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Latin and Classical Greek in S4

Hi all,

I'm 15 years old and will be going into S4 after the summer holidays. I'm making this thread primarily for people who have had experience with SQA Int 2/SG Latin and/or Classical Greek.

As I am going into 4th year, I shall be doing my Int 2/SG exams. I'm currently doing a good mix of exams, including French and German - I am an above average student who is predicted to get A's in every subject (except - Mathematics) who is has been doing Latin for the past 6 months rather informally and irregularly and I find it to be fairly easygoing.

My Ancient Greek textbook arrived yesterday in the post and I've been trying the exercises out. I can't really make an educated judgement on how I find it. I'm told that not very many people in Scotland do this exam.

Considering the fact I will be doing 8 Int 2/SG courses and Higher Modern Studies. Would it be overbearing to do both Greek and Latin also at Int 2 level.

In general - How did you find both courses? From past papers it looks as though you dont need to learn any vocabulary at all, due to a word list being presented. Apparently only the grammar is what you aren't provided (obviously).
Original post by max.bm
Hi all,
x
.


I am assuming your wanting to do Languages after school?

First think about this: Why do you need to do so much. 8 Int.2's/SG + 1 Higher is already a very high workload. And it really is unnecessary.

If you are so adament about doing this though. I'd choose to only do one in S4, then the other in S5. I'd take Latin as you already have experience, while doing what your doing with Latin now, with Classical Greek over the next year (Informal learning, as a hobby)

I would take Latin in S4 (at Int.2) Classical Greek in S5(Int.2, alongside 5 Highers) And then if you wish to proceed with them further take Higher in both in S6.

(I'd like it to be noted I have NOT done either of these subjects, and am just giving general advice)
(edited 11 years ago)
Reply 2
Original post by TheFOMaster
I am assuming your wanting to do Languages after school?

First think about this: Why do you need to do so much. 8 Int.2's/SG + 1 Higher is already a very high workload. And it really is unnecessary.

)


No, I don't want to do languages after school, at least not exclusively. I find the Classical period fascinating and to do Oxford's Classics course you have to do Ancient Greek and Latin to A Level/Advanced Higher. I'd like to keep my options as broad as possible, so I am considering the Classics course.

I always thought that 7 Int.2/SG was the bog standard for every pupil across the country. I'm taking extra RMPS and Higher Modern Studies. Last year I managed to do Higher Politics also, and I'm waiting for my results in that :biggrin:. That course, along with Latin and Greek are not offered on option forms. I do them after school.

Thanks for your thoughts.
(edited 11 years ago)
Original post by max.bm
No, I don't want to do languages after school, at least not exclusively. I find the Classical period fascinating and to do Oxford's Classics course you have to do Ancient Greek and Latin to A Level/Advanced Higher. I'd like to keep my options as broad as possible, so I am considering the Classics course.

I always thought that 7 Int.2/SG was the bog standard for every pupil across the country. I'm taking extra RMPS and Higher Modern Studies. Last year I managed to do Higher Politics also, and I'm waiting for my results in that :biggrin:. That course, along with Latin and Greek are not offered on option forms. I do them after school.

Thanks for your thoughts.


Well it is good to keep your options open :P (I didn't and I'm stuck along the Science Route, No complaints though)

8 is the Standard for 3rd and 4th year, You said last year you done Higher Politics yourself? That means you sat 1 exam. This year, if I'm following you right you'll be doing 1 Higher exam, and 10 Int.2 exams. I feel that that would be far to much a workload which means you could end up doing badly in subjects due to too much work.

If your self studying the subjects and are truly adamant about doing Classics at Oxford, then since your doing French and German assuming you get good grades in S4 couldn't you just Crash Self-study the Higher Courses instead in S5? Or Advanced Higher in S6?
I've just done this year's Latin Int 2 exam, I found the translation really easy (always has been :smile:!) but for interpretation it was pretty hard!(Only because I didn't revise since I wasn't planning to take it to Higher, but if I'd revised, I'm sure it would've been easy as well.) Haha, Latin definitely is a rare subject since we had 12 pupils out 180 doing the exam this year and only 2 of them are going to take it for Highers :colondollar:! Becareful in the exam and make sure you always read the question carefully, they always put a few trick questions in! But I'm not taking Latin next year cause I'm doing mainly Sciences so I'm fine if I didn't do that well in it. Plus, I still have my Chinese A-Level :smile:

For Greek - I never took it, but only one person in our whole entire school took Greek this year and we have more than 1000 pupils in our school.

But our Latin lessons were really boring and they dragged on forever since all we did were hours upon hours of grammar (but it was still relatively easy)! But if you're interested in languages then by all means go for it!

I wouldn't go against studying a lot of subjects at once since I did a bit of that too, I self-studied Physics A-Level last year at 13 and got an A*, having never done the Standard Grade course. And I self-studied Chinese A-Level this year and I'm just waiting for the results. So this year, I did 5 Int 2/Str. Grd., 2 Highers and, an A-Level which I had to start from scratch, and there is a lot of work involved with Chinese (I did the hard version (Cantonese) of Chinese). In my opinion, if you have the talent then studying many subjects at the same time won't be of any difficulty :smile:!

I think you would cope with both courses since they're both Classics so they are similar in a way :smile:.
(edited 11 years ago)
Reply 5
Thanks for those comments, apparently less than 1000 people in Scotland take the Greek exam.
Original post by max.bm
less than 1000 people in Scotland take the Greek exam.


Knock two zeros off the end and you'd still be correct :p:
I did Latin to Advanced Higher. Int 2 Latin was easily my favourite subject, though at times it was pretty rough since I was doing it as an 8th subject after school. Higher Latin was ridiculously easy, much easier than Int 2 because most of it is just going over Int 2 again. Int 2 itself involves a bit of a learning curve as far as translation is involved, but interp is very very easy.

Latin is the best kept secret in the Scottish education system: hardly anyone does it because they think it's hard, but it's very interesting, and if you're good at languages then it's basically 1st year level English, since the interp questions are about 3 years behind the level of Int 2 English itself because you have to do it on a Latin text. But once you've learned the Latin text, its like doing Foundation Close Reading on a text you've been studying for a year.
(edited 11 years ago)
Reply 8
Original post by max.bm
Thanks for those comments, apparently less than 1000 people in Scotland take the Greek exam.


Alls I am going to say max.bm is that you should of took greek. My friend dont you know that classical greek is the root to the whole western language, the whole western civilisation comes from the greeks. everything ties back to ancient greece. They were the greatest civilisation to have ever existed. And they were the cleverest. Also most words you know today in the english dictionary derive from ancient greece. You are unwise to doubt the greeks. Latin language come from greek and was simply changed.

This was posted from The Student Room's Android App on my ST15i
Original post by Autolatry M
My friend dont you know that classical greek is the root to the whole western language, the whole western civilisation comes from the greeks.

Their influence was huge, but you're getting carried away with yourself here.

Latin language come from greek and was simply changed.


This is just false.
I dont believe I am getting carried away at all.

If you know ancient greece you will know everything.

Trust me my friend.

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