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Latin A2 Thread

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I wish my college did classical language A-levels, i'm having to self-study :frown:


wow. Umm well I literally don't know what to say to that! Perhaps this year people focused loads on the prose paper as Livy's horrific- if people who spent loads of time on it smashed it, it could explain why the marks for some people are lower than expected.
Original post by John Stuart Mill
I wish my college did classical language A-levels, i'm having to self-study :frown:


Mine only offered latin as an extra-curricular: try taking an A-Level in 2 lunchtimes a week! I'm also self-studying Ancient Greek as it wasnt offered
Original post by FloydRix
why learn a language thats dead

Why learn any?

(I'm into both modern and ancient languages, but just saying using the pragmatic approach all you need is English, oh and get rid of English lit. While we are at it :smile:)
Original post by John Stuart Mill
I wish my college did classical language A-levels, i'm having to self-study :frown:


Don't be down - I self-studied for both Latin and Greek and ended up with an A* in Greek and an A in Latin!
I've just had my Latin Prose script back, and some of the marking looks a little suspect. Got 33/50 for prose comp, then 16/25 and 15/25 on the essays.
Original post by LuxVeritatis
I've just had my Latin Prose script back, and some of the marking looks a little suspect. Got 33/50 for prose comp, then 16/25 and 15/25 on the essays.


Ok, I think I'm going to send mine off probably then, as I only got A few ums above you, and considering I was getting 22-23/25 on my practice essays, around 16 for essays doesn't sound right at all. If you send it off, let me know what happens- I've got to wait until september 4th for my school to be open again!
If you PM me your email address, I will forward you a copy of the script so you can take a look at it if you would like!
where all of you examined under the OCR board. I am getting both of my A2 modules remarked because I'm only a few UMS away from an A grade.
Yes - OCR is the only board which does Classics A Levels now.
Original post by LuxVeritatis
Yes - OCR is the only board which does Classics A Levels now.


LOL Apparently OCR is really dodgy. Not good.
Original post by LuxVeritatis
I've just had my Latin Prose script back, and some of the marking looks a little suspect. Got 33/50 for prose comp, then 16/25 and 15/25 on the essays.


Ah thanks for the feedback. I was on 75 UMS for prose which I think was a result of my iffy translation, so I'm a bit less keen on getting the script back, but will rethink it after this!
Reply 312
Original post by Julia Iremonger
Hey :smile: Just wondering for latin is like for a level... I did it for GCSE and I really enjoyed it but sadly my school didn't offer it for a level.


Hi there, Latin A-Level is a huge step up from GCSE I found :s-smilie:
These are the personalities which I have dealt with: Caesar, Cicero, Sallust and Virgil. All of them are difficult in their own manner, but in terms of translation and in comparison Caesar was the easiest writer, while Virgil was the most difficult one so far.
(edited 10 years ago)
Reply 314
Hello all!
For anybody who is doing the unseen Ovid translations, note that the specification says you can be tested on any Ovid hexameters. However, the only thing Ovid actually wrote in hexameter is the Metamorphoses, so it might be worth giving it a quick read in English, so you have some vague idea who the characters are and what the story is about. It's easy to be caught out by people suddenly becoming trees, boars, stags and other bizzare things!
Original post by HJJ
Hello all!
For anybody who is doing the unseen Ovid translations, note that the specification says you can be tested on any Ovid hexameters. However, the only thing Ovid actually wrote in hexameter is the Metamorphoses, so it might be worth giving it a quick read in English, so you have some vague idea who the characters are and what the story is about. It's easy to be caught out by people suddenly becoming trees, boars, stags and other bizzare things!


A quick read of a 600 page book in translation...?
Original post by SeanPaulFan
A quick read of a 600 page book in translation...?


You said it! I would even not read 600 pages in my native language, not to mention in Latin quickly.
(edited 9 years ago)
Did any of you guys retake Latin AS a few days back?

Looking at that paper again was like a dream; so much easier I practically sight-read it. If only A2 Latin Prose Comp now would be like that ;_;
(edited 9 years ago)
Reply 318
Original post by MakeContact
Did any of you guys retake Latin AS a few days back?

Looking at that paper again was like a dream; so much easier I practically sight-read it. If only A2 Latin Prose Comp now would be like that ;_;


Didn't retake, now I'm kinda of regretting that decision- I could use the extra marks, cause the A2 stuff is so ridiculously difficult. I think I'm just going to have to admit defeat for the prose paper, but I'm still kind of revising for verse- does anyone have a list of Aeneid essay questions?
Original post by Tweak6
Didn't retake, now I'm kinda of regretting that decision- I could use the extra marks, cause the A2 stuff is so ridiculously difficult. I think I'm just going to have to admit defeat for the prose paper, but I'm still kind of revising for verse- does anyone have a list of Aeneid essay questions?


The AS retake was a dream. You definitely should have done it. 1h30 of pure exam bliss. The only problems I had was finding too many ways to translate things.

As for Aeneid questions, I just revised vague themes, like the relationship between Aeneas and Dido, the death of Dido, the similes used, the role of the gods, the fate of Aeneas, and stuff like that. The best thing to do would be to just read the whole of book 4 and highlight the themes that you can see and plan essays around them.

And yeah...prose...*waves white flag of surrender*. I'm okay at the literature, and I do really like the language, but its just that the mistakes build up over time and make you fail harder :s-smilie:

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