Latin is a language
As dead as dead could be.
First it killed the Romans
And now it's killing me.
Yes, it's doggerel! I found it scribbled in an old Latin primer when I
was teaching in a boys' school where Latin was compulsory for boys in the
top stream, and I am sure it expressed the views of many students in
schools where there was no choice about studying Latin. I had been
fortunate, for I was fascinated with Latin from the first lesson, but in
earlier years Latin was often taught in a dreary fashion and a number of
men have told me that they had been caned at secondary school only because
of mistakes in their Latin. Those same people who found it a chore have
also said that in later years they found that their Latin studies gave them
a far better ability to express ideas clearly and logically in English.
Those were the comments of people in an older generation. Far different is
the situation regarding the study of Classics today. The pessimists said
that once Latin was not compulsory it would truly become a dead language
which hardly anybody would study. How wrong they were!
I talked with Tim Parkin, Professor of Classics at the University of
Canterbury, about the current interest in Classics.
"At present Classical Studies is one of the top ten subjects at secondary
schools and continues to grow. I started at school wanting to do
accounting and business studies and was made to do Latin without any
choice," he said. " I didn't even know what Latin was, but obviously I
didn't regret it in hindsight. A lot of our students are like that.
"Some people take Classical Studies at school at sixth or seventh form
level and carry on at University, but others who have had no introduction
to Classics just want to 'dip in'. "
While Tim Parkin does not believe that a university should spend all its
time worrying about what its 'customers' want and does not favour a user
pays society, he joked that if we were really to become a user-pays society
catering for what the customer wanted he had no doubt at all that Classics
would be very strong.
"You can't have a University without certain key disciplines. Otherwise we
become only a job training ground," he concluded.
Why study Latin now?
Learning Latin teaches students how languages work and gives them a good
grasp of grammar which serves them well not only in their communication in
English, but also in learning foreign languages. Grammar is not taught in
most English courses - which means that the Latin teacher often has to
begin by explaining to students what is meant by the terms 'noun' and
'verb' which are basic to the use of a foreign language. Students
starting to learn Latin or Greek at University are supplied with a basic
book on English grammar four months in advance for them to study in
preparation for their Beginners' Course in Latin or Greek.
In a society where there has been increasing emphasis on career-orientated
courses and where many students have been finishing their courses with a
huge debt resulting from student loans, the question of the usefulness of
studying an ancient language must be addressed.
I taught business writing for some years and found that it was difficult
for many students to improve their written expression because they lacked
basic knowledge of how accurate grammar can be used to convey precise
meaning. On the few occasions when I worked with a student who had
studied Latin it was obvious how beneficial that study had been. When
there was a problem with the clarity of a sentence in a business proposal
or an engineering contract they quickly understood where the fault lay and
were able to correct it.
Our daughter studied Latin at school and went on to do a degree and
postgraduate work in linguistics. Other students often said that they
envied her knowledge of Latin which was a useful tool in understanding
linguistic problems.
Latin was once a compulsory subject for a law degree. Those who do not want
to study Latin argue that the meaning of the Latin terms used by lawyers
can be learnt without any other knowledge of the language, and the
requirement to include Latin in the degree has been abolished. However,
lawyers who have studied Latin, and Cicero's speeches in particular,
consider it a worthwhile experience both for the mastery of the language
and the insight into his oratorical skills. Precision in the use of
language is a vital skill for lawyers preparing legal documents.
Students with a good knowledge of Latin have found that the training in
logical thinking has also prepared them well for work as computer
programmers.
A degree with First Class Honours in Classics has led, for example, to a
career in the civil service or Foreign Affairs.
Development of non-language courses
Until the 1950s the emphasis in University teaching of the Classics was
heavily weighted in favour of language studies. It was only at second and
third year level that Roman or Greek history became part of the course. It
was offered as an option in the MA courses. Greek history, art and
literature was a popular subject taken by students from other faculties as
well as by Classics students.
In the early 1950s Ancient History was introduced as a Stage I subject and
gradually the scope has been extended until it is possible to do a Classics
degree without studying Latin or Greek language.
However, study of one year of an ancient language is required for students
wishing to pursue an honours degree in Ancient History, and three years of
ancient languages are necessary for entry to the honours programme in
Classics or to the MA programme.
How does the Classics Department cater for the widely varied needs of
its students?
Part of the strength of Classical study is that it is adaptable to
different people's needs and interests. Students learn about all aspects
of two great civilisations. Students come from different disciplines and
with different levels of knowledge of the topics. They range in age from
school leavers through to senior citizens taking advantage of retirement to
explore subjects of interest. Their different attitudes and life
experiences lead to lively discussions on topics of history and philosophy,
art and literature.
The Department teaches the main range of areas of Classics for
undergraduate students and specialist areas in the postgraduate programme.
It is possible to do a BA in Classics through non-language courses or
language courses or a mixture of both. The majority of the students enrol
for Classical Studies rather than the Latin or Greek language.
