LA 102 Section 001: Elementary Latin II
Spring, 2010
3 Credit Hours
Primary Instructor: Julia Borek
Core Designation: Humanities, Foreign Language
Beginning Latin II: LA102 01-05
Spring 2010
Instructor: Julia L. Borek & Allen B. Jones
Office: Borek -- 214 BB Comer
Jones -- 276 Nott Hall
Office Hours: Thursdays 4:15-5:30, BB Comer 241
On-Line Thursdays & Sundays from 8-10pm (Borek), Mondays 8:30-10pm (Jones); or by appointment.
E-mail: The e-mail system in the course website via E-Learning must be used. The following addresses are provided for backup only:
jlborek@bama.ua.edu
abjones@bama.ua.edu
Office Phone: Borek -- 348-9922
Jones -- 348-5551
*Course webpage: Look for the course webpage under E-learning on the Academics tab of your myBama page. All sections are together on the LA102 page.
Language Resource Center (language lab): 252 BB Comer
Office Hours:
Office Hours will take place Thursdays from 4:15-5:30 in 241 BB Comer. This will be in a classroom and is open to all 102 students in order to provide an extra opportunity to discuss the material in person if they wish. Discussing homework or technical difficulties or reviewing quizzes and exams may also be done in office hours. If you cannot make this time or would like to meet with us privately, please make an appointment. We are also available by e-mail, through on-line office hours, and through the discussion boards.
On-line office hours are also available; Borek –Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday from 10 to 11 pm; & Jones – Wednesday 11 am to 1 pm.
Discussion Boards:
You will need to have an average of 10 substantive posts on a Latin-related subject in order to successfully complete this portion of your homework grade, and we strongly encourage you to check the discussion boards on a regular basis. Through these you can discuss grammar, study tips, homework problems, mythology, and other subjects with your fellow Latin students. The boards are a great way to get support, work out problems, set up a study group, or chat about topics of interest with your fellow classmates. This way you can rely not just on your instructors but also your classmates for answers (which may be quicker than e-mailing us), and can get to know other Latinites. And if you don’t have questions you can provide answers! We will be monitoring the boards as well. Please note that abusive or malicious posts are a violation of the Honor Code, and will be dealt with accordingly. For more information, see “The Discussion Boards” handout.
Course Description:
Continued study of the fundamentals of Latin grammar and syntax as well as enough vocabulary to be able to translate simple Latin prose are covered, along with an introduction to mythology and etymology. The course is three credit hours.
Course Objectives:
The student who completes this course will have become familiar with the bulk of Latin
grammar, including noun, adjective, adverb, and verb endings (morphology), the construction of Latin phrases and sentences (syntax), and the pronunciation of Latin. The student will gain an extensive vocabulary, which will be tested on a regular basis, and will translate paragraphs of Latin in class and compose Latin sentences for homework. By the end of the semester, students will be able to read simple Latin prose. The student will learn to compare grammatical concepts in both English and Latin, which will help the student learn any language more easily. He or she will also be introduced to the influence of Latin vocabulary on English vocabulary (etymology), and to classical mythology through reading stories based on Ovid’s Metamorphoses in the target language. These objectives continue the foundation laid in LA101.
General Learning Outcomes:
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to identify key concepts in the arts and humanities to provide a broad perspective on the human condition. In particular students will know key aspects of Roman culture and society, as well as gaining insight as to how language functions. Students will also be able to demonstrate effective written communication skills, both through short papers and through translations.
Graded Homework:
Due to the nature of the material in this course there will be regular assignments, including some on-line. There will also be homework in the workbook. You will have to memorize the forms and be able to produce them with ease and then be able to recognize and apply them in context (i.e. in passages), and keeping up with the homework is the best way to do this. Discussion posts are also required. Homework must be handed in the day it is due, unless there is a valid excuse for its lateness. Late homework will not be accepted. Please see the “Instructions for Assignments” handout for further information.
Quizzes:
There will be regular in-class quizzes on the material covered during the week. The quizzes will focus on particular points of grammar, syntax, and vocabulary. For the final grade the lowest quiz grade will be dropped. No quiz may be made up; we drop the lowest quiz grade instead.
Exams:
Tests missed during unexcused absences may not be made up. The time and date of any make-up is at the convenience of the instructor. Those with excused absences must contact us to schedule a make-up within 24 hours of the exam or your grade is a zero. No exceptions.
Grading Scale:
98-100 = A+ 87-89 = B+ 77-79 = C+ 67-69 = D+ 59 and below = F
93-97 = A 83-86 = B 73-76 = C 63-66 = D
90-92 = A- 80-82 = B- 70-72 = C- 60-62 = D-
Grade Distribution:
Homework 10%
Quizzes 10%
Exams 60%
Final 20%
General Recommendations:
v Attendance in and daily study outside of class are essential components for success.
v Bring your books and syllabus to class daily.
v Please read and study the vocabulary before preparing the Latin exercises.
v Make use of office hours. If you feel that you are having trouble, please meet with me as soon as possible so we can remedy the problem before it gets out of hand.
Attendance and Participation:
Attendance is mandatory. Any more than two absences (or one for the TTh class) will result in your FINAL grade being reduced by ½ a letter grade per absence – excused or unexcused. Latin is learned through steady practice. Active participation is necessary to engage the course material fully and to be an effective classroom citizen, be the class on-line or face-to-face. It’s easiest to learn by doing an activity or exercise yourself, and by sharing your strengths and weaknesses. Participation includes not just answering questions, but allowing others to answer questions in turn; volunteering answers or attempting new material; and asking questions. Questions are essential to the learning process, and it is expected that you will have many. Asking to have something explained again counts, too! Knowing where you’re confused or uncertain will help me know what to focus on. Trust me – if you’re having difficulties, so is someone else, so you’re doing us all a favor if you speak up – or write in the discussion boards.
All students in attendance at the University of Alabama are expected to be honorable and to observe standards of conduct appropriate to a community of scholars. The University expects from its students a higher standard of conduct than the minimum required to avoid discipline. Academic misconduct includes all acts of dishonesty in any academically related matter and any knowing or intentional help or attempt to help, or conspiracy to help, another student.
The Academic Misconduct Disciplinary Policy will be followed in the event of academic misconduct.
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