critical instructional issues in the classics for american schools

PRIORITY: CLASSICS Critical Instructional Issues in

the Classics for American Schools Martha Gordon Abbott

Fairfax County Public Schools

The decade of the 1980s saw renewed optimism among classicists in the United States. Enroll- ments in Latin showed a steady climb from a low of 150,470 in 1976 to the last official count of 176,841 in 1985 (7). During the decade, un- precedented collaboration and cooperation took place among classical organizations and classicists from all levels of instruction. In addition, several important reports outlined the achievements to date, mapped out strategies, and offered recommendations for maintaining the momentum of this upswing in the study of and interest in the Classics (4,13). This paper outlines the major initiatives within the profession and suggests considerations for the decade ahead.

The rationale for including the study of the Classics, i.e., the ancient civilizations of Greece and Rome, as a fundamental component of education in America is compelling. The classical influence on basic American institutions and symbols provides a common bond and tradition for the diverse population that is characteristic of American culture. As we look ahead to the new decade and to the increasing cultural diversity in our school population across the nation, the study of the classical tradition, the legacy of Greece and Rome, becomes even more vital. In the 1990s, we will see an emphasis on interna-

Martha Gordon Abbott (M.S., Georgetown University) is a Special Projects Teacher in the Department of Instructional Services, Fairfax County Public Schools, Virginia.

tionalizing the curriculum to reflect the importance of all major world civilizations. Classicists must work to ensure that the unique influence that the classical tradition played in the forma- tion of our country receives not only proper treatment in the curriculum, but presents a vibrant and thought-provoking vision of the ancient Greeks and Romans to students.

The case for the study of the Latin language has been justified through research ranging from improved reading scores of inner-city elementary school students of Latin to increases of SAT scores among high school students of Latin (3, 12,15,16,17 ). Regardless of the age level of the Latin student, tangible rewards are available in terms of a greater understanding of the English language and development of higher level think- ing skills (4). A knowledge of Latin provides students with a basic understanding of the work- ings of a language other than their own, leading to greater facility in learning a third language (4). Furthermore, students of Latin are exposed to a great literature, which offers them the opportunity to examine political, social, and moral questions posed in ancient times and allows them to draw parallels and gain insight into their own complex world.

Yet, despite such compelling factors for studying the Classics, Latin, and Greek, each genera- tion of classicists finds itself in a position of struggle to maintain the rightful place of this proven discipline in school curricula across the

Foreign Language Annals, 24, No. 1, 1991 27

28 FOREIGN LANGUAGE _- ANNALS - FEBRUARY 1991

nation-a struggle to overcome the perception of Latin as a subject that only the most capable students can master, a struggle to maintain Latin in the curriculum as the number of course op- tions for students in American high schools increases, and a struggle to counteract the notion that Latin is a “dead” language.

During the 1980s, national reports and the initiatives they spawned united the profession in self-analysis and raised its consciousness of important issues. LaFleur, in The Teaching of Latin in American Schools: A Profession in Crisis (13), emphasized the alarmingly limited number of Latin teachers available to initiate or perpetuate Latin programs in our schools. The essays he col- lected describe successful teacher preparation and inservice programs that serve as models for replication. Another important document of the decade was The Classics in American Schools: Teaching the Ancient World (4), the report of a conference funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities and sponsored jointly by the two largest organizations for classicists, the American Philological Association (APA) and the American Classical League (ACL). The report presented the case for the study of Latin, Greek, and the Classics across the curriculum at all levels of instruction and made concrete recommendations for promoting the study of Classics, Latin, and Greek in the schools.

In the decade ahead, the most important issues for classicists will be to continue and ex- pand upon the recent initiatives of the 8Os, to continue to unite the profession through communication and collaboration, and to ensure that the teaching of Latin and the classical world is reestablished in the forefront of language education in America. An important consideration in how we accomplish this task is the student clientele of the 1990s. The students entering our classrooms during this decade will feel comfor- table with technology and will be more visually and aurally oriented toward learning. In many areas of the country, this challenge will be increased by the number of limited-English- proficient students. With the recent emphasis on foreign language instruction for all students, we will also see more nontraditional students in our language classrooms. Teachers of Latin must be ready to face these challenges by being able to

adapt the curriculum and vary instructional delivery when warranted by the student population. At the same time, students must see that the Latin language is more than just a key to understanding the English language and more than a mechanism to boost their SAT scores. The reading of Latin literature opens up an ancient civilization, sheds light on our own complex world, and fosters understanding of a language that was used to express thoughts and ideas that are still of critical and current interest to students.

