LATIN at the VIS

1. Timeframe

Latin at the VIS is studied for FOUR years, TWO hours (100 min.) every week from late September through the end of June.

Class time: 15.20 – 17.05

2. Workload

The Latin grade is included in the regular school reports.

Latin is a regular subject with a final test every semester, regular check-ups and homeworks.

On average, calculate an hour of additional work at home for Latin, more before tests.

3. Matura equivalent

The curriculum meets the requirements of the Austrian Matura Equivalence provided Latin is studied for four years, and an examination is taken at the end of the four years.

The exam is an internal VIS exam.

Latin is a prerequisite for the study of certain subjects at certain universities, especially in Austria (law, medicine, languages, history etc., see this link or this link).

4. Costs

The cost for two semesters is about € 350 (depending on the number of students). Payment goes directly to the teacher on a private basis. Students receive the information about the payment procedure in class.

5. Who is responsible?

Mag. Kerstin Stevens, phone: 0676/7224766,

Mag. Andrea Pinz,

Head of ESL and MT department: Maurice Carder.

6. What do we do in class?

We work with the Cambridge Latin Course, a colourful and modern state-of-the art workbook.

The focus is on translating Latin texts into good English.

At the beginning of the class, you learn a new grammar chapter which is then used for translating and practised.

We also learn about the history and culture of the Romans.

We also become creative: we draw translations, dramatise texts and play games to revise vocabulary. Some exercises are done on the computer.

7. Latin is so much more…

Latin is more than translating, we also do a project every semester that focuses on Roman customs and traditions, f.ex. Cooking, school in the Roman empire, Roman clothes etc.

We also explore Vienna’s Roman past as the camp Vindobona by visiting the ruins underneath the “Hoher Markt”…

8. The best part

The highlight of your Latin program will be a four-day trip to Rome in your last year where you finally get to see everything you learned about…

General information

Why study Latin?

Latin was once spoken in all of Europe and parts of Asia and Africa, so Roman culture and language have influenced and shaped modern Europe, especially in the fields of literature, art, architecture and law.

Where do you still see Latin?

• In commercials and ads… because Latin has a nice sound and an educated touch.
• In many words of your own and other languages (f.ex. Family = familia, hour = hora, rose = rosa, name = nomen).
• In everyday language, f.ex. Etc. , circa, non plus ultra, prosit, alibi, quasi etc.
• In scientific, church and youth language (f.ex. Ultra, super, prima, maximum, extreme etc.)

What do you profit from Latin?

• You learn how to be precise
• You learn how to think logically
• You learn other languages more easily, and find out more about your own mother tongue.
• You learn how to learn.
• You learn a lot about history and culture.
• Latin is part of general knowledge.

So, see you in Latin class!
Fortuna tecum!