Christmas break from Latin classes

This is just a reminder that we are taking a couple of weeks off from our study of Latin to devote ourselves to celebrating the coming of Christ! Saturday class will resume on Saturday, January 1 (kalendae Ianuariae). Class for the filiae Morris will resume shortly thereafter. Those who would like to meet for the Tuesday evening tutorial on December 28 should let me know by Sunday, Dec. 26.

New! Online vocabulary drills for Familia Romana

Discipuli discipulaeque -- remember how I've urged you all to make flashcards to help you learn new vocabulary? Well, I've just discovered that Focus Publishing, the American publisher for the Orberg Lingua Latina series, now has electronic flashcards for the first XXI chapters on their web site: go here. You can use these whenever you have a few free minutes to learn new vocabulary in the current chapter or to review words that should already be familiar.

Adult Class, Saturday, XI December

(ante diem tertium Idus Decembres: Septimontium Agonalia, Sol Indiges, Ianus)

Review in the College Companion the discussion of new grammatical and syntactical constructions in lectio prima of Capitulum Undecimum (XI Corpus Humanum). Then go back over the first lectio in the reader, looking for those new grammatical constructions in context. Finally, prepare the exercitia that correspond to lectio prima (I believe these are I-IV).

We'll pick up with lectio altera (II, part of which we read through on IV Dec.) this Saturday. Adeste!

Adult class: Saturday, IV December

(pridie Nonas Decembres)

This week we will begin a new chapter, Capitulum XI, Corpus Humanum. There is a lot to look forward to: Body parts! The horrors of ancient medicine! More fun with the third declension! A tiny peek at the fourth declension! No sign yet of the fifth declension!
What could be worse for poor Quintus than simultaneously falling out of a tree, squashing to death four pullos avis, injuring his foot, and losing consciousness? You'll find out, as soon as worried mater, Aemilia, sends someone to fetch the medicus (there will be blood!).

Just a reminder that what was the "Sunday class" is now becoming the "Saturday class." From now on, we will meet on Saturday mornings, shortly after the morning Mass. Unless you hear otherwise (have not yet received the go-ahead from On High), we will meet in our usual classroom in the parish house. The Tuesday tutorial group continues to meet Tuesday evenings, after the Mass, at Panera Bakery on N. Collins.

Venite! (Y'all come!) See you Saturday.

Filiae Morris: Tuesday, VII December

(ante diem septimum Idus Decembres: Faunalia Rustica)

In the College Companion, review the new grammatical constructions introduced in lectio prima of Capitulum XIII, Annus et Menses. Then go back through lectio prima in the reader carefully, making sure that you understand the new vocabulary and grammar in context. Then prepare the exercitia that correspond to lectio prima (I-IV).

Filiae Morris: For Friday, 19 November

On Friday, we will run through the Pensa at the end of Cap. XII and the Colloquium Duodecimum in the blue book.

For Sunday Class, 21 November

On Sunday, 14 November, since we were lacking several students, we did some review over the third declension nouns, rather than moving ahead in the reading. Therefore, next Sunday, we will work our way through Lectio tertia (III) in Cap. X.

To make sure you are getting familiar with the forms of third declension nouns (first introduced in Cap. IX), you should review the grammatica latina at the end of C121apitulum IX, and practice making the different case forms by completing Exercitia 9-11 in the workbook:

• Ex. 9 has you producing the forms of the first declension (feminine words like insula), 
• Ex. 10 -- the forms of the second declension (masculine and neuter words like servus and oppidum), 
• And ex. 11 -- the third declension nouns (which may be masculine, feminine, or neuter).

Blog updates! New gadgets!

I've added a couple of doodads to this blog, a new template and some Latin widgets. Take a little time to look around and see what you think.