Latin in the Elementary School Since the 1960s, successful Latin FLES pro-

grams in elementary urban schools have demonstrated the positive effects of Latin study on English language development, even when limited to 20 minutes of instruction per day (Mavrogenes, 16). The goals of these programs are threefold: to extend students’ English language skills, to broaden their horizons through a study of classical antiquity, and to generate a readiness for subsequent language study. The students learn about the English language through a new medium: Latin. This new medium is interesting and exciting to students. They find a link between their world and an ancient time through English derivatives, mythological stories, and the reading of adapted literary selections. Elementary teachers involved in these programs frequently comment that Latin is the only place in the elementary curriculum where all students begin on the same footing with equal opportunity to excel. The success that students feel in learning this new language provides some of them with a sense of self-esteem and pride that they may not ex- perience in learning other subjects. Reading-test scores have improved significantly, particularly among minority students in urban areas such as Philadelphia and Los Angeles, where two of the most well-known programs began (3, 15).

There are also elementary programs that include more instruction in the Latin language. For example, Latin teaching programs such as First Latin, A Language Discovery Program, by Polsky (20) are available for the elementary teacher who has little or no background in Latin. By using the teacher’s guide that accompanies

FOREIGN LANGUAGE ANNALS - FEBRUARY1991 ____ 29

the text, elementary teachers with little or no formal training can provide Latin instruction for their students. This particular text is articulated with a secondary Latin program, so that elementary students may move easily into reading Latin in the middle school.

Adding impetus to the infusion of Classics in the elementary level, is a new organization founded to improve the supply and quality of teaching materials and to increase the integration of the Classics into the elementary curriculum. This organization, the Elementary Teachers of Classics (ETC), is an arm of the American Classical League. It evolved from the interest of a select group of elementary school teachers who participated in an NEH seminar on Vergil’s Aeneid (19). The organization, which now numbers approximately 400, is dedicated to making resource materials and information available to all elementary teachers, primarily through its publication, Prima (21). The group has enthusiastically embraced the notion that classical literature in translation can be read and appreciated by young children, for whom the heroes and their adventures are a natural vehicle appealing to the children’s sense of imagination, wonder, and curiosity.

The nationwide movement toward an integrated curriculum at the elementary level lends itself to the inclusion of Classics across the curriculum. Integrated curriculum projects can in- corporate the heritage of the Latin language, Roman culture and history, and Greek civilization into language arts, social studies, mathe- matics, science, art, music, and physical education. The ETC encourages elementary teachers to form Classics clubs to promote the study of the Classics and to establish networks of collaboration among elementary teachers to produce and publish materials to teach the Latin language, Roman and Greek civilization, and mythology, and to suggest ways in which the materials can be incorporated into the elementary curriculum.

Latin in the Middle School The middle school is a time for exploration

and subject-sampling while increasing a sense of self and self-esteem in the student. In keeping with this philosophy, many middle schools offer

exploratory language courses, in which students are exposed to several languages and cultures, sometimes including Latin- usually with an emphasis on its relationship to the English language. This is an important opportunity for local high school Latin teachers to offer their services to help middle school teachers plan curricula, to lend materials, to visit as guest speak- ers, and to send high school Latin students to present the benefits of Latin study to the younger students. This cooperative effort will benefit all involved, since the high school teacher will have the opportunity to interest middle school students in learning Latin while helping to strengthen articulation between the middle school and high school programs.

The introduction of language study at the middle school level is of critical importance. According to a study completed by Allport (l), children between the ages of seven and twelve are significantly more open to other people and their ways than are adolescents. This means that, emotionally speaking, students are more ready to learn about another culture and less inhibited about speaking the language than in the teenage years when language study usually begins. Many middle schools offer students only a limited choice of languages, which frequently does not include Latin. Classicists should insist upon equal treatment for Latin at this level so that all students have the opportunity to choose Latin as a first language of study, if they so desire.

