The Classics Department of UMass Boston invites you to attend the third annual Conventiculum Bostoniense, an oral Latin immersion program with some unique features:

1. Participants learn Second Language Acquisition Theory from a professor actually in the field of language learning research, from whom they get not one or another favored method, but an overview of the most important new approaches. In sessions specifically set aside for this purpose, the participants themselves will practice modeling these approaches by applying them to Latin instruction, and oral Latin.

2. The CB will have a series of sessions each day designed just for newcomers to spoken Latin, but those newcomers will have the additional (and considerable) benefit of being able to interact at other times of the day and in various settings with more experienced speakers of Latin.

3. Participants in the CB can received full graduate academic credit from UMass Boston for one of two graduate level courses.

4. The participants will be guided throughout the seminar by faculty well-versed in oral Latin, whose spoken Latin conforms with classical usage.
See below for program details and contact information.


The Classics Department of UMass Boston offers:
Conventiculum Bostoniense, Latin by the Sea
(held on the campus of UMass Dartmouth)
August 2 – August 10, 2008

Vocamus vos, o magistri, ut linguam Latinam nobiscum in ora maritima colatis

The Conventiculum Bostoniense is a full-immersion residential experience, specifically designed for teachers in schools and universities, who want to gain some ability to communicate ex-tempore in correct Latin on a wide range of subjects. Participants will enhance and develop their own abilities to express themselves in Latin, both in speaking and writing, and at the same time will explore various ways to employ active Latin in the classroom to enhance the learning experience of their students. After the first evening’s arrival and orientation session, participants will speak Latin exclusively with one another and the faculty for seven days. Two different graduate level courses are offered during the Conventiculum, one for first time attendees and one for returning participants as described below. Days are filled with instructional activities, including sessions focused on oral expression or prose composition, opportunities for social interaction (particularly at meals and!
in the
dormitories), and local excursions to the beach, nearby museums in New Bedford and a local brewery or winery.

Faculty

Jacqueline Carlon, Assistant Professor, Classics, UMass Boston
Corinne Etienne, Assistant Professor, Applied Linguistics, UMass Boston
Emily McDermott, Professor, Classics, UMass Boston
Milena Minkova, Associate Professor, Classics, University of Kentucky
Terence Tunberg, Professor, Classics, University of Kentucky

Courses

Latin 570 – Active Learning Methodologies for Teachers of Latin
Designed as the first-year experience at the Conventiculum Bostoniense, this course introduces teachers of Latin to theories of second language acquisition and engages them intensively in speaking and writing Latin. All participants should be able to read Latin and should feel reasonably secure in their knowledge of basic morphology and syntax; however, previous experience in speaking Latin is not necessary. With the exception of nine hours of instruction in second language acquisition theory, students will communicate exclusively in Latin among themselves and with the instructors. The course requirements include: preparation of certain course materials in advance of the Conventiculum; full participation in all instructional activities; strict adherence to the requirement to speak only in Latin; the submission of a portfolio, consisting of article and textbook assessments, a journal and all written work from the composition portion of the course; and the completion and prese!
ntation
of a final paper at a full-day follow-up session approximately eight weeks after the summer instructional sessions conclude.

Latin 575 – Living Text: Sallust’s Bellum Catilinae
Designed for repeat attendees of the Conventiculum Bostoniense or other spoken Latin programs, this course engages the participants in intensive study of Sallust’s Bellum Catilinae, incorporating both traditional pedagogical approaches (grammar/translation method, study of relevant scholarship) and active learning methodologies (especially those that build competence in oral and written production of Latin, such as oral paraphrase, contextual discussion, Socratic questioning, written response and rephrasing). For a significant portion of class time, students work in small groups to compose and perform a play whose content accurately reflects the style, themes, and literary, historical, and cultural contexts of the text studied in the course. Each student also completes an individual final paper, due six weeks after the last course session. Students communicate among themselves and with the instructors exclusively in Latin. Prerequisites: Latin 570 or permission of the instru!
ctors.

Audit Option
This option is designed for school teachers over the age of 60 or college faculty who would like to attend the Conventiculum but who do not need graduate credit for their participation. Auditors will be expected to participate fully in all activities for either Latin 570 or 575 (depending upon their experience with spoken Latin) and to adhere strictly to the requirement to speak only Latin. This option is also available to repeat attendees who have already taken both Latin 570 and 575.

Location/Housing
The Conventiculum will be held in the facilities of UMass Dartmouth, which is located in North Dartmouth, near the south coast of Massachusetts. Sessions will meet at the conference center on campus, and students will be housed in apartments adjacent to the center. Housing for the Conventiculum consists of 2 or 4 bedroom apartments, each with its own full kitchen and common living area; all bedrooms are single occupancy with double beds and shared bathrooms (2 per apartment). Kitchens are not equipped.

Program Fee
The fee for participants for credit is $1500 and includes the cost of three graduate credits, classroom materials, transportation and admission to all activities included in the Conventiculum, housing, and some meals. The fee does not cover the cost of books or transportation to and from the Conventiculum. The fee for participants accepted as auditors is $800 and includes transportation and admission to all activities included in the Conventiculum, housing, and some meals. The fee does not cover the cost of books or transportation to and from the Conventiculum.

For further details and application please contact:

Jacqueline Carlon, Assistant Professor
Classics Department, 100 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, MA 02125-3393
Telephone: 617-287-6121; Email: Jacqueline.Carlon AT umb.edu