Author: Mireille de Biasi

I The story of teaching Classics in France

Preliminary
In France, years at secondary schools are named decreasingly from sixième to terminale. The terms are explained below:

Up to 1968, Latin was first taught in sixième. In state "collèges", the autumn term had an observation period, at the end of which the best pupils were allowed to take Latin courses. Greek was an optional subject offered in quatrième. In 1942, a pupil in sixième would take 6 Latin periods a week, 5 periods in cinquième, 4 in quatrième and troisième and possibly 4 Greek periods a week in quatrième. In state "lycées", pupils would take four weekly periods of those optional subjects.

Teaching methods included no oral exercises at all: only small amounts of vocabulary were learned. Homework and evaluation included around 30 Latin tests, set within one year (1 each week, or alternatively two translations into French and one into Latin). As for Greek, one translation into French was set each week and only a few translations into Greek. For both Latin and Greek courses, a lot of preparation was required before each lesson, normally done as homework.

In private secondary schools, Latin was started in sixième after an introductory year in "septième". Greek was started in cinquième.

From 1969 to 1998, pupils started ancient languages in cinquième, during introductory periods. Latin and Greek became real optional subjects in quatrième and were taught for two years, the two last years of "collège". Children were allowed to study Latin or Greek, or both languages, with three periods per week for each discipline. In "lycée", they took three periods per week of each language. Some adjustments were usually made to the timetables of pupils specialising in sciences.

In 1998, a reform reorganised classics teaching in "collège". Pupils are now allowed to start Latin in cinquième and study it for two or three years. Greek cannot be started until troisième (see below). As for the "lycée", there were no structural modifications but syllabuses changed in 2001 and Latin/Greek tests at the baccalauréat were altered in 2003.

II The modern secondary school system in France
 A)      The two schools of the French secondary education system are the "collège" and "lycée"

The collège is the state secondary school children attend between the ages of 11 and 14. It covers the school years sixième, cinquième, quatrième and troisième. The main subjects of the collège curriculum are French, mathematics, history and geography, citizenship, biology and geology, technology, physics (first studied in quatrième), a foreign language (in sixième), a second foreign language (in quatrième), physical training, music and fine arts. Classics are subsidiary subjects. At the end of troisième, pupils take the examination known as the "brevet des collèges". 

Lycée covers the school years known as seconde, première and terminale. The objective is to take one of the two main kinds of baccalauréats - the general baccalauréat and the vocational training baccalauréat. At the end of troisième or seconde, pupils choose their lycée depending on the kind of baccalauréat they intend to take. We will refer here only to standard lycées. Indeed, ancient languages are not taught in schools for vocational training.

The seconde is a year at the end of which pupils have to choose a specialisation. The main subjects are French, mathematics, history and geography, citizenship, biology and geology, physics, chemistry, two foreign languages, physical training. They can also choose optional or subsidiary subjects.

The première is the year in which they start to specialise in arts and science (L), in science (S), or in social and economic science (ES).

In terminale, philosophy is a required subject, whatever the chosen specialisation.

B)      Classics in secondary schools
In collège, ancient languages are optional subjects available to pupils whatever their standard in other disciplines. They can start to study Latin as soon as they start cinquième and can continue with this for two years. Then they can opt to carry on in troisième. In cinquième, there are two Latin periods a week, and three in quatrième as well as in troisième.

Greek studies cannot commence until the troisième, when Latin students are allowed to study both languages. In order not to overload these pupils' syllabuses, many regional education authorities have limited the time allocations for classics to two periods a week each for Latin and Greek. Those who only study Greek have the standard allocation of three periods a week.

The "brevet des collèges" marks the successful conclusion of "collège" education. It includes continuous assessment in ancient languages, but only those above the average.

At "lycée", students can choose to study ancient languages as a "determining" subject; most of these students intend to take a degree course in literature. Others can choose to study classics as an "optional" subject, because they enjoy it and in order to broaden their cultural background, whatever their future degree course. They follow three courses of one hour each week.

Pupils in "terminale L" can choose to study an ancient language as a "specialised" subject but Students following a vocational training "baccalauréat" are not taught ancient languages except for those studying the arts of music and dance. Assessment of Latin and Greek languages at the "baccalauréat" depends on whether they have chosen classics subjects as "determining", "optional" or "specialised".