An increasing number of school districts, however, are allowing students to begin Latin in the middle school. Frequently, the Latin I curriculum is spread over two years, allowing suffi- cient time for the mastery of grammar and vocabulary and for an in-depth exploration of the Graeco-Roman world. In 1988, the National Latin Exam Committee added an introductory Latin exam that includes approximately half of the Level I syllabus to meet the needs of this growing segment of Latin students. There are, however, many Level I configurations in the middle school, ranging from Latin I spanning from fifth to eighth grade, to Latin I in the eighth grade required of all students.

Cambridge University Press and Longman, publishers of Latin textbooks, are now making their materials for Level I available in multiple

30 FOREIGN LANGUAGE ANNALS - F E B R U A R Y B

bindings, enabling students to have a book for Grade 7 and a book for Grade 8, for example. Whether in an exploratory program or a Latin Level I curriculum, all middle school students should have the option of choosing Latin as a course of study.

Latin in the Secondary School The study of the Latin language is a course

option for students in many public and private secondary schools throughout the country. In some areas, however, it did not regain its rightful curricular place after being dropped in the early 1970s because it was perceived to be “irrele- vant.” Sometimes the retirement of a Latin teacher signals the demise of a program when no suitable replacement can be found. While an increasing number of state reforms include man- dated language requirements for graduation, the decision specifically to offer Latin as a choice for students remains, in most cases, a decision made by local school boards and individual schools. Thus, the place of Latin in the high school curriculum continues to be subject to a variety of in- fluences. The resurgence of Latin enrollments across the country in the late 1970s and early 1980s reflects the post-Vietnam conservative swing “back to the basics.” Students and parents quickly noted the correlation between the study of Latin and increased SAT scores. The importance of SAT scores in relation to college accep- tances gave the study of Latin a broader appeal for the college-bound student. However, the latest enrollment reports coming in from individual states indicate a leveling off of the enrollment upswing of the early and mid-1980s. For this reason, it is of primary importance that we classicists work together as a profession to see that Latin enrollments are maintained or increased in the decade ahead.

The struggle to keep Latin in the curriculum is often borne by the Latin teacher alone. Most Latin teachers keep enrollments high by offering students an interesting and challenging curriculum, while organizing Roman banquets, Latin Club activities, and any number of other extracurricular activities appealing to adolescents. One strategy to ensure that Latin programs endure is for the Latin teacher who is con- templating a transfer or retirement to act as a

mentor for a college student majoring in Classics or Latin or a teacher of another subject adding Latin to a credential. The Latin teachers can help prepare others to take over the existing program, and thus help assure that the Latin program will continue despite their transfer or retirement.

Secondary school Latin teachers have found a great source of support in organizations such as the American Classical League with its Teaching Materials and Resource Center (TMRC) and its sponsorship of the National Latin Exam, the Classical Association of New England (CANE) with its informative newslet- ter, and the Classical Association of the Middle West and South (CAMWS), which offers scho- larships to teachers and students.

In recent years, local organizations of Latin teachers have sprung up in many areas of the country where Latin teachers who live in the same area have formed support organizations that meet on a regular basis to exchange materials and to share ideas about maintaining vital Latin programs. These support groups have proved to be enormously successful in providing camara- derie and a common bond of interest among Latin teachers.

Latin Pedagogy Students who enter today’s high school class-

rooms are the products of a high-tech video society, through which they have become skilled as visual and aural learners. In most American high schools, the teacher faces a classroom of students not only of varying abilities intellectual- ly but of vastly different ethnic and linguistic backgrounds. There is no longer a common base of knowledge among students on which the Latin teacher can depend when introducing the linguistic intricacies of a new language or the specifics of Western thought and civilization. In addition to the different stimuli to which students respond, some teachers face a diversity of racial and ethnic backgrounds not seen in the American classroom since the early part of this century.

