Course Description: The goal of this course is to introduce the student to the classical Latin language. We will treat Latin as we would any other language, speaking it in class, composing it, reading it out loud, listening to it on tapes, making and performing dialogues, and singing it. By the end of this semester you can expect to be able to speak, and more importantly to read, simple Latin with acumen, fluency, and pleasure, while also gaining a sense of Roman culture and its interest for us today.
Requirements: This course will require above all else a consistent and steady effort to keep up with the assignments. These assignments will be manageable if done when assigned, but due the the nature of language study they will be insurmountable if delayed that is, if you only study the night before the midterms and final, you may, just may, pass, but you will be totally unprepared to pass Latin 201. Therefore, with the goal of preparing for Latin 201, you will be graded in the following way (though these cold percentages will be somewhat flexibly weighed under special circumstances):
Grading:
Assignments: We will attempt to finish one chapter a week from our textbook, though the later chapters will require more time. Each chapter will present various exercises, both written and oral, ranging from clozes to Latin composition. At the end of each chapter a quiz will be given to review and solidify the material. A midterm and final will be given to review the larger units of the course. All tests and quizzes will include facets of our regular exercises such as original composition, questions and answers in Latin, reading comprehension, and grammatical drill.
Texts: H.A. Oerberg,Lingua Latina, Pars I, Volumina I et II.
Attendance: Since class participation is a significant graded percentage of this course, each class a student misses will detract from this grade. Several absences will not do permanent damage, but more than 8 (out of 42 meetings -- i.e. almost 20%) will be serious.
Honor Policy: Like any academic work at UR all work done for this course falls under the honor code. If you have any doubt what constitutes "unauthorized assistance," please come and talk to the instructor before trying it.