III Classical subjects within the secondary system of France

A) Classics at "collège"
Pedagogy and syllabuses are defined in the official report from the State Education and the Research Ministries, n°10, 15 October, 1998.

1) Objectives and evolution   

The study of Latin study "collège" is available over the two "cycles", the central "cycle" (cinquième and quatrième) and the orientation "cycle" (troisième). Our civilisation and language inherited cultures and languages from antiquity. The study of ancient texts introduces pupils to ancient history and enables them to understand their own history better.(...)

The learning of vocabulary and grammar is subject to the reading of ancient texts.

During the year, the teacher has to conform to the curriculum and follow general instructions; however, he is free to organise his course as he thinks best.

2) Curriculum     

The objective is that at the end of troisième, pupils should be able to read and translate a text in line with subjects and linguistic elements studied during their scholarship at "collège".

a) Texts and themes: lexicon, morphology and syntax are studied depending on the kind of texts.

b) Language teaching

This is subject to the language usage met in the texts studied.

Vocabulary learning, is always done in context, and its learning is organised around the tool-words and lexical fields most frequently encountered in the texts studied. At the end of "collège", pupils should have acquired a basic knowledge of about 800 to 1000 words, chosen for their frequency in the Latin language and their usefulness for French. A reference list is available.(...)

c) Written and oral activities

Reading practice includes various written and oral exercises, among which the reciting of ancient texts.

Translation is a form and a continuation of the reading. (...)

Audio-visual methods and ICT are used as often as possible.

3) Evaluation

Concerning ancient languages, there is no general and rigid evaluation, but each kind of learning is taken into account (assessment is not just carried out for translation, for instance, but also for use of lexicon, morphology and general knowledge). Various sorts of skills and abilities are thus evaluated which must serve to encourage Greek and Latin students.

4) Latin syllabus for central and orientation "cycles".
http://www.cndp.fr/textes_officiels/college/programmes/bprg_54/latin.pdf
http://www.cndp.fr/textes_officiels/college/programmes/acc_prg3/acc_prg3_latin.pdf

5) The Greek curriculum in troisième

a) Themes and texts : the main theme is the Athenian city in the fifth century (...)

http://www.cndp.fr/textes_officiels/college/programmes/bprg_3/grec.pdf
http://www.cndp.fr/textes_officiels/college/programmes/acc_prg3/acc_prg3_grec.pdf
http://www.cndp.fr/textes_officiels/college/programmes/acc_prg3/acc_prg3_grec_anx.pdf

b) Language

Vocabulary : at the end of the year, pupils should be familiar with the use of about 300 words. Lists can be consulted http://www.educnet.education.fr/musagora/manuel/memo/default.htm
Syntax : http://www.cndp.fr/textes_officiels/college/programmes/bprg_3/grec.pdf

B) Classics at "lycée"
Pedagogy and syllabuses are defined in the official report from the State Education and the Research Ministries, HS N°7, 31 august 2000. To get a complete translation of this official text, please refer to the CIRCE website.

Latin and Greek can be taken as main subjects or subsidiary optional subjects.

1) Objectives

Classics teaching at lycée level meets two main purposes:

To contribute, together with French and social sciences teaching, to the formation of the individual and the citizen by teaching students the linguistic and cultural Graeco-Roman heritage.
To support the training of specialists in literature and social sciences. (...)

2) The various kinds of texts; the historical and cultural references

The reading and translation of original extracts from major works of Greek and Latin literature helps to establish a common culture (...)

The Latin course covers a period extending from the Republic to late Empire; as for the Greek course, the period extends from Homer to Plutarch. The teacher may sometimes use texts dated from other periods. However, his teaching should include only a few notions outside the syllabus.

Nota bene:  historical landmarks to be memorised are specified in the documentation.

3) Learning and progress
The teaching of ancient languages in "lycée" calls on the knowledge pupils have acquired in "collège": for Latin, the historical, social and political developments in Rome are referenced, from its origins to the height of empire under Trajan and Hadrian. A vocabulary base of about 1000 words is used, with morphology and syntax corresponding to the themes and texts studied at collège. For Greek, the founding myths of Athens and the Athenian views on their democracy are used, with morphology, syntax and vocabulary memorised in troisième.

a) Reading

The reading of ancient texts remains at the core of the teaching; the study of images and archaeological sites, together with museum visits still add to this teaching. (...)

b) Language

High school students have to acquire a vocabulary, chosen for their frequency in the texts studied and their productivity in French (Latin : about 2000 to 2200 words ; Greek : about 1000 to 1200 words )and study syntax as well as stylistic and poetic effects in order to understand the texts and to comment on them. (...)