This change in the classroom clientele demands a close look at Latin instruction. Teachers of Latin should mold their programs to meet the needs of the students in their individual districts. The goals of teaching students to read and

FOREIGN LANGUAGE ANNALS - FEBRUARY 1991 31

appreciate Latin literature and to make a connection between the ancient worlds of the Romans and Greeks and the modern world and English language can be accomplished in many different ways. In general, however, to ensure that Latin enrollments are maintained or increased in the coming decade, all classicists should seriously consider the following recommendations:

1. Ensure that Latin is available to all students. As long as the study of Latin is perceived as an elective for the academically gifted and as long as the methodology in the Latin classroom ad- dresses the needs of these students exclusively, the profession is doomed to struggle for general acceptance in the curriculum. This is not because Latin is not relevant and important, but because it is not perceived as an important study by many people. Since Latin can benefit all students, we should seek to make it available to all students and attract them to Latin programs. Research studies show that students with lower than nor- mal I.Q.’s and students with learning disabilities can learn a second language successfully (10). Teachers of Latin themselves should come to view Latin as a subject for all, and should inform those in positions of influence, such as ad- ministrators, guidance counselors, and parents, as to its suitability for all students. Many teachers have come to realize this in the wake of declining enrollments and have created programs that accommodate the needs of all their students. They have offered students alternative strategies such as cooperative learning, and they have adapted their instructional materials to accommodate the learning styles of their students. This approach to meeting the needs of all students should become more pervasive among classicists in the 1990s to maintain and increase Latin enrollments.

2. Place emphasis on the acquisition of language skills, including the oral aspect of the Latin language. The teaching of Latin should include development of all four language skills (speaking, listening, reading, and writing), directed toward acquisition of reading proficiency in the language. Measurable proficiency standards in all four skills with intended performance outcomes should be included in the curricular objectives of all school districts. The New York State syllabus, which has already accom-

plished this task for Latin, can serve as a model for other states (9).

Listening and speaking skills should receive more attention in the Latin classroom. The language should be used orally. Especially in the early stages, students need to feel that they can respond to their teacher in simple Latin and even evoke a Latin response when they address a part- ner in the language. Passages should always be read aloud by both teacher and students, and this activity should be followed in the early years of instruction by simple questions and answers about the content of the passage. This should not be confused with conversational Latin; the ultimate goal is not to teach students to converse in the language. Instead, these oral exercises are a means by which students will internalize through use, the vocabulary, forms and sentence patterns of the Latin language. This emphasis on listening and manipulating the language orally will not only facilitate students’ progress toward the goal of reading the language, but will also make the process much more efficient, accessible, and meaningful for all students.

3. Extend the mastery of Latin syntax into the thirdand fourth years of study. The reality of the broad scope of the Latin curriculum, i.e., that the civilization is taught as well as the language, makes it necessary to reassess the time needed for students truly to master the linguistic com- ponents of the language. As is noted in 7’he Clas- sics in American Schools (4, p.25), “many teachers feel that grammatical work should be extended over a longer period, into the third and fourth years.” While the essentials of Latin grammar may be presented to students during the first two years of study, few teachers find that their students have truly mastered the more complex structures during that time. Constant review and practice of Latin structures should continue beyond the second year of study, particularly in the context of their use in the reading of specific Latin authors. It is not necessary for students to understand all the intricacies of Latin grammar to read and appreciate Latin literature. Many teachers now agree that students should begin reading some authentic Latin as soon as possible, but in any case, review and consolidation of grammar and syntax should continue through all four years.

32 FOREIGN LANGUAGE ANNALS - FEBRUARY 1991

One recommendation from the report of The Classics in American Schools (4) was to establish a committee to write national guidelines for the study of Latin at all levels. This committee has been established under the chairmanship of Sal- ly Davis, a Virginia high school Latin teacher, and it has surveyed both the public and private Latin programs across the country. A report will be issued at the outset of the decade. The guidelines are meant to be a descriptive representation of what is being taught at each level and will serve as a valuable tool for classicists in the corn- ing decade. The report of this committee will also include sample curricula from various types of programs throughout the nation.

4. Study a modern language. This recommendation has a two-fold purpose. First, since many Latin teaching assignments are part-time, en- dorsement in a modern language can often provide the Latin teacher with a full-time teaching position. In addition, the teacher could more easily adapt appropriate modern language teaching strategies to the Latin classroom. Masciantonio (14) points out that there is much that teachers of Latin can gain by paying attention to the theories of language acquisition used in teaching modern languages. Attention to Latin as a language to be used for communication, as described in detail in the New York State Latin syllabus (9), will allow students to learn the language in natural and meaningful contexts. Several other states, including Indiana and Texas, have developed proficiency guidelines outlining the skills a student should master at each level of study (8, 11). These skills, which involve the student’s ability to use the language in various com- municative contexts, have been adapted from the modern languages to fit the needs of Latin students and teachers. Such techniques as cooperative learning, total physical response (TPR), and accommodating students’ learning styles are all important pedagogical tools that can be incorporated into Latin instruction. To isolate the teaching of Latin from the teaching of modern languages would further fossilize its existence in terms of relevancy to the 1990s.

