This book is a good concept: the use of English derivations to consolidate and revise vocabulary for Latin GCSE, covering both the OCR and Eduqas specifications. It seeks a secondary audience among those tackling crosswords or other word games.
The design of the book also looks the part. It is a little under A5 size and the page layout is clear. There are four or five Latin words on each page. Each entry has GCSE meaning(s) with derivations underneath and there is space on the right-hand side to add derivations of one's own. There are attractive line drawings, one for each letter of the alphabet.
However, I have some reservations, partly to do with how it could be used and partly to do with the derivations given.
The idea for this book arose from Mackenzie's observation that her students’ retention of vocabulary was better when they came up with an English derivation from the Latin word. This was an active process, engaging her students. By contrast, in this book students have the derivations provided.
The derivations offered also bear in mind the crossword audience. This means that many of the derivations are very obscure. Take a few examples from the section for the letter A: adjutancy, adessive, edificial, altercate, altisonant, noctambulation. I worry that such words will tend to alienate rather than help GCSE students. Obscure English derivations are often given before more common ones because derivations for each Latin word are given in strict alphabetical order. With some derivations, it is not immediately clear what the link in meaning is, for example currency from the Latin curro. Some connection is needed if it is to be helpful to the student. It would also be helpful to explain up-front the concept of assimilation and vowel change, using words aimed squarely at the student. There is a short note on the concept in Appendix 1 for the Eduqas list but none for the OCR list in Appendix 2.
Of course, not all Latin words have an English derivation. Mackenzie has listed these in two appendices. This is understandable, but a bit of a shame. These words tend to be the harder ones for students to remember, but it feels as if they have been hidden away and so are not as important for GCSE.
I suspect that many will think that seeking to satisfy the needs of the crossword solver has compromised the needs of the average GSCE candidate. This book could certainly be put in the hands of a student who is interested in words, the sort of student who may well continue with Latin after GCSE, but I am not convinced it would be effective if used on a whole-class basis.
Open access
