LATIN 104 – B1: Beginners' (Enriched) Latin II
Winter term 2014
Quippe id est homini naturale, ac sicut aves
volatum, equi ad cursum, ad saevitiam ferae
gignuntur, ita nobis propria est mentis agitatio
atque sollertia
Instructor: Dr. MacFarlane (aut "Magistra")
Office: Tory 2-66
Email: kmacfarl@ualberta.ca
This is natural to humans: as birds are born for flying,
horses for speed, beasts of prey for ferocity, so are we
for the intelligent application of the mind (Quintilian
1.1.1)
Class Times: MTWF 10:00 – 10:50
Student Contact Hours: MTW 11-12 (or by app't)
Office Phone: 492-0403
Quia: http://www.quia.com/profiles/kmacfarlane22
(here, you will find games and exercises designed to drill McKeown's grammar and vocabulary)
Course Description:
This course is intended for students who plan to continue on with upper-year Latin. We will continue with the
basics of Latin grammar and syntax and progress to reading and writing more complex constructions and
reading slightly adapted "real" Latin. We will complete chapters 14-23 of McKeown's Classical Latin.
Course Goals:
The intentions of this course are for you to:
1. become familiar with more advanced Latin grammar and syntax;
2. expand your active Latin vocabulary;
3. read and write complex Latin sentences;
4. increase your familiarity with Roman culture;
5. improve your knowledge and usage of the English language in the process; and
6. be well prepared to read "real" Latin in the following year (either in LATIN 301 or through further
personal study of the beauty that is the Latin language).
Required Texts:
J.C. McKeown, Classical Latin: An Introductory Course (Hackett, 2010).
K A MacFarlane, Fabulae Pleniores: A Reader to Accompany McKeown's Latin (2014) (availabe via eClass)
Recommended Materials:
Norma Goldman and Ladislas Szymanski, English Grammar for Students of Latin, Olivia Hill Press, 1993.
(You may find this useful in explaining the basic rules of English and Latin grammar)
Grading and Assignments:
Class Participation
Homework
Quizzes
5%
10%
10%
Test 1 (Mon. Feb. 10)
Test 2 (Fri. March 7)
Final (Wed. April 23; 9-11am)
15%
25%
35%
Marking Scheme:
(NB: You must earn a minimum grade of 55% in order to pass this course. While marks will generally be
calculated using raw scores which will then be converted to letter grades according to the following chart, I
reserve the right to assess students' overall performance, taking into account such things as completion of the
requirements of the course as well as improvement and/or deterioration in performance when assigning final
grades.)
A+ 97-100%
A 93-96%
A- 89-92%
B+ 85-88%
B 81-84%
B- 77-80%
C+ 73-76%
C 69-72%
C- 65-68
D+ 61-64%
D 55-60
F 54% and lower
Policies:
1. Course Outlines:
a. "Policy about course outlines can be found in section 23.4(2) of the University Calendar"
2. Recording of Classes
a. "Audio or video recording of lectures, labs, seminars or any other teaching environment by
students is allowed only with the prior written consent of the instructor or as part of an approved
accomodation plan. Recorded material is to be used solely for personal study, and is not to be
used or distributed for any other purpose without written consent from the instructor."
3. Participation:
a. Regular attendance and active participation are crucial to language learning; mere physical presence
in the classroom will not suffice either for learning Latin or for earning marks for Participation.
b. The best way to learn Latin is to interact with Latin through participation in class. You are expected
to attend every class, having prepared the assigned exercises and done the assigned homework, and
to be willing and able to follow along with and participate in class work.
i. Students who chose not to attend class must assume whatever risks are involved (see
Calendar 23.3 & 23.5.6)
c. I assign participation grades roughly as follows:
A range = contributions of high quality in every class
B range = quality participation in most classes
C range = little participation except when required
D range = poor participation even when required
F (0 pts) = physical presence, but no participation (or regular absence from class)
4. Quizzes & Homework:
a. We will have a quiz (max. 10 mins) at the start of class (almost) every Monday and Friday.
b. The weekly quizzes are designed to keep you paced and to let us both know if (or when) I lose you;
essentially, quizzes can ensure steady mastery of Latin.
c. The lowest 2 quiz scores will be dropped.
d. Missed quizzes, including quizzes missed by arriving to class late or quizzes missed for legitimate
reasons, can't be made up. (This is why there are 2 "free" quizzes.)
e. There will be homework to hand in (almost) every Tuesday and Wednesday. This homework is in
addition to the homework required to keep up with and participate in the exercises in class. Like the
quizzes, the homeworks will help you master Latin.
f. The lowest 2 homework assignment will be dropped.
g. Late homework will not be accepted; missed homework can't be made up. (This is why there are 2
"free" homeworks.)