In the left sidebar, you'll find:

• The Roman Kalendar, which gives you the current date as Romans would have numbered it, along with the (pagan) holiday associated with that date in ancient times. (We'll be learning about the Roman calendar in Capitulum XIII.)
• Below that, a Latin motto that changes each day, along with its English translation. These mottoes will give you a little insight into conventional Roman attitudes.
• Then there is a Latin word of the day, with a little audio gadget that will pronounce it for you and the equivalent English expressions.
• Below this are links to web resources and Latin-related websites that you might like to explore.

In the right sidebar is mostly course-related stuff, including links to "follow" or "subscribe" to the blog -- if you become a follower or subscriber, you will receive notices by email whenever I post something new.

Let me know if you have any questions about anything on the blog, have trouble reading the new color scheme, etc.

Filiae Morris: For Tuesday, 16 November

The first thing to do is to go back carefully through lectiones I et II in Capitulum XII. As you read, pause occasionally to parse a single sentence -- i.e., make sure you know what each word is doing in the sentence, see where the phrases and clauses are, understand which case a given noun is (and why it needs to be that case). Get familiar with any new vocabulary that shows up in the reading, and try to recognize the different cases of third declension nouns when you see them. Take note of the marginalia (marginal notations) and make sure you understand what they are pointing out. You might want to read aloud at least part of the reading and, once you are comfortable with the contents, practice using natural vocal intonation.

Then you may wish to go through the discussion in the College Companion of any new grammatical and syntactical forms in the reading. You'll notice tables that show the case endings for the newly introduced fourth declension nouns, and for adjectives of comparison, which follow the third declension.

Once you are familiar with the new vocabulary and grammar, you are ready to try your hand at the Exercitia 1-4 for the lectio prima of Cap. XII (write these out to hand in, in lieu of a quiz). Here is an overview of what each exercitium requires:

1. The first exercise has you transforming a transitive statement of possession (e.g., Marcus unam sororem habet) into an equivalent statement using the newly-introduced dative of possession construction (Marco una soror est.). Note that what is possessed goes from being a direct object to being the nominative subject, while the one doing the possessing changes from nominative into dative case.
2. The second exercise simply has you giving the third declension nouns that indicate family relationships (pater, mater, frater, soror) the correct case endings, depending on their function in the sentence.
3. The third exercise is an opportunity to start using some of the new vocabulary. The words to select from are given in the margin, but keep in mind that you will need to to put them in the correct form, according to their use in the sentence.

Filiae Morris: For Tuesday, 9 November

Review lectio altera and then read lectio tertia of Capitulum XI. Look for more instances of indirect discourse (poor old Syra is still trying to keep up with what's being said!) and look for new verbs that describe the further horrors that the medicus will visit on poor Quintus.

Prepare for a quiz over the first and second declension nouns introduced in Cap. IX and X. You will need to be able to give both conjugated and infinitive forms, in the passive and active voices.

Filiae Morris: For Friday, 5 November

Salvete, puellae! Don't forget we will have a vocabulary quiz on Friday, covering the new nouns introduced in capitulo decimo. You should prepare exercitia VII & IX in capitulo X, and read lectionem primam in capitulo XI.

Some Latin Prayers

Click here to download a couple of Latin prayers that use a number of words and/or grammatical constructions with which you should already be familiar, from our reading in class. The parts that should be familiar are marked in boldface italics. How many do you recognize? Try learning the Latin versions of these familiar prayers and using them in your private devotions.

Alicia in Terra Mirabili

In case you need a little extra encouragement to persevere in your study of Latin, here's a site where, one day, you may read Alice in Wonderland in Latin.