5. Stay informed about the latest technological advances and audiovisual materials that can enhancestudent learning. In recent years, computer assisted instruction has slowly made its

way into language classes, and software to ac- company most Latin programs is available. The software that has been produced for Latin offers primarily drill and practice and serves as appropriate reinforcement for classwork. However, until publishers hear a demand for additional materials, little else in this area will be forthcom- ing. Much more than mere drill and practice exercises could be made available if teachers re- quested more sophisticated programs such as simulation activities and reading comprehension exercises. One benefit of attending conferences is that teachers learn what software is available. They can also inform developers and publishers of the specific needs of Latin teachers such as new and more sophisticated audiovisual materials. Many materials reviewed for possible inclusion in ACTFL‘s Selected Listings of In- structional Materials (SLOM) (22), in Latin were found to be outdated and technologically primitive. Classicists must make publishers aware of the great need in this area.

Technology is meeting the need for teaching Latin in some areas of the country where low enrollment does not justify the hiring of a teacher. Distance learning has been tested in Vir- ginia, Texas, and neighboring states. The teacher, sometimes with a live audience, sometimes without, teaches a class session that is telecast to students in other school districts. These students are monitored by a teaching assistant or some other school staff member. In some areas, the TV teacher reaches students in at least 25 other school districts and/or states who otherwise would not have the opportunity to study Latin. Success of the program is determined partly by the sophistication of the technology available. Two-way interactive video is the most effective and also the most costly system. But success of the program depends as well on the teacher and on the facilitating staff member at each school site. Student-teacher interaction is limited, and some school districts have abandoned the effort when no suitable on-site staff member could be found. However, some school districts are now investigating the feasibility of offering upper level Latin courses, in particular Advanced Place- ment, via distance learning. These courses could prove to be more effective than those at the lower level, since students at the upper level would

already have a knowledge of the language and would be highly motivated to succeed. Latin teachers of the 1990s should familiarize themselves with the new technology and decide how it can enhance their teaching and benefit their students.

Recruitment, Training, and Placement of Latin Teachers

In The Classics in American Schools, teachers of Latin are called the “key to the Classics” (4). Indeed, the appeal to students of almost any subject matter is based on teachers’ transmitting their own interest and enthusiasm to students. All of us can recall one or more teachers who gave a subject life, made it particularly relevant and interesting, and inspired us to consider teaching as a profession.

Teacher preparation and certification programs became a hot topic in the storm of educational reforms that followed the 1983 publication of A Nation at Risk (18). State teacher tests in content areas, novice teacher assistance programs, mentor teacher initiatives, reassessment of generic education degree programs at universities, alternative certification programs, and revamping of teacher education programs are just a few of the ways that state legislatures are seeking to ensure that the teaching profession at- tracts the best and the brightest.

In Classics, we are faced with a present critical shortage of Latin teachers for elementary through secondary school programs while an increase in demand is projected for this decade. Therefore, the Classics profession must find the balance between making sure that teachers are qualified in the subject without turning away gifted teachers who do not immediately meet all certification requirements. The University of Georgia Classics Department, under the direc- tion of LaFleur, received an NEH grant to offer an intensive summer program in Latin specifically to certify teachers who were being assigned to teach Latin (13). If we truly believe the Latin pro- verb, Quidocet, discit (He who teaches, learns), must a person who is able to inspire students come to the classroom knowing everything about the Latin language and classical civilization? While a fundamental knowledge of Latin is certainly a prerequisite, certification re-

quirements should be flexible enough to allow a gifted teacher to acquire more knowledge while teaching under a temporary certificate.

For those students training to be teachers of the Classics, Latin, or Greek, certification in more than one subject area is highly recom- mended. In addition, a K-12 certification, such as is being encouraged now in the state of Geor- gia, makes teaching candidates even more desirable, since they can easily move between elementary and secondary schools. Finally, with the emphasis on recruiting all students into the Latin classroom, we must seek to attract more minority teachers into the ranks of the Classics profession. Black, Hispanic, and Asian students must have role models within the Classics profession to be attracted to the study of Latin.

