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The Cambridge Latin Course, Units 1 and 2, open the door to the Latin language and literature for the beginning student through adapted readings about a Roman family living in Pompeii. Students will engage in the following activities: reading Latin aloud and silently; asking and answering Latin questions about the readings; translating Latin sentences into English and vice-versa; memorizing and using vocabulary; developing listening and speaking skills; studying the history and origin of English words derived from Latin; and learning about the customs, history, and mythology of the ancient Romans, especially as they have affected our own culture today. The aims of the course are: to teach students to read Latin accurately and confidently; and to familiarize students with life in the early Roman Empire.
Latin 2 continues the progress of first-year Latin. Students will read and write more sophisticated Latin, incorporating passive voice, various types of clauses, participles, infinitives and the subjunctive mood (mode), as they begin to transition to “real Latin,” authentic primary sources from the Roman era.
In Latin 2H, the more advanced students will more quickly acquire new knowledge of Latin grammar and sentence structures to enable them to read more sophisticated works of prose and poetry. Students continue to learn about various aspects of Roman culture and history using the Cambridge Latin Course Unit 3.
*Class receives honors weighting in SI weighted GPA
Latin 3 Poetry is an intermediate level language course designed for those students who have acquired satisfactory competency during their first two years of language study. The course builds upon the skills and material covered in Latin 1 and 2. It reviews all major grammatical structures and introduces a broader scope of grammatical knowledge. Latin 3 students will acquire greater confidence in their ability to read and translate Latin through the love poems of Catullus and the mythological stories of Ovid.
NOTE: LATIN 3 POETRY is offered in the Fall of even years (2024, 2026, etc.)
Cambridge Latin Course Unit 4. Latin 3H is an advanced language course designed for the superior Latin students who wish to continue to refine their Latin skills and reading ability. New grammar includes all uses of the subjunctive mood, gerund and gerundive; the student’s overriding task is to read and comprehend the variety of clauses and constructions which typically form the Latin periodic sentence. A study of rhetoric accompanies readings from speeches of Cicero. In addition to the prose readings mentioned in the description of Latin 3, the 3H student will study a selected Latin author, reading excerpts from his original works. Latin 3H is strongly recommended for students intending to enroll in Latin 4AP in the following year.
*Class receives honors weighting in SI weighted GPA and UC/CSU GPA calculations
Latin 4 Poetry is an advanced level language course for the serious student who has mastered the basic elements and concepts of Latin 1 and 2, and those students wishing to continue their Latin study but not as Advanced Placement. The Latin Poetry 3/4 student completes the learning of Latin forms and grammar, concentrating on use of infinitives, subjunctive verbs, gerunds and gerundives as used
by Roman poets such as Catullus, Ovid, Vergil and Martial. Students will encounter the genres of love poetry, myth, epic and satire.
NOTE: LATIN 4 POETRY is offered in the Fall of even years (2024, 2026, etc.)
Mandarin 1 is a two-semester course designed for beginners. No background in Mandarin is presumed or required. Mandarin 1 introduces students to the four basic skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing in Mandarin Chinese. As students gain knowledge, understanding and fluency, the communication in class will be conducted in Mandarin only. By the end of the year, students are expected to pronounce the sound of Mandarin with reasonable accuracy, and to understand and sustain simple conversations in Chinese. Students will be exposed to Chinese culture in order to develop an understanding of and appreciation for different cultures and people, customs, behavior and traditions.
Mandarin 2 is a two-semester course that continues the study and development of Mandarin. This course will have combination of acquiring elementary to low intermediate level of Mandarin language use along with Chinese culture information. Students will continue developing skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing, and expanding knowledge of grammatical structures. Instruction in written Chinese will be a combination of simplified and traditional characters. The transcription of Mandarin sounds will be in Hanyu Pinyin.
Mandarin 2H is an accelerated course designed to challenge the student who, during his/her first year, has actively participated in class, mastered the grammar and vocabulary presented in level one and/or demonstrated the ability to advance more rapidly than the average college preparatory student. The teacher will aid students in acquiring the following skills: increased oral proficiency on a variety of topics, an expanded vocabulary, the ability to read selections appropriate to low intermediate level students and increased ability to write essays. The course materials are designed to stimulate conversation and to perfect that skill, striving to imitate the native speaker’s pronunciation, accent, and rhythm, as the student’s abilities increase. Students will also become more informed about some of the contemporary problems and difficulties affecting Chinese communities. Students will further develop their ability to express themselves in spoken and written Mandarin Chinese.
*Class receives honors weighting in SI weighted GPA
Mandarin 3 is a third-year course that continues the study and development of Mandarin to high intermediate level. This course builds upon the skills and materials covered in Mandarin 1 and 2. It broadens the range of grammatical structures the students can effectively use in day-to-day communication, focusing on listening and reading comprehension skills, and developing students’ oral and written skills in the language. This course includes a closer look at the classic and modern Chinese culture, enriching the student’s vocabulary and deepening his or her awareness of the Mandarin-speaking world. This class is conducted mainly in Mandarin, except when complex grammar concepts require a clearer explanation in English. Students are expected to speak in Mandarin at all times.