Learn More About Ancient Rome

As we move ahead in Familia Romana, you will learn a lot about the culture of ancient Rome (as well as the Latin language) by reading the stories in the textbook about the members of the Iulius household. Some of you, however, are already getting a little impatient to learn more about the culture, so here are some reading suggestions that may interest you:

• Read histories by Roman writers, such as Livy's History of Rome (which I've referred to in class) or Sallust's history of the Conspiracy by Catilina to bring down the Roman republic.
• If you have trouble telling the difference between the ancient Romans and the Greeks, you might want to read some of Plutarch's Parallel Lives, biographies of Greek leaders and their nearest Roman counterparts, in which Plutarch compares two similar leaders and judges which of them was greater. There is also one edition that includes just the six biographies of Roman statesmen who put in motion the events that led to the collapse of the Roman Republic (later reconstituted by Caesar Augustus as the Roman Empire).
• Read modern novels that accurately reflect and bring to life Roman culture. On my reading blog, I am currently discussing three series of murder mysteries currently available, which not only tell great stories but also bring to life ancient Roman culture. I can particularly recommend the SPQR mystery novels by John Maddox Roberts for illuminating Roman life and historical events in the day of Cicero and Julius Caesar, and the (quite funny) Marcus Didius Falco mysteries by Lindsey Davis, for giving entertaing glimpse into popular culture in the days of the emperor Vespasian and his sons, Titus and Domitian. Both of these series are not only highly entertaining but also give a fairly accurate view of Roman life in the periods they describe. I can also recommend the historical novels of Robert Harris, including his Pompeii, which takes place the day Mt Vesuvius erupted in A.D. 79.
• If you are interested in the intersection of life in Rome and the early Christian church, there are some novels that illustrate this pretty well. For instance, Quo Vadis, the story of a Roman tribune who falls in love with a young Christian woman during the time of Nero. You'll learn a lot about the trials and heroism of Christians at a time when they were being violently persecuted and martyred. You might also like some of the biographical novels by Louis Wohl that deal with early Roman Christians, such as his The Restless Flame: A Novel About Saint Augustine or The Living Wood: Saint Helena and the Emperor Constantine

Put Audio Files on your MP3 player

Did you know that you can practice with the resources on your Familia Latina CD even when you don't have access to a computer? After you have installed the CD software on your computer, here is where you will find the audio files (assuming the drive to which you installed is drive C):

• C:/Program Files/LLPSI/Familia Romana/latmedia/

The audio files have names like cap1.MP3, etc., and can be played on any device that plays files in the MP3 format. So if you have an iPod or similar player, you can practice your listening and pronunciation skills all through the day, if you just load the audio files onto your MP3 player.

Homework for Week 6 (Class April 10-11)

Nota bene: There will be no Latin class meeting during the Sacred Triduum, so the next time we will meet will be on April 10/11).

Since it will be two weeks before our next class, you would be well advised to spend some time during Holy Week practicing everything we've been reading and discussing in class, to get it really well ingrained in your memory, before concentrating on the current lesson, Lectio Secunda in Capitulo Secundo (vv. 25-61 in Cap. II). Then, in the week after Easter Sunday, you should complete the following:

• Cap. II, lectio II (vv. 25-61)
• Exercitia 5-9 for Capitulum Secundum
• The relevant portions of the instructions for Chapter 2 in Latine Disco (this will be everything for Chapter 2 except the last two paragraphs).

Just a couple of reminders to help you keep up or catch up during the next two weeks:

• You will learn more easily -- and more permanently -- if you use the "slow drip" method: a little at a time, with plenty of mental repetition and practice. Therefore, it is better to study and practice for twenty minutes a day over six days than to cram in 2 or 3 hours of intense study the night before class.
• But don't simply do the same thing every day; vary your activity and build from passive familiarity (reading the lectio) to active use (making up a little dialogue or monologue about the contents of the reading). Active use will be more challenging, but if you can spontaneously produce a correct and complete answer to even a very simple Latin question (such as, "Cuius filia est Iulia?") you will know that you are mastering the material.
• Give as much time and attention (or even more!) to learning and using case endings (or other relevant grammatical constructions) as you do to learning new vocabulary. Since Latin creates meaning through inflection (word endings that vary according to how the word is being used) rather than through word order, accurately use of word-endings will be more and more important as we progress in our study.
• Have fun with your study. See if you can find ways of practicing Latin that will make your time with Latin interesting and pleasurable rather than letting it become tedious drudgery. If you come up with any fun study techniques , let the rest of us know! You might be able to inspire others to do likewise.

