through accessing and translating Latin texts and engaging with artefacts, students make connections with ancient worlds that have shaped contemporary life and societies. Knowledge of Latin and the ancient Roman world enriches students’ awareness of how an ancient civilisation influences life and thought in the contemporary world.

Latin has been taught in Victoria since the 1800s. Studying Latin enables students to develop their understanding of how language works as a system, enhances their capability to communicate, and extends their literacy skills. Students become familiar with many complex linguistic operations and with the metalanguage used to denote different usages and structures. Such principles can be applied to the study of other languages, ancient or modern, related or distant. Students are able to increase their understanding of the workings of languages they seek to learn, as well as those already in their background.

The study of Latin exercises students’ intellectual curiosity, strengthens their cognitive, analytical and reflective capabilities, and enhances their creative and critical thinking. Through their reading, analysis and translation of texts, students of Latin develop their thinking processes, such as close attention to detail, precision, accuracy, memory, persistence and logic. When translating, students make sense of ancient ideas, experiences, values and attitudes, giving prominence to shades of meaning, thus increasing their dexterity of thought. Through the focus on analysis and precise translation of texts, students develop their capacity to learn in a systematic and disciplined manner.

Learning Latin enhances students’ understanding of English, due to the influence of Latin on the alphabet and vocabulary of English. The influence of Latin on the vocabulary of English is enormous. The greatest influence has been the adoption of countless literary, legal, political and scientific words from Latin to enable scholarly discourse in English. Students of Latin increase their knowledge of English vocabulary beyond basic usage to include abstract and sophisticated language.

Studying Latin enhances students’ enjoyment and understanding of their own and other cultures. Students examine the language used to denote values in different cultures, both ancient and contemporary, and understand the diversity that exists, and has always existed, in cultural values. They gain insight into enduring moral and social issues, such as the structure of society, the role of the family and discrimination based on race, gender or religion. Through critical reflection on and comparisons with the history, culture, values and practices of the ancient world, learning Latin contributes to students’ development as responsible citizens, locally and globally.

Aims

The 3 interrelated aims of the Latin curriculum are to develop knowledge, understanding and skills to ensure students:

• engage with the language, history and culture of the ancient Roman world through interaction with texts
• understand language, culture and learning and their relationship, through the medium of Latin texts and artefacts, and thereby develop intercultural understanding
• understand how their own experience of learning Latin extends their ways of viewing, engaging in and interpreting the contemporary world.