Create a new page
Create a classroom
Create a syllabus
Create a group project
Use another template

Purpose of This Page

This page will serve as a resource for developing skills in reading Latin, from grammatical analysis in basic sentences to cultural conditions and literary analysis.

Definition

The term "horizon of expectations" is a translation of the German Erwartungshorizont, a formulation of Hans-Robert Jauss. In every reading, the reader brings with him or her a set of expectations to the text that will either be met or not. Typically, the more sophisticated the literature, the greater the likelihood that it anticipates and contravenes those expectations so that the reader is constantly reevaluating the text and revising his or her expectations. (See the next section for German sources.)

An example of from Ovid (needs to be added)

As I apply the terms to Latin, we bring a variety of grammatical, structural, and cultural expectations to any reading, and we develop those expectations further in the act of reading.

German Footnotes

For those with German, here are some brief explanations of the term:

"Ein (...) indirektes Produkt der Wahrnehmung ist der "Erwartungshorizont". Der Erwartungshorizont wird aufgrund der gegebenen Situation und auf Grund der "Realitätsmodelle" gebildet. "Wenn x der Fall ist und wenn ich weiß, daß x eine konkrete Form von X ist und wenn X gewöhnlich in Y übergeht, dann wird y der Fall sein!": das ist, in expliziter Form, die Art von Schlüssen, durch die der Erwartungshorizont erzeugt wird. Der Erwartungshorizont stellt also eine Extrapolation der gegebenen Situation aufgrund des Wissens über deren gewöhnliche Fortentwicklung dar. Er enthält Informationen darüber, was man in der näheren und ferneren Zukunft zu erwarten hat" (Dörner & Stäudel, 1990, S.309).

"Bei jeder neuen Informationsaufnahme wird nun jeweils geprüft, ob die neue Information kompatibel mit dem Erwartungshorizont ist oder nicht. Ist sie kompatibel, so sind die Gesetzmäßigkeiten, aufgrund derer der Erwartungshorizont erzeugt worden ist, in Ordnung; die entsprechenden Realitätsmodelle bilden anscheinend die Verhältnisse in der Realität richtig ab. Ergibt sich aber ein Widerspruch zwischen dem, was erwartet worden ist, und dem, was tatsächlich eintritt, so ist etwas nicht in Ordnung." (Dörner & Stäudel, 1990, S.314/315)

Find the full online sources here.

Important Questions

The reading approach to Latin that underlies the Ecce Romani series developed with a group of instructors who eventually taught at the University of Michigan. Over a course of decades, they developed and refined the inductive method. At the heart of this approach are three questions:

What do I see? (elicits grammatical information)
Therefore, what do I have? (elicits function)
Therefore, what do I expect? (elicits reader expectations of what is to come?)

I would suggest from work in class that it is possible to crunch the first two questions together so that the initial analysis occurs internally:

What do I have? (form determines function; plot element)
Therefore, what do I expect? (function elicits expectation of further forms, functions, outcomes)

Check here for a brief history of Michigan Latin. (Thanks to Forum member Donna Winstanley for the link.)

Sentence or Structural Analysis

(This section desperately needs expansion. For now, I've typed in a few of the HAVE-EXPECTATION pairs. Please add more. Should perhaps be subdivided, e.g., Analysis of Verbs, Analysis of Accusatives, Analysis of Ablatives, etc. Thoughts?)

If I have a verb, I may reasonably expect a nominative subject.

If no nominative subject occurs, I may reasonably expect that the verb ending contains the subject: Currunt. They run.

If I have an accusative form that is not a place or that lacks a preposition, I have a direct object. If I have a direct object, I may reasonably expect a transitive verb and a nominative subject (see note 1a).

If I have a place, I may still have a direct object: Rōmam Cornēliī vīsitant. The Cornelii visit Rome.
If I have a place even without a preposition, I may have an accusative of place to which: Rōmam Cornēliī redeunt. The Cornelii return to Rome.

If I have a pluperfect verb, I may reasonably expect another clause with a verb in either imperfect or perfect tense.
If I have two nouns side by side, I may expect one of them to be a genitive.

Cultural Expectations

(Add piece about Cornelia and the dogs Even if they have dogs now as custōdēs, it would still be innappropriate for Cornelia to go out in public.)