Dr. Derrick G. Pitard
Class Meeting: arranged with the instructor
Office: SWC 313 L
Office Hours: TBDecided by mutual consent
Contact: (738-)2369, or

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My goodness: why take Latin? It can't be denied that interest in the language relies heavily on a student's intellectual curiosity. This should not be undervalued. One of the "University Outcomes" which SRU wants to encourage in students is that they "demonstrate intellectual curiousity," and for good reason. Curiosity gives joy to learning, and we should encourage it. To do so is a primary goal of the course.

Beyond this, however, why spend the credit hours on it? What can it do for me, since I can't travel to ancient Rome? Actually, you can travel to ancient Rome (and medieval Europe) in books. But there are practical reasons to study it. It helps in language learning, since your awareness of how language works will grow because you will learn much about how grammar makes meaning. Much English vocabulary derives directly from Latin, or from Latin via other languages.  Latin also helps with reading in general because it is a phonetic language--you pronounce each letter. One result of all this is that Latin high school students gain higher SAT and ACH scores:  of course, college students are past the stage of needing these tests, but the increased linguistic capabilities these scores indicate are at least as crucial for later learners to develop. To gain linguistic proficiency, in Latin and English, comprises the second key goal of the course.

The third goal is to learn about Latin culture and its linguistic arts. While the puzzle solving involved in reading is gratifying and valuable, however, it doesn't express all that is fun about the language. Latin studies removes you in time as well as space from your current culture, but nevertheless can give many of the rewards of multicultural study; we can learn to comprehend another culture's practices and values. The study of Latin culture is also special because it is not simply different but foundational: many core texts in western culture were composed in Latin.  Learning about these, therefore, inevitably amplifies the study of any western culture--and other cultures which Latinity affected. Many Latin texts (but FAR from all) are translated, of course, but to read them in their own language will ask you to appreciate the meanings of words long lost or altered, to summon up contexts long changed, to connect these to contemporary contexts, and to enjoy the artistic structures and implications which are unique to Latin’s sound, syntactic structure, and sense.

You will have to order these for yourself on-line; they will not be ordered via the SRU Bookstore. And do not order any until you have met with your professor to discuss you goals for the course.

1. Wheelock's Latin, 6th ed., revised. There is also a Workbook for Wheelock's Latin which we may decide to use. This book has spawned a series of study guides. One is Vocabulary Cards and Grammatical Forms Summary for Wheelock's Latin, a second is a set of Vocabulary Cards for Wheelock's Latin, and third is Readings from Wheelock's Latin. Dale Grote's A Comprehensive Guide to Wheelock's Latin contains extended discussions of each chapter's grammar lesson, with helpful illustrations.
2. 38 Latin Stories, 5th ed., by Groton and May. These readings accompany the chapters in Wheelock.
3. Two other other study aids will be helpful. One is a Latin-English/English-Latin dictionary; I highly recommend the New College Dictionary, though others are out there. The other is 501 Latin Verbs or 555 Latin Verbs.
4. Bring in a 1-inch, three-ring binder, with tabs to divide it into at least a half-dozen sections. You will be compiling your own notebook as part of your course grade.

You will need to put in an hour or so every day to do well in this course. The need for this regular work is inescapable. Language learning is like gardening, or like learning a musical instrument: you make much more progress a lot faster--and therefore enjoy it a lot more--by doing a little bit regularly instead of blitzing through 6 hours once a week. I have structured the grading in the class to encourage this by putting a good part of the final grade--almost half--on the homework and the notebook, which you work on at home rather than the less regular in-class tests. This homework is due regularly, and will be graded. You will be asked to show off what you learn in a series of quizzes and exams. The memory work required for these is what makes the knowledge yours.

Because this course, as an individualized instruction, always has three or fewer students in it, policies are decided collaboratively with the instructor. There will need to be, however, several basic principles to the course's structure:

1. We will meet three times per week--to keep as little time as possible between class meetings.
2. If you must miss a class, please beforehand. You have asked for someone to devote preparation and class time to this course, and to you personally, above and beyond a regular teaching load, so please respect that time. We will agree on an attendance policy together early in term.
3. Homework needs to be turned in the class after it has been assigned because it forms the beginning of the work for the next class. If you haven't done the work, the next class will be much less meaningful because you won't have a clear understanding of what has gone before to build on. Consistency in this is crucial because language learning is cumulative.

1. The grading in the class goes by percentages, and will be graded only on an ABCDF system. Here are the criteria for grading. Within a limited range, the percentages are negotiable:
   • All work must be completed to pass the course.
   • Homework assignments are collectively worth 40% of the final grade. Homework will be given out at almost every meeting, and is due at the start of the next meeting. There will about two dozen of these during term.
   • There will be short quizzes during term; these are collectively worth 15% of the final grade.
   • There will be 2 mid-terms; these are each worth 15% of the final grade.
   • The final exam is worth 20% of the final grade.
   • Your notebook is worth 10% of the final grade. Here is a handout on notebook structure. Note that between this and the homework, 50% of your final grade is made up of open-book, at-home work!
2. Note that I have to give a grade based on work that you have done--I can't give a good grade for being a hard worker ("effort") if you at the same time (for whatever reason) haven't been able to complete work for the course. If you are putting in your hour a day and working on the options available to learn, and the grades still aren't panning out, ask about it!