Classical Greek

Course summary

The A level Greek course continues to develop the skills used at GCSE: the understanding of the linguistic structures of Greek, the critical interpretation of Greek literature, and an awareness of the ancient Greek cultural context. Pupils sit two language papers, one testing their ability to translate Greek prose and verse into English, and the other assessing language skills through comprehension and grammar questions or translation from English into Greek. There is some additional grammar to cover, but no set vocabulary list: instead pupils improve their understanding of the language by reading and discussing lots of original Greek, and in doing so become more confident in dealing with idiomatic ‘real’ Greek. The remaining two papers test the ability to comment sensitively on texts that will have been studied over the two years: one paper for prose and one for verse. The linear course has the flexibility to allow pupils to study two set texts in real depth, or to look at a broader range of authors. There is no coursework.