Successful Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) programs involving Classics departments have been developed at Boston University, Hunter College, the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and the University of Virginia. Clas- sics professors committed to the training of pro- spective teachers have combined education courses with language and civilization courses and have supervised the student teaching ex- perience. Through the genuine interest of the university Classics professor in the teaching of Latin, we will surely see more teachers of higher caliber entering the ranks of Latin teachers.

Latin in the Schools and Colleges: Making the Connection

If the school Latin program falters, the university and college programs will assuredly feel the effects. Likewise, if high school students, full of enthusiasm for Latin based on their high school experiences, arrive at colleges or universities to find professors more interested in research than teaching, the result can be the same-no new life for the profession. Once the responsibility for revitalizing the life of the profession is felt by college and school groups alike, communication and collaboration will come naturally. Where cooperative efforts have begun, enormous dividends have been experienced by both parties. The two-way exchange can be formal: the offering of content courses, workshops, and conferences by colleges and universities for high school teachers. Or the exchange can be informal:


inviting a professor to spend a day in the high school or to address students at extracurricular school events. In some areas of the country, master teachers in high schools have been iden- tified and employed by universities for effective training of new teachers in methodology. Col- leges and universities can increase course enrollments by offering classes of interest to high school teachers in the afternoon and evening or during the summer. Both groups have much to offer and gain from collaboration.

Successful mentor relationships have streng- thened Latin programs and enhanced the quality of instruction in the schools. An integral part of the NEH-sponsored institutes on Vergil and Ovid, directed by Robert and Michelle Wilhelm at Miami University in Ohio (19), was the mentor relationship between each elementary teacher fellow and a university classicist from the same geographical area. The mentor relationships proved highly successful and of great benefit to both parties.

The mentor relationship works well between the professor and the high school teacher, also. The Center for the Liberal Arts at the Universi- ty of Virginia, another NEH-sponsored program (9 , seeks to strengthen the knowledge of high school teachers by offering content courses in various regions of the state. By coming to the teachers rather than requiring them to travel to the University, the Center is enabling the Univer- sity to serve the needs of schools and teachers throughout the state.

The establishment of cooperative relationships will facilitate communication between schools, colleges, and universities concerning program articulation. When high school teachers understand the requirements of the Latin major, the criteria for placing students in classes, what credit is given to Advanced Place- ment scores, and what emphasis is given to the ETS Latin Achievement test, they can better prepare their students for the transition to higher education. Likewise, when college and university professors understand the content of the high school Latin program, they can be better prepared to receive these students. To facilitate this collaborative effort, colleges and universities should begin to recognize and reward professors for their efforts to reach out to the schools to

strengthen instruction. LaFleur maintains, “We need to regard teacher preparation as a part of our professional responsibility just as important as publishing and teaching doctoral seminars” (LaFleur, 13, p.10). All members of a college or university Classics department should be encouraged to nurture promising teachers in the same way that they do talented researchers.

The Promotion of the Classics Within the profession, a shared responsibili-

ty exists for promoting an interest in and understanding of our subject matter. The shirk- ing of this responsibility by any group within the Classics community ultimately affects us all. Communication and collaboration should exist at all levels throughout the profession.

Professional organizations devoted to Classics have made great strides recently in their sponsorship, jointly in some cases, of studies and projects to investigate the status of Latin and Classics in the schools and to promote their study. Vigorous public relations campaigns have been undertaken by groups such as the CAMWS Committee for the Promotion of Latin (6), which seeks to educate the public regarding the importance and benefits of a classical background. Many of the classical organizations sponsor student and teacher awards and scholarship programs to reward those who have excelled in their study and in the teaching of Latin. When conferences are held, sessions are devoted to Latin pedagogy in addition to presentations on literary criticism and linguistic investigations. The Annual Institute of the American Classical League offers methodology workshops as well as scholarly presentations (2). These efforts need to be inten- sified and expanded in the coming decade to strengthen the background of teachers and to encourage students to pursue a major in Classics or Latin.