Homework for Week 5 (Classes March 27 & 28) -- Capitulum Secundum

First, those who missed class on March 20/21 and did not take the quiz need to be prepared to take it this week. It's crucial that, before we move too much ahead, we all see what problems from the first chapter may need to be dealt with. Each chapter will be building on the previous one(s), and we need to make sure that we are building on a foundation that is rock-solid, not shifting sand!

In class, we began reading Lectio Prima in Capitulo Secundo, "Familia Romana," in which we are introduced to the Roman family whose life we will be following through the rest of the book. As should be almost routine by now, you should:

• First, look at the illustration at the beginning of the chapter carefully, trying to understand what it is depicting. This is a visual introduction to the written narrative that follows.
• Read through the lectio (vv. 1-24) carefully, perhaps first silently but later aloud (to practice pronunciation), pausing at the end of each paragraph to take note of the new vocabulary and grammatical features that are being introduced.
• Pay attention to the marginal notations, which point out the significance of new grammatical instructions. Try to figure out what they are pointing out, and make a mental note. Re-read relevant sentences to see if the context in which new things occur helps you to understand what they mean.
• After you have digested the reading, move on to the Exercitia in the workbook for the lectio you have just finished (for this week, exercitia I-IV on p. 4). Practice these orally before writing them out. Remember that even in the exercitia, there are marginal notations are there to help you -- they indicate the possible answers for the blanks to be filled in, so that you don't completely have to guess what is being asked for. 
• Write out the exercitia after you have practiced them to the point of ease and familiarity -- write the entire sentence or, if answering a question, a complete sentence that provides a factually and grammatically correct answer. Bring your work to class.

Nota bene [Note well]: If you have time, you should also try discussing the subject material spontaneously in Latin, just summarizing or paraphrasing the information contained in the lectio. This week, you can quiz yourself on the identities of Iulius, his wife Aemilia, and their children, Marcus, Quintus, and Iulia. Be sure to use the proper word endings, especially the new endings that indicate relationship (casus genetivus or genitive case: Iulius pater MarcI, Iulia filia AemiliAE, etc.).

Homework for Week 4: Review Capitulum Primum (for class March 20/21)

In class, we have completed all III lectiones in capitulo primo, so this week you should review and practice. We'll have a written quiz in class this week. Here's a study plan you can use:

• First, complete any written exercitia that you have not yet done.
• Then, practice orally the pensa at the end of Capitulum Primum (as we did in class). Notice that these are similar to the written exercitia you have been doing, but are designed to be practiced aloud (which may be a little more difficult than writing them).
• While doing the pensa, try to avoid looking back at the lectiones for answers. All of the vocabula introduced in the chapter are listed in the margin beside Pensum B, so use that list to help you decide what should go in the blanks of Pensum B -- but remember to use the correct endings!
• When you get to Pensum C, answer in complete sentences that are both factually and grammatically correct.
• Finally, spend some time spontaneously generating discussion IN LATIN of the map of the Imperium Romanum at the beginning of Capitulum Primum. Imagine you are describing it to someone who can't see it: ("Britian is a large island in the Atlantic Ocean; Sicily is also a large island. Melita is not a large but a small island," et cetera.
• Or, even better, speak both sides of a dialogue in which one person is asking questions and the other is answering: "Where is Delphi? Delphi is in Greece. What is Delphi? Delphi is a small Greek city. Is Delphos in the Roman Empire?" etc.

After we practice a bit of this orally at the beginning of our next class, we will have a written quiz that will include the following:

• Dictation. I will say a Latin sentence, and you will write it down. This will test your recognition of correct