This course will fulfill the first year of the International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum requirements for Group 2 Language B (Second Language).The classical languages standard level (SL) course can be taken in Latin. The course provides students with the opportunity to study a historically significant language that is also embedded in many modern languages. The DP classical languages course provides an opportunity for students to explore the languages, literatures and cultures of ancient Rome. The study of classical languages gives important insights into the cultures that produced them, and leads to a greater understanding of contemporary languages, literature and cultures. Fundamentally, the study of classical languages trains the mind, developing skills of critical thought, memory and close analysis, as well as an appreciation of the beauty and power of language. It is a fundamental principle that the texts be studied in their original language. Linguistic skills lie at the heart of the course, since it is through a deep understanding of the workings of a language that true intellectual contact can be made with the peoples of the past. Students learn to translate and study different genres of classical texts, examining the ideas in these works and their artistry within their historical, political and cultural contexts. Teachers explicitly teach thinking and research skills such as comprehension, text analysis, transfer, and use of primary sources. Students must continue with IB Latin IV in the senior year.