Language at Wes
Whether you’re new to Latin or Greek or have taken some in high school, our goal is for you to be able to read anything from antiquity that you might want to read – whether that’s poetry or prose, inscriptions and papyri, medical texts or myths, or even Bronze Age Linear B tablets (the earliest written form of Greek!).
To get that kind of fluency requires a very strong foundation in grammar and syntax.
We strongly emphasize this in the first year of language study at Wesleyan, so that our students can go on to explore wherever their hearts (or senior thesis) might take them! Advanced classics students also have the opportunity to work with our faculty on their research, using Latin or Greek to do original projects.
I’ve taken some language in high school. Which class is right for me?
If you’ve taken Latin or Greek in high school you are welcome to try out a class at whatever level seems best for you.
If you’re feeling a bit less confident about your grammar, you are welcome (but not required) to take a placement test that will help you figure out where you’re most comfortable. Or you can jump into the first year courses (they move fast!) and shore up that foundation so you can move on to great things.
A note about high school Greek: Greek language instruction in high school is often based more on moving through translation quickly and giving students a taste of the language, rather than focusing on the foundation. For this reason, we encourage students with high school Greek to consider taking the placement test or refreshing in Greek 102 (taught every fall).
What is the placement test?
It’s quick and easy. We’ll ask you to:
- Translate a short passage in Latin or Greek without a dictionary.
- Parse a couple of words.
The passage will be short, and should take 30 minutes or less to translate, though you can have an hour to do it in. We’ll get back to you in a day or so with a suggestion about the class level.
Easy-peasy.
How do I take placement test?
If you’d like to take the test, please fill out this form.
Then once you arrive on campus, we’ll set up an hour for you to come in and take the test.
More questions? Feel free to email the Chair, Dr. Kate Birney