NB vocabulary lists are specified in the documentation. (...)

4) Written and oral activities

One has to keep in mind that the students' attention cannot be maintained beyond three lines of reading for one sentence. Practice of reading includes various oral and written exercises, among which the memorisation of original texts.(...) Audio-visual aids and ICT are used as often as possible.

5) Latin and Greek syllabuses :
http://www.education.gouv.fr/bo/2000/hs7/vol5fran%E7.htm#anc
http://www.education.gouv.fr/bo/2003/21/MENE0301081N.htm

IV How to become a classics teacher in France

A) The recruitment procedure involves state examinations
Each year, the State Education Ministry recruits classics teachers through two kinds of competitive examinations: the CAPES (secondary school teacher's diploma), and the "Agrégation" (high-level competitive examination). To be allowed to register for CAPES, the student has to hold a degree (three years after baccalauréat) in Classics; as for the Agrégation, a master's degree (four years after baccalauréat) is required. During these examinations, oral and written tests assess the students' skills in Latin and Greek translation into French, in French translation into Latin and Greek (for the Agrégation only), in Latin and Greek literature and in French literature. In France, the Classics teacher is indeed specialised both in Greek/Latin and contemporary French literatures. In the secondary system, he can be asked to teach any one of them.

C) Degree course and required qualifications

1) The degree course is organised as follows :

It takes three years to gain a degree in Classics called "licence". Students' skills are tested in translation into French, translation into Latin/Greek, ancient history, arts. The evaluation consists of continuous assessment but students must also pass a specific examination in the month of June, at the end of each university year.

Another year is needed to get a master's degree. If a few new skills are tested, the master's degree mainly consists in a dissertation on a theme chosen by the student with the agreement of a lecturer. Students present their research works to an examining board at the end of the year.

2) The teacher's initial training

Once they get their degree, students may enter the IUFM (teacher training collège) for one year, to prepare for end examination. Only French students and students from European Union countries, holding a degree on the sixteenth of July 200x at the latest are allowed to enter the IUFM. The entry is subject to a good university record and to an interview. The final decision is made by the head of the IUFM at the suggestion of a committee he himself presides. Preparation for the examination is provided by the IUFM together with the university of the same regional education authority.

The successful candidates at CAPES or Agrégation have to carry on with their training for one more year. They are appointed to a school where they have to teach for four to six hours a week. Educational advisers will monitor them all the year long, helping them to prepare their lessons, inviting them to attend their own courses or attending the student teachers' courses. Student teachers spend the rest of their time on training periods at IUFM (teacher training collège) where they get a specifically pedagogic education. At the end of the year, they are evaluated by a examining board composed of lecturers at IUFM, educational advisers and school inspectors.

3) Continuous training

Once the teacher has been given a permanent appointment, he or she is allowed to attend continuous training periods on various subjects, such as how to use ICT, cinematic studies, writers on the baccalauréat syllabus, how to help pupils in difficulties, inter alia.

If a teacher holding a CAPES wants to be upgraded, he or she can take a year off teaching to work towards the Agrégation. Some teachers with just a degree qualification are allowed to work by contract, without holding any of the grades otherwise required.

V Further Information
About syllabuses
Collège
Latin
http://www.cndp.fr/textes_officiels/college/programmes/bprg_54/latin.pdf

http://www.cndp.fr/textes_officiels/college/programmes/acc_prg3/acc_prg3_latin.pdf
 
Grec
http://www.cndp.fr/textes_officiels/college/programmes/bprg_3/grec.pdf

http://www.cndp.fr/textes_officiels/college/programmes/acc_prg3/acc_prg3_grec.pdf

http://www.cndp.fr/textes_officiels/college/programmes/acc_prg3/acc_prg3_grec_anx.pdf
 
Lycée
http://www.education.gouv.fr/bo/2000/hs7/vol5fran%E7.htm#anc

http://www.education.gouv.fr/bo/2003/21/MENE0301081N.htm
 
About becoming a classics teacher in France
http://www.education.gouv.fr/personnel/metiers/professeur_certifie.htm

http://www.education.gouv.fr/personnel/metiers/professeur_agrege.htm