Summary of Latin Levels

Level A1

This is a first contact with the Latin language, aimed at assimilating the basic elements of its structure and learning the most frequently used vocabulary, in order to create a solid foundation on which to graft the rest of the learning process.

  • Grammar:
    • First, the goal is to familiarize with the case system, knowing its forms and main uses, and with the mechanisms of agreement, namely:
      • The 5 declensions
      • Functions of the cases
      • Use of cases with the main prepositions
      • 1st and 2nd class adjectives, noun/adjective agreements, comparatives and superlatives
    • Furthermore, the main elements of the pronoun system are presented:
      • Personal pronouns
      • Reflexive pronouns
      • Basic demonstrative pronouns (is, ea, id/hic, haec, hoc/ille, illa, illud)
      • Relative pronouns
      • Interrogative pronouns
      • Some indefinite pronouns
    • Regarding the verbal system, the most frequent elements that allow the construction of more complex sentences are presented. These particularly include:
      • Present indicative of active and passive conjugations (3rd person) and of irregular verbs
      • Positive imperative
      • Present active and passive infinitive
    • From a syntactic point of view, finally, the main forms of coordination and subordination in the indicative and the infinitive clauses are presented.

  • Vocabulary:
    • The most frequently used vocabulary in the Latin language is introduced along with some in-depth studies that include:
      • Natural elements, time and calendar
      • Daily activities in ancient Rome
      • Body parts
      • The house and the city
      • The family
      • Military vocabulary

For practical reasons, it is noted that these contents are also approximately present in Familia Romana chapters I-XIII.

Level A2

The goal is to deepen the basic knowledge acquired in Level A1 by approaching more complex texts from a temporal and syntactic point of view. A deeper understanding of the case system is accompanied by knowledge of a solid verbal base.

  • Grammar:
    • The case system is deepened, with its main forms and uses, as well as the most frequent irregular forms, and basic elements of case syntax are also introduced.
    • The pronoun system is then deepened:
      • Demonstrative pronouns (idem, eadem, idem/iste, ista, istud/ipse, ipsa ipsum)
      • Interrogative pronouns (quisnam)
      • Indefinite pronouns (quisque, quaeque, quodque/aliquis, aliquid/quisquam)
      • Pronominal adjectives
    • The system of adverbs and numerals (cardinal/ordinal/distributive) is presented.
    • In particular, the verbal system is further elaborated by specifically addressing:
      • Deponent verbs
      • Conjugation, in active and passive forms, of the main tenses of the indicative: present, imperfect, future, perfect, and pluperfect. Notes on consecutio temporum
      • Uses and declension of present, perfect, and future participles
      • Active and passive infinitive present, perfect, future
      • Uses and functions of the supine
      • Positive and negative imperative of active and deponent verbs
      • Uses and declension of the gerund
      • Active periphrastic
    • From a syntactic point of view, finally, the main forms of coordination and subordination in the indicative, the infinitive clauses, the ablative absolute are further explored.

  • Vocabulary:
    • The most frequently used vocabulary in the Latin language is introduced along with some in-depth studies that include:
      • School
      • Navigation
      • Natural elements
      • The family
      • Daily activities
      • Further study of military vocabulary

For practical reasons, it is noted that these contents are also approximately present in Familia Romana chapters XIV-XXVI.

Level B1

The objective is to read progressively more complex texts syntactically, to reach the first authentic texts. There is also an initial approach to poetic texts.

  • Grammar:
    • The verbal system is completed, focusing especially on the subjunctive system and the consecutio temporum.
    • Specifically, the following are addressed:
      • The conjugation of all tenses of the active and passive subjunctive
      • All uses of the subjunctive
      • The gerundive and the passive periphrastic
      • The hypothetical period
    • The declension of the main irregular nouns is then treated.

  • Vocabulary:
    • The most frequently used vocabulary in the Latin language is introduced along with some in-depth studies that include:
      • Agriculture
      • Further study of vocabulary related to the environment
      • Further study of navigation vocabulary
      • Legal vocabulary
      • Further study of everyday life vocabulary, especially related to meals
      • Further study of military vocabulary
      • Games and shows
    • Various synonyms of words with different frequencies are also presented, with a first perception of registers/different textual types.

For practical reasons, it is noted that these contents are also approximately present in Familia Romana chapters XXVII-XXXIV and Roma Aeterna chapters XXXVII-XL.

Level B2

You reach the reading of authentic texts, particularly in prose, of mainly historiographical/biographical/philosophical genre. A basic understanding of poetic texts is expected, especially where they present a narrative content and are contextualized.

A lexical deepening is presented, based mainly on the identification of locutiones; an abstract vocabulary related to the fields of philosophy/historiography is then introduced.

Exam Modalities

The exam includes 5 sections: facultas legendi (reading comprehension), facultas audiendi (listening comprehension), sermonis usus (use of language), facultas scribendi (written production), facultas loquendi (oral production). The use of the dictionary is not allowed.

  1. Facultas legendi: involves reading three texts accompanied by multiple-choice questions. This section constitutes 30% of the exam.
  2. Facultas audiendi: involves listening to two texts (dialogic or narrative) to answer multiple-choice questions. This section constitutes 15% of the exam.
  3. Sermonis usus: involves completing a multiple-choice cloze test on grammatical or lexical topics. This section constitutes 30% of the exam.
  4. Facultas scribendi: involves describing an image related to the lexical fields considered. This section constitutes 15% of the exam.
  5. Facultas loquendi: involves a brief dialogue with the examiner aimed at describing some images related to the lexical fields considered or summarizing and commenting on passages. This section constitutes 10% of the exam.
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