Observations of free and prose composition in a Year 7 Latin classroom

Abstract This paper discusses the benefits of prose and free composition following the implementation of both styles in Year 7 Latin classrooms. While prose composition is an optional feature in GCSE and A Level exams in the UK, free composition is rarely part of Latin teaching in the UK – and yet it can have benefits for students equal to or exceeding those of prose composition. Any composition is a useful diagnostic tool for grammar, but free composition seems a more enjoyable and creative experience for students. For this research, I experimented with both styles of composition and observed the teaching implications as well as the students’ reception of both.