Criterion A Planning

An engaging way to learn the grammar and vocabulary of the Latin language

Client: Mrs Garman - Latin Teacher

Advisor: Mrs XX – Computer Science Teacher
Define the problem or unanswered question
The problem I am addressing is the lack of engaging ways to teach vocabulary and grammar of
the Latin language to Latin students in schools. I aim to produce a game for Latin students that aids
the learning and testing of the student’s grammar and vocabulary.
The client, Mrs Garman, is a Latin teacher who is often looking for engaging ways to help her
students learn the grammar of the Latin language. Alternatives to writing out tables, such as an
online test or game, can help to make learning less tedious, encourage an understanding rather
than memorisation, and help maintain engagement, particularly in younger years. A grammar-
based game with selectable difficulty and content depending on the level of understanding that
the students have, could fill a niche space with few alternatives.
At the present, Mrs Garman’s students learn their vocabulary and grammar by writing tables out in
their books and multiple websites to help her students learn the various parts of the language.
While the websites themselves have good content and are well designed, having to use multiple
websites for different topics is time-consuming and using websites requires a consistent internet
connection which may not always be available to students.
(202 words)

Justification for the proposed product

Over the course of my education in Latin, I have found it particularly difficult to remember the
various tenses, and endings of verbs, nouns, and other parts of speech. The process of learning parts
of speech is tedious and time-consuming, as it generally requires memorising repetitive lists through
writing or saying them out loud.
In the past, I have looked for alternatives such as online flash cards, online tests, and online
memorisation games to help me with my understanding, however, these are limited by the
requirement of a reliable internet connection and are not always optimised well for display
resolution. An application is advantageous as a solution as opposed to a website or other medium
because it allows for more focused optimization for devices with different hardware and can be
accessed with or without an internet connection.
I decided to create this revision aid as a dedicated program using the Python programming
language because other tools such as Scratch or a database created in MS Access have limited
interactivity in comparison to Python. Despite a database being more useful for storing a list of
words, such as the one I am using in my Python code, a program allows for the use of a ‘test’ function
which is the main focus of my solution whereas the storing of data is a secondary function.
I chose to create the program using Python because it is more approachable for those with limited
coding experience such as myself and has a large number of resources available on the internet to
learn how to write Python code. Furthermore, Python is easily obtained, free-to-use, and can be
output for multiple platforms.
(277 words)

Success Criteria
1. Must be able to quiz the user on vocabulary and grammar for the Latin language
2. Must keep a score for the user presented at the end of each quiz
3. Must be able to show the user the correct answer when they get it incorrect