Reviews
Review by: Gill Mead, The Journal of Classics Teaching - October 1, 2007
A CICERO WORKBOOK, by Jane W. Crawford and Judith A
Hayes
Bolchazy-Carducci (2006) p/b 233pp £11.00 (ISBN 0865166439)
This workbook is targeted at North American high school and college students preparing for the College Entrance Exam Board Latin Literature paper. It consists of a series of short selections from Cicero's pro Archia and de amicitia followed by preparatory questions on grammar and syntax (asking for identification of case, tense, mood, voice etc)~ multiple choice questions on syntax, comprehension and rhetorical terms~ translation exercises~ short analysis questions designed to test understanding of Ciceronian oratorical skill~ and short practice essay questions. As it is in workbook format, there is plenty of space for students to write their answers.
It might have limited use in the British classroom unless the texts were co-incident with examination set books. Even if this were so, departments on limited budgets might hesitate to buy class sets of workbooks for students to write in. In addition, the very analytical and linguistic approach (e.g. 'in line 212 find the protasis of a conditional sentence') might only suit particular teaching and learning styles, although there is scope for its use as an introduction to the intricacies of Cicero's prose. It could also be used to provide useful practice for the linguistic questions on the OCR Latin A2 Comprehension paper. The constraints of the workbook format (i.e. one that presupposes a 'right' answer) make it a frustrating tool for the study of literature. It invites students to spot, for example, instances of asyndeton, hysteron proteron, hendiadys etc without necessarily inviting them to consider the effectiveness of these devices in context. A level or first year undergraduate students with a strong interest in grammar and syntax could find it attractive to buy for private study (although there is no answer book). Teachers might find it an interesting addition to their own classroom shelves - the analysis questions, for example, could provide useful models for applying to other Ciceronian texts.
Gill Mead - Chesterton Community College, Cambridge
Review by: James Cox, Midwest Book Review - June 1, 2007
The Language Studies Shelf
A Cicero Workbook
Jane W. Crawford 7 Judith A. Hays
Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers
1000 Brown Street, Unit 101, Wauconda, IL 60084
0865166439, $22.00 www.bolchazy.com l-847-526-4344
Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers is the premier publisher of books and curriculum materials for Latin language and literature studies. A Cicero Workbook is the collaborative effort of Jane W. Crawford (Professor of Classics at the University of Virginia) and Judith A. Hays (who was named Illinois Latin Teacher of the year in 1997), that is specifically and successfully designed to facilitate a student's reading skills and comprehension levels with regard to Latin passages from Cicero's 'Pro Archia' and 'De Amicita'. Among its features is the complete Latin text of all the selections on the Cicero Advanced Placement syllabus; preparatory questions following each Latin passage that help the student unravel Ciceronian grammar and syntax; multiple choice questions on comprehension, grammar, syntax, figures of speech, etc.; short analysis questions that require interpretation of Latin passages and probe a student's understanding of Cicero's logic and persuasive skills; practice essay questions, AP type questions on translation; and a comprehensive Latin to English vocabulary specifically designed for these Cicero texts. Also very highly recommended for high school and college Latin curriculums from Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers are Cicero: De Amicitia Selections (9780865166394, $17.00); Cicero: Pro Archia Poeta Oratio: 2nd Edition (9780865166424, $20.00); Vergil ForBeginners: A Dual Approach To Early Vergil Studies (9780865166288, $21.00) and Vergil's Aeneid 8 & 11: Italy And Rome (9780865165809, $17.00). Five outstanding new titles from Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers in the area of Latin instruction are superbly presented, 'user friendly', and highly recommended additions to any personal studies, academic library, or school curriculum reference collection. Separate Teacher Guides for these five student instructional texts and manuals are also available and recommended for classroom instructors.