The topics in Classical Studies cover a wide range from Mycenaean art in
the second millennium B C to the times of the emperor Trajan and beyond,
from Greek and Roman political oratory to Roman sanitation systems.
Classical Studies Courses (2001):
At 100 level four half year 6 point courses are offered:
Greek Myth, Art and Literature: an Introduction
Myth, Power and Poetry: An Introduction to Roman Culture
Greek History
Roman History
At 200 level four full year 6 point courses are offered:
Greek and Roman Drama
Roman Art
The Principate from Tiberius to Hadrian
Greek Philosophy
One half year 6 point course is offered:
Athens
At 300 level three full year 6 point courses are offered:
Hellenistic Poetry
History of Religion in the Roman World
Art and Ideas in the Greek World
Two half year 6 point courses are offered:
The Classical Tradition
Alexander the Great
Language Courses
At 100 level Elementary Greek and Elementary Latin are each taught in two
half year 6 point courses. Both languages are taught in 12 point full year
courses at 200 and 300 levels.
Summer School offers an intensive introductory course in Latin
In January and February of each year an intensive course is offered by the
Department of Classics in conjunction with the Centre for Continuing
Education for anyone wanting to master the basics of the language.
Sessions are held from 9.30 - 11.30 a.m. and 1.30 - 3.00 p.m. daily.
Students are expected to spend additional time studying outside the daily
sessions - so much time that those who enrol are recommended not to hold
part-time employment during the course. At the end of the course
successful students receive a certificate which can make them eligible to
begin their Latin classes at a higher level than Beginners' Latin.
For information about this course
either contact the Centre for Continuing Education at the University of
Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch.
Telephone (03) 364 2388 Fax (03) 364-2057
Email cont.educ@cont.canterbury.ac.nz
or talk with Tim Parkin or email him at
t.parkin@clas.canterbury.ac.nz
The James Logie Memorial Collection
This collection of antiquities focuses mainly on Greek pottery and has been
a great asset to students of Classics, especially those studying Greek
art.
The collection was established in 1957 by Marion Steven in memory of her
husband. It has been expanded greatly since its small beginnings and is
one of the largest and most significant collections of its kind in the
southern hemisphere. It is housed in the Classics Department in a display
area specifically designed for it. Interested individuals and groups
regularly visit the Logie Collection and the guided tours are available at
no cost to the public.
The collection will be the subject of a separate article appearing soon in
NZine.
Information sources
Whereas earlier students of Classics had to rely on the University of
Canterbury library for texts and information, today's students are able to
access on the Internet a wealth of resources for Classical Studies. The
department has its own computers and CD ROMS for students to use.
Courses to sample university study and Classical topics
If you are wondering about what is involved in university study, write to
the Department of Continuing Education at the University of Canterbury
(address given above) for information about the New Start programme.
Universities in other cities will have similar courses.
If you are not sure whether a course in Classics would hold your interest,
write to the Department of Continuing Education for information about
evening courses on Classical topics such as "Classical Athenian Society"
and "Great Sites in the Ancient World", or talk with Tim Parkin.
Why would I recommend studying Classics at the University of
Canterbury?
As a former student and staff member I admit that I am probably biassed.
However, I believe I can say without bias that the Department of Classics
keeps up the high standards set over the years since its foundation in 1874.
Many features developed since I left add to the appeal of the programme:
the expansion of staff numbers
the wide choice of courses
the non-language courses
the expansion of the Logie Memorial Collection
the major conferences hosted by the Department
the visits of overseas scholars
the mini-conferences within the Department
the Internet facilities
the interdisciplinary links within the University.
In areas such as Drama, Philosophy, Art History, and History of Science
staff of the Department are involved in courses in other Departments.
I support the insistence on language study as a requirement for the
advanced Classical Studies courses.
|
Professor Parkin delivers the oration at the award of Professor Badian's Honorary Doctorate.
Photo source Classics Department University of Canterbury
|
The Classics Department at the University of Canterbury has produced great
teachers and scholars over the years, the best known of whom is Professor
Ernst Badian who retired in 1998 as John Moors Cabot Professor
at Harvard University and who came back to Christchurch in 1999 for the
conferment of the degree of Doctor of Letters (honoris causa) from the
University of Canterbury.
The staff of the Department of course are teaching about ancient times,
but are deeply involved in research which will throw new light on the
ancient civilisations.
Ancient topics, modern teaching methods, Internet resources....
The Department of Classics at the University of Canterbury is not resting
on its laurels. It is not antiquated, but is moving with the times.
For further information contact:
Tim Parkin
Professor of Classics and Head of Department
University of Canterbury
Private Bag 4800
Christchurch 8020
NEW ZEALAND
Tel. (64-3) 364-2987 ext. 8575
Fax (64-3) 364-2576
Email: t.parkin@clas.canterbury.ac.nz
Department of Classics Website: www.clas.canterbury.ac.nz
