We have a strong line in supporting students who have begun Latin at university. This could of course just as easily be postgraduates or even lecturers from classical or other disciplines who for whatever reason are starting or have recently started Latin as adults. (We have for example had American university professors with us as students.) Our aim, in short, is to support the Latin learning of as many students as possible, regardless of experience or background. Our main focus (other than for the complete beginners) is on increasing fluency and reading more widely, providing an additional confidence in the language and interest in the literature. The tutors are all highly qualified subject specialists, of whom almost all are practising Classics teachers from some of the UK’s leading schools.
Depending on the overall distribution of students each year, these groups may consist solely of university students or may include school students studying Latin who are at a comparable level.
“Less Advanced” Courses
These courses are intended primarily to increase fluency, for students who have had some but not much exposure to Latin, by reading more literature in the original. Tutors choose texts intended to best suit the students based on the information they and their referees provide. A lot of groups will use readers such as:
- Wheelock – Selections from Latin Literature
- Murgatroyd – Apuleius, Metamorphoses and From Augustus to Nero
- Balme and Morwood – Cupid and Psyche and The Millionaire’s Dinner Party
- The Oxford and Cambridge Latin Anthologies
“More Advanced” Courses
We expose students who have already read a decent amount of original Latin to a wider range of texts and authors. Typically selections from 3-4 texts are studied. Care is always taken to ensure that we do not cover anything which any students have already read. Tutors choose texts based on the information which the students and referees provide. An able group will read a selection of authors they may never have seen, to get a wider knowledge of literature, awareness of different styles and a better base of texts under their belt to talk about in future university applications. For example, one group recently read:
- Seneca, Letters (a selection)
- Suetonius – Nero (selection)
- Tacitus – Annals 14 (selection)
- Lucan – de bello civili book 7 (in its entirety)