Latin 2
Darren Keefe, ’87
The Purpose and Nature of the Course
The aim of Latin 2 is to bring students closer to the point that they can read
authentic Latin with precision and speed. Building on the students’ progress in
Latin 1, this course address the remainder Latin grammar and attempts to equip
him with a set of reading strategies sophisticated enough to allow him to manage
the complexity of the language on his own.
Learning to read Latin well confers lasting benefits of many types. At one level, it
gives students direct access to some of the most important texts of western
civilization. At another, it provides the best possible foundation for the serious
study of Romance and other Indo-European languages. Most generally and perhaps
most important, it produces an organized understanding of how language conveys
meaning—a boon in any endeavor in which the student is required to hone his own
thoughts or make them clear to others.
Because these benefits are so much greater for students who learn the language
comprehensively than for those who come to understand it merely piecemeal, our
approach will be methodical, and thorough work will be expected.
Staying on Track
Learning to read Latin well requires a combination of abstract conceptual work and
rote mastery of forms. The grading for the course will focus on both parts of this
combination, although more frequently on the latter. Indeed, the vast majority of
homework in the course will be to prepare for a following day’s quiz on word forms,
vocabulary, or some discrete point of grammar. Tests will be less frequent and will
be geared toward the larger concepts that underlie Latin grammar as a whole.
Each semester’s grade will be derived thus:
55% quizzes
30% tests (including the midterm exam)
15% semester exam
As a recipe for success in this course, I would offer students the following:
1.
2.
3.
4.
come to school every day
do your homework thoroughly
get the most out of class time
monitor your own understanding
Course Materials
The work of the course will be tied mainly to Ritchie’s Fabulae Faciles, an
intermediate Latin reader which has been in wide use for several generations. I will
also, however, supply students with a number of supplementary materials at
various points over the year.
Each day students must bring to class:
1. their Latin reading material
2. a notebook
3. a folder or binder for storing quizzes, tests, and other materials
4. blank 3” x 5” flashcards
5. a pen or pencil
Teacher Information
A member of St. Ignatius’ class of 1987, I hold a B.A. in Classics from Dartmouth
College and a Ph.D. in Classics from the University of Michigan. Before joining the St.
Ignatius faculty last year, I had been teaching Latin and Greek at the middle school,
high school, or college level since 1991, most recently for eleven years at University
School in Hunting Valley, Ohio. I belong to St. Dominic parish in Shaker Heights and
am an alumnus of its grade school.
I can be reached by email at dkeefe@ignatius.edu and by phone at (216) 651-0222