5. Tests and Final Exam:
a. All tests are, necessarily, cumulative in grammar and vocabulary. Just as you can't forget how to add
when you move on to division, you can't forget the indicative when moving on to the subjunctive.
b. The dates for the tests and final exam are as scheduled and can't be changed.
c. It is not possible to make up a missed test unless you have a valid reason for missing the test,
supported by the appropriate documentation (e.g., a medical problem, verified by a doctor's note; a
death in the family, verified by a note from the funeral home).
d. If you do miss a test for a legitimate and documented reason, contact me, in person, by phone, or by
email, as soon as possible. Advance notice is appreciated.
6. Helpful Hints:
a. Spend at least one hour each and every day, weekends included, studying, reviewing, and preparing
your Latin. This hour of daily review is in addition to time spent in class.
b. Do not write out an English translation, bring it to class, and read from it. This method will
guarantee that you do not learn Latin. Instead, read the Latin ahead of time, making notes of
unfamiliar vocabulary or complex grammar, and read from the clean Latin text in class; you may
refer to your notes in class if necessary. If you work consistently with the Latin text you find your
knowledge of Latin and your reading ability steadily improve.
c. Memorize your Principal Parts of verbs! Memorize the Nominative form, the Genitive form, the
gender and the meaning of nouns! Memorize the uses of various cases, verb forms, etc! I cannot
stress this enough. You cannot properly understand or translate a Latin sentence if you cannot
recognize the words used or the forms they appear in, or the reasons why that particular form was
used. Memorize, memorize, memorize! It takes time and effort, yes, but the rewards are substantial.
d. Flash cards are your friends! Use them to review vocabulary, paradigms, etc. as you walk to class,
wait for lectures to start, during commercials, etc. etc. etc.
e. Make it your goal to learn at least 15 new vocabulary words per day, weekends included, and
remember to review, review, review old vocabulary.
f. Keep a computer file or regular notebook or flashcards with running entries on grammar usage and
constructions; review these often.
7. Problems:
a. If ever you find that you are having difficulties with the material, do not allow them to become
worse by avoiding class or me. Problems are easier to solve when handled early.
b. One easy way to avoid problems is to ask questions. Feel free to ask questions during class if you
need clarification, want the material repeated. Do not ask questions of your seatmates during class.
This distracts them, the people around you, and me.
c. One easy way to create problems, for you, your classmates, and for me, is to spend class time
chatting with your buddies (in class or via text message) rather than paying attention to and
participating in the exercises. For the sake of your grade and the grades of others, confine your
chatting to outside of class and turn OFF and put away your cellphones.
d. You are always welcome to come by my office - if my door is ajar, I am available to help you. If I'm
not there, email me and we can set up a time to meet.
8. Academic Offenses:
a. The University of Alberta is committed to the highest standards of academic integrity and honesty.
Students are expected to be familiar with these standards regarding academic honesty and to uphold
the policies of the University in this respect. Students are particularly urged to familiarize
themselves with the provisions of the Code of Student Behavior and avoid any behavior which could
potentially result in suspicions of cheating, plagiarism, misrepresentation of facts and/or
participation in an offence. Academic dishonesty is a serious offence and can result in suspension or
expulsion from the University." (U of A Calendar 23.4.2c)
i. of special note to students in language classes: excessive editorial or creative help on
homework assignments is a form of cheating and carries serious consequences. Be sure
that the homework you are handing in for credit is your own work.
b. Like the U of A, I have a zero-tolerance policy for cheating and plagiarism. I will not hesitate to seek
the highest possible penalty against anyone caught committing these offenses or helping others to
commit them.
c. Ignorance of what constitutes academic offenses is not an acceptable defense. Refer to the Code of
Student Behaviour in the Calendar (pages 652-675) for a full description of academic offenses and
their possible penalties. If you have any questions, see me or see The University Secretariat's page at
www.ualberta.ca/SECRETARIAT/appeals.html