Short course
Latin: Lower Intermediate – Part 1
Course status:
Applications being accepted
Location:
Online
Dates and time:
17/09/2026 - 26/11/202612:30 - 13:30
Study format:
Online - live
Fees:
£430.00
This course will cover the grammar in sections 3A-D and 4A of Jones’ and Sidwell’s Reading Latin: Grammar and Exercises, i.e. taking up where the previous module (Latin: Beginners – Part 2) stopped. New students at the appropriate level of proficiency are welcome.
Each week, we will complement our grammar learning by reading selected passages from Reading Latin: Text and Vocabulary, sections 3(A-D); we will gain insights into early Roman legends and history. We will also begin reading from section 4A, an adaptation of Cicero’s second oration against Verres.
Book this course
Book your place online using the button below.
This course begins on the 17 Sep 2026, which is when course materials are made available to students. Students should study these materials in advance of the first live meeting, which will be held on 24 Sep 2026, 12:30-13:30 (UK time).
Week 1: Pronouns: revision of ille and hic; the pronoun is. The accusative of time.
Week 2: Adjectives: comparative and superlative.
Week 3: Verbs: perfect indicative deponent; semi-deponents; perfect participles deponent.
Week 4: Verbs: consolidation. Irregular adverbs. Personal pronouns and possessive adjectives: revision; sē and suus.
Week 5: Verbs: future participles; perfect participles of active verbs; principal parts.
Week 6: Pronouns : īdem, nēmo. Comparative and superlative adverbs. The interrogative particle nōnne.
Week 7: Datives: revision; new usages.
Week 8: Verbs: imperfect tense, active and deponent; revision of infinitives.
Week 9: Verbs: perfect and future infinitives. Syntax: reported statements.
Week 10: Revision of reported statements. Pronouns: iste, quīdam.
Course aims
To consolidate and broaden students’ knowledge of Latin grammar, syntax and vocabulary and familiarise them with aspects of the culture; to develop students’ confidence in translating extended Latin texts.
Course objectives:
- To revise and consolidate the Latin grammar studied to date.
- To expand students’ knowledge of verbs, adjectives, pronouns, uses of the cases, and familiarise them with some more complex syntax.
- To expand the range of Latin vocabulary.
- To examine Latin texts at the appropriate level of difficulty.
- To discuss the myths of the foundation of Rome, and some events of its early and late republican history.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the course, students will:
- have learnt some new tenses, comparative and superlative adjectives and adverbs, and several new pronouns;
- become familiar with perfect and future participles and with an important syntactical construction, the indirect statement;
- have acquired some new vocabulary items and idioms;
- be able to read with confidence Latin texts at the appropriate level of difficulty;
- be prepared to undertake the module Latin: Lower Intermediate – Part 2.
Level and demands
Requirements: at the beginning of the course, you will already be familiar with the grammar covered in sections 1(A-G) and 2(A-E) of Jones’ and Sidwell’s Reading Latin: Grammar and Exercises. You will have experience in reading, analysing and translating extended Latin passages (appropriately adapted).
IT requirements
Any standard web browser can be used to access course materials on our virtual learning environment, but we recommend Google Chrome. To access the virtual learning environment you will be required to verify your identity using an authenticator app on a mobile device or laptop in addition to your username and password. Full instructions will be sent to you on the start date of the course. We also recommend that students join the live webinars on Microsoft Teams using a laptop or desktop computer rather than a phone or tablet due to the limited functionality of the app on these devices.
Teaching methods
This course takes place over 10 weeks, with a weekly learning schedule and weekly live webinar held on Microsoft Teams. Shortly before a course commences, students are provided with access to an online virtual learning environment, which houses the course content, including video lectures, complemented by readings or other study materials. Any standard web browser can be used to access these materials, but we recommend Google Chrome. Working through these materials over the course of the week will prepare students for a weekly 1-hour live webinar you will share with your expert tutor and fellow students. All courses are structured to amount to 100 study hours, so that on average, you should set aside 10 hours a week for study. Although the course finishes after 10 weeks, all learning materials remain available to all students for 12 months after the course has finished.
All courses are led by an expert tutor. Tutors guide students through the course materials as part of the live interactions during the weekly webinars. Tutors will also provide individualised feedback on your assignments. All online courses are taught in small student cohorts so that you and your peers will form a mutually supportive and vibrant learning community for the duration of the course. You will learn from your fellow students as well as from your tutor, and they will learn from you.
Assessment methods
You will be set short, optional weekly tasks to consolidate your learning and help you progress at your own pace.
Mrs Elena Vacca – Tutor
Elena Giulia Vacca is a Classicist specialising in Comparative Literature and the Classical Reception of Greek tragedy in Russian literature. She is completing her DPhil in Classics at the University of Oxford, where she also lectures in Latin. In addition, she teaches Latin and Ancient Greek at the City Literary Institute in London, and Italian as a second language at the Italian Cultural Institute.
Fees
| Description | Costs |
|---|---|
| Course Fee | £430.00 |
Funding
If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, or are a care-leaver in the UK, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. Please see the below link for full details:
Concessionary fees for short courses
Textbooks
To participate in the course you will need to buy, or have regular access to, the following books:
- Jones, P. V. (Peter V.), and Keith C Sidwell. Reading Latin. Text and Vocabulary. Second edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2016.
- Jones, P. V. (Peter V.), and Keith C Sidwell. Reading Latin. Grammar and Exercises. Second edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2016.
In addition to the course textbook, there will be additional learning resources made available for self-study and consolidation.
Please ensure you are able to access copies of any required textbooks prior to enrolling on a course but please keep in mind that courses with insufficient students enrolled will be cancelled. The Department accepts no responsibility for books bought in anticipation of a course running.
Recommended reading
Module code: O26P721XLZ
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