Organizations for students of Latin continue to thrive. Most states have student chapters of the National Junior Classical League (NJCL). Membership in the NJCL has increased from a low in 1977 of 28,870 members to a high of more than 51,103 in 1989 (2). This organization offers students the opportunity to participate in state and national competitions and activities that

FOREIGN LANGUAGE ANNALS - FEBRUARY 1991. 35

further their knowledge of the classical languages and cultures.

The National Latin Exam, with an underlying philosophy of promoting the study of Latin through rewarding students for their achievement in the language, has reported increasing numbers of applicants every year, from 9,000 students at its inception in 1978 to 71,000 in 1990. The National Latin Exam Committee provides teachers with an exam syllabus for all levels. The Committee seeks to produce an exam at each level that represents what students in most Latin programs would have mastered by March when the exam is given. Changes made in the exam syllabus in 1988 reflect the instructional trend of spreading the mastery of grammar items beyond the second year. The Committee attempts to keep the exams within the capability of all students who are studying Latin no matter what texts or methodologies are used by their teachers.

The National Committee for Latin and Greek (NCLG) has sought recognition of the Classics inside and outside the education profession and in legislation passed by Congress. It has aligned itself with the Joint National Committee for Languages in calling for schools to provide the opportunity for all children to learn a second language. While pursuing this endeavor, the NCLG also seeks to promote an awareness among American citizens of the significant role of the Classics in establishing many of our nation’s institutions and symbols. Funded only by donations from individuals and organizations, this group has been the major advocate for the Classics among language professionals and politicians at the national level.

Although classicists have traditionally been separated, at least pedagogically, from their modern language colleagues, it is important to make efforts to bridge this separation. This distance originally stemmed from the fact that one group taught a spoken language and the other did not. With different goals in mind, each group formed its own organizations to work in different directions to meet those goals. In reality, the two groups have much in common. Both groups often face less than total acceptance in the American high schooI curriculum. Both groups teach four language skills-speaking, reading, writing, and listening, albeit with

varying degrees of emphasis. The emphasis that modern language teachers place on developing the oral proficiency of their students in the target language is tantamount to the emphasis that classicists place on the reading proficiency of their students. As the issues pertinent to Latin teaching have been outlined in this report, it is in- creasingly clear that there are many reasons for classicists t o work together with modern language teachers.

While significant strides have been made in promoting public awareness of the benefits of a classical background, there is still much to accomplish in terms of gaining acceptance for Latin and Classics in all schools. The public perception of the study of Latin is that, while valuable in and of itself, Latin is a fossilized language that demands rigorous study suitable only for academically gifted students. Changing this perception is one of the most important tasks at hand. Classics must be seen as a study propopulo with relevance to all Americans and within the ability of all children. The study of Latin is compatible with any educational trend of the 1990s and has a 2,000-year-old tradition to attest to its worth. To assure a place in the school curriculum for Latin will require in this decade adapting our teaching methods to the students of the 90s, ensuring that teachers of Latin are well-trained and in plentiful supply, and uniting classicists in schools and colleges in collaborative efforts to strengthen our profession and the teaching of Latin in this country.

Summary and Recommendations Work to Ensure a Vital Role for the Classics

and Latin in the Curriculum of All American Schools.

1. Formulate a rationale for the Classics and Latin, in both the elementary and secondary curricula, which would take into consideration the diversity among students and the need for a curriculum that supports multicultural, global education.

2. Seek to make the teaching of the ancient world, classical literature in translation, and mythology, an integral part of the school curriculum.

3. Make Latin instruction available as widely as possible and as early as possible to all students.


4. Promote a role for Latin in exploratory language courses.

Adapt Latin Pedagogy so that Latin Instruc- tion Fontses on Teaching Latin as a Language Including Development of Proficiency in all Four Language Skills With Primary Emphasis on Reading.

1. Formulate a broad and flexible set of norms regarding the balance between instruction in language and culture, the pace of instruction, and the rate at which levels of mastery of elements and structures of the language should be expected and achieved.

2. Develop measurable standards of proficiency in students’ ability to read Latin at set levels of achievement, accompanied by measurable proficiency standards in listening, speaking, and writing.

3. Continue research and development of computer-assisted instruction, interactive video, and distance learning to facilitate development of language skills and to enable Latin instruction to be offered to more students.

Encourage Active Recruitment of Teachers of Latin While Ensuring that There are High Quali- ty Training Programs and Staff Development Opportunities for In-service Teachers.

1. Increase efforts to recruit new teachers and to retrain current teachers as Latin teachers.

2. Develop a variety of in-service training programs and summer institutes to acquaint teachers with all available methods, pedagogical strategies, and materials.

Promote Collaborative Efforts within the Classics Profession and with Modern Language Organizations to Achieve Strength Through Working Toward Shared Goals.

1. Improve articulation between school and college/university instruction in Latin.

2. Increase efforts in the area of public awareness and promotion of the study of the Classics, Latin, and Greek in the schools.

3. Renew commitment to networking both within the classical language profession and with the modern language profession to identify pur- poses in common and areas for cooperation and mutual support.

The author would like to recognize the con- tributions made to this report by the committee members of the ACTFL Priorities on Critical

Instructional Issues in the Classics: Robert LaBouve, chairman, Texas Education Agency; Gilbert Lawall, member, University of Massachusetts, William Mayer, reactor, Hunter College, Lynne McClendon, reactor, Fulton County Schools.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5 .

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17

REFERENCES Allport, G. The Nature of Prejudice. Cambridge, MA: Appleton, Century-Crofts, 1967. American Classical League, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio. Baca, Albert R. “An Innovative Language Pro- gram in Los Angeles.” Classical World71(1978): 260. Burns, Mary Ann T. and Joseph O’Connor. The Clwics of American Schools, Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1987. Center for Liberal Arts, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia. Classical Association of the Middle West and South, Committee for the Promotion of Latin. Dandoli, Patricia. “Report on Foreign Language Enrollment in Public Secondary Schools, Fall 1985.” Foreign Language Annals 20(1987):

Framework for Languages. Texas Education Agency, 1988. Gascoyne, Richard C. “Latin for Communica- tion: The New York State Syllabus.” Classical

Genesee, Fred. “The Suitability of Immersion Programs for All Children.” Canadian Modern Language Review 32( 1976):495-515. A Guide to Proficiency-Based Instruction in Latin for Indiana Schools. Indiana Department of Education, 1987. Indianapolis, IN. LaFleur, Richard A. “Latin Students Score High on SAT and Achievement Tests.” The Classical Journal 76(1981):254.

The Teaching of Latin in American Schools-A Profession in Crisis. Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1987. Masciantonio, Rudolph. “Stephen Krashen and the Classical Language.” The Classical Journal

____ “Qngible Benefits of the Study of Latin: A Review of Research.” Foreign Language Annals 10(1977):375-82. Mavrogenes, Nancy. “Latin in the Elementary Schools: A Help for Reading and Language Arts.” Phi Delta Kappan, 1979.

“The Effect of Elementary Latin

457-470.

Outlook 63(1986):115-16.

83(1977):53-6.

37 FOREIGN LANGUAGE ANNALS - FEBRUARY 1991 .___

Instruction on Language Arts Performance.” Elementary School Journal 1911:286-13.

18. A Nation at Risk. National Commission on Ex- cellence in Education. Washington, DC: USGPO, 1983.

19. National Endowment for the Humanities. Sum- mer Seminars for Elementary Teachers. Seminar on the Odyssey, directed by Joseph O’Connor. Seminars on the Aeneid and Ovid’s Mythology directed by Robert and Michelle Wilhelm.

20. Polsky, Marion. First Latin: A Language Discovery Program. New York: Longman Press, 1981.

21. Prima. Journal of the Elementary Teachers of the Classics. American Classical League. Oxford, Ohio.

22. Selected Listing of Instructional Materials for Elementary and Secondary School Programs (SLOM). American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, Yonkers, NY.

IN MEMORIAM

ACTFL mourns the premature death of our esteemed colleague, Dr. Tazuko Ajiro Monane, Professor at Harvard University, whose exemplary professionalism and leadership in the field of Japanese language teaching greatly advanced the state of Japanese language education.

Professor Monane’s great contribution to her field and her great personal charm will long be remembered with fondness, admiration, and gratitude.

We extend our deepest sympathy to her husband, Professor Joseph Monane, to her family, and to her many friends, and we share with our colleagues the deep sadness of her passing.

critical instructional issues in the classics for american schools

Documents