SACE Stage 2 Latin (continuers) flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Weighting of school assessment

School assessment in Stage 2 Latin continuers contributes 70% of the final grade and includes five assessment types covering translation, comprehension, interpretation, and responses in Latin and English.

Unseen translation task

A school assessment task requiring students to translate a prepared passage of Latin prose or verse into English, marked for accuracy of meaning, grammar, and idiomatic expression.

Comprehension of seen text

A school assessment task requiring short-answer responses in English demonstrating understanding of the narrative, characters, and context of a studied Latin text.

Interpretation of a text

A school assessment task requiring analysis of literary techniques such as imagery, word order, allusion, and metre, with interpretations justified by close reference to the Latin.

Response in Latin

A school assessment task requiring students to compose or adapt Latin prose, assessed for control of syntax, vocabulary, and idiomatic usage alongside content.

Response in English

A school assessment task requiring an extended analytical essay on the studied text, assessed for argument, use of evidence, and understanding of Roman context.

Performance standards A–E

Five levels of achievement used in SACE Stage 2 Latin continuers, with descriptors specifying knowledge and skills in translation, comprehension, analysis, and composition.

Task design requirement

School assessment tasks must give students opportunities to demonstrate all performance standards; tasks are typically set across the year and moderated against the standards.

School assessment types count

Stage 2 Latin continuers school assessment comprises five assessment types: three skills-based tasks and two text-based tasks, each contributing a set percentage.

Moderation of school assessment

School assessment results are checked against the performance standards through moderation processes to ensure comparability across schools before final grades are awarded.

External examination weighting

The external assessment for Stage 2 Latin continuers is a 2-hour written examination worth 30% of the final subject grade.

Examination structure

The external examination has two sections: Section 1 on translation and comprehension of an unseen passage, and Section 2 on the studied text.

Section 1 content

Section 1 of the external examination presents an unseen passage of Latin prose or verse for translation into English, followed by comprehension questions testing detailed understanding.

Translation marking rubric

Translation in the external examination is marked with partial credit for accurate rendering of clauses, with deductions for mistranslation of key vocabulary and syntax.

Comprehension question types

External comprehension questions may require inference, identification of literary devices, and explanation of the author's purpose, answered in English.

Section 2 essay

Section 2 of the external examination requires an extended response on the prescribed text, assessing themes, characterisation, style, and the text's Roman context.

External marking

The external examination is marked by SACE-trained assessors, and results are reported against the same A–E performance standards used for school assessment.

Permitted examination materials

Students may use a prescribed Latin–English dictionary during the external examination; other reference materials are not permitted unless specified in the examination instructions.

Unseen passage

A Latin passage not previously studied, presented in the external examination for translation and comprehension, testing independent reading skills.

Prescribed text

The set Latin text studied during the year, examined in Section 2 of the external examination through an extended analytical response.

Literary device identification

A comprehension skill requiring students to name and explain techniques such as metaphor, chiasmus, alliteration, or apostrophe in the unseen passage.

Inference question

A comprehension question requiring students to draw a conclusion not stated directly in the Latin, supported by evidence from the passage.

Author's purpose question

A comprehension question asking students to explain why the author wrote a passage in a particular way, linking language choices to intended effect.

Clause-level accuracy

A translation marking principle awarding credit for correct rendering of individual clauses, with errors in key vocabulary or syntax reducing the score.

Idiomatic rendering

Translating Latin expressions into natural English equivalents rather than literal word-for-word renderings, rewarded in translation marking.

Roman cultural context

Knowledge of Roman social, political, and literary conventions used to interpret Latin texts and to support essay arguments in assessment tasks.

Metre and scansion

Analysis of Latin verse rhythm, such as dactylic hexameter, used to support interpretation of poetic effect in assessment tasks and examinations.

Extended response criteria

Essay marking criteria for the studied text: depth of argument, use of textual evidence, analysis of style, and understanding of historical context.

Short-answer comprehension format

A response format using brief English answers to questions on a Latin passage, testing content, inference, and literary analysis.

Composition in Latin

Writing original or adapted Latin prose demonstrating control of syntax and vocabulary, assessed in the response in Latin school task.

Evidence-based interpretation

Supporting analytical claims about a Latin text with quotation and close reference to the Latin wording, a key criterion in interpretation tasks.

Final grade composition

The final Stage 2 Latin continuers grade combines school assessment (70%) and the external examination (30%), both reported against A–E standards.