Any one having DS struggling with Latin GCSE ( exam 2012)

[bluerememberedhills]

Am not pushy Mummy but slightly (ie very) concerned at DS Latin report (last one before mocks in Jan.) Any helpful hints for getting a boy who is not really interested in Latin to get through GCSE reasonably well. (Of course School will be doing all they can - but any helpful comments would be hugely well received.

I do realise there are worse problems in life etc etc ...........

Thank you
BRH

OCR? I teach WJEC, which is an equivalent cert. as opposed to a GCSE.

If my lot are anything to go by, some intensive vocab revision won't hurt - use the Cambridge site. Also have a crack at any of the translation exercises on there which haven't been covered in class. Even if he makes intensive use of the 'click on the word' feature, it'll help a bit...but get him to write out the English version & be as accurate as poss; don't worry about a 'natural' translation at this stage, concentrate on basics.

RavenAK - thank you so much.

He is actually doing JCQ - but your advice resonates - ie re the vocab. Thank you so much for replying so quickly - am v grateful. The thing is, I can understand school report (learn vocab - understand set texts ) but I find it hard to know whether he is getting anywhere near the required standard. (And indeed having done Latin O lovel over 30 years ago all I can do is help him if he were to ask me to "test me" on vocab ie I can see the words on the page and pronounce them - that's about it. ) To emphasise I am not trying to tutor him - just to be supportive over revision.

He needs to do the vocab and he needs to properly study the set texts - according to report.

Of course the real answer is - only he can do it ..........
(And I know that )
But RAK - thank you again

BRH

Will take note of your suggestion re writing out the translation

Thank you
I appreciate your help.
BRH

Is he interested in history at all? Languages in general? Anything else you could see as related at all?

I studied Latin all the way through to A-Levels - mostly because my middle class parents considered it part of a "proper" education.

While I initially hated Latin with a passion, it actually became one of my favourite subjects in the end. What got me interested was that I was beginning to understand how much I could learn about how language worked and how I could find the same patterns and principles over and over again in English, German, French, Spanish, ...

Around the time when I was supposed to be confirmed I also developed a deep interest in the history of religion in Europe and loved being able to read the original texts of religious philosophers etc.

Finally, we actually read Ars Amandi in class. I guess there's no more perfect bait to get teens interested - although it really is a very strictly PG16 kind of text. A friend was into cooking and really got into finding and following recipes from ancient Rome.

What worked for me was really just discovering ways in which I could actually relate Latin to what I thought was worth spending my time on. IME (and I speak six languages, so my experience is pretty extensive) trying to learn a language is bound to be painful and often futile unless the motivation is there, so that's what I'd try and work on.

Also: If your son is into comic books at all: I used to have an entire collection of Asterix books in Latin and used to really feel super geeky smug about my entertainment.

Not sure if any of this helps, but maybe some of what worked on me may work on your son.

Just over a year ago my DS was ambivalent about latin he had to sit a very difficult latin entrance exam and his useless Latin teacher at his prep was not preparing him for it (he knew less Latin than my DS). So we found a tutor he was so fantastic at teaching the subject even I wanted to learn it I am not a natural linguist. My son went on and got an A in the exam and now loves the subject (we no longer use the tutor). I think sometimes you the grammar is complex and they get bogged down and loose interest perhaps an excellent tutor gets you over through this phase.

bluerememberedhills, if it's of any comfort my DS got an A at GCSE after 2 weeks of revision (from, as it seemed to me, pretty much a standing start).
He learnt his vocab, learnt how to guess about tenses (a vague understanding of word endings) and then used guesswork. I think they mark leniently!

Do you know what the format of his exam is? My DS is doing latin GCSE and for the exams he is doing one set text paper (Virgil's Aeneid), one sources paper (satires etc) and one translation. TBH he has no clear grast of latin what so ever but, in his words, 'you don't have to' to pass the GCSE
To get round this though he is doing lots of vocab learning, going to learn set text off by heart and the sources questions are very much like classics and history so that's sorted. Also agree with grovel's comment about marking leniently - if they get the general gist of the translation they tend to do quite well!
The only other thing I would point out is that a basic knowledge or Roman mythology might be useful - DS had a translation paper for homework that was asking about the origin of the text.

can I thank you all for your comments . DS loves history - is not generally dim - just seems to have a block with this. I am not usually a fan of training through an exam but we are so close now I just want him to get through it at least resepectably. And I need to make sure I don't nag about it which could be counterproductive. NotaDude I absolutely take your point and to be honest given his interest in history & literature I am surprised he is not more enthusiastic . However I am heartened by your commments , grovel and upatdawn. Thank you .
Happygardening - I have thought about a tutor - yours sounds to have been marvellous - tbh I am thinking - let's see, if he revises properly this hol. , how will mock go. I am hoping if he follows suggestions above he might to better than we think. If not - might have to think again.

Thank you all - it is so nice to have other views - I feel much more optimistic now. V. Grateful

BRH

Thanks for all your posts. DS1 did some work over holidays & thinks mock has gone OK. We will see when result awarded but am v grateful to those of you who posted. Also NotADude - having done a bit more work he seems much more enthusiastic about Latin this term. I suppose it is like any language - there is a pain barrier in learning vocab etc to be surmounted.

Heigh Ho we'll see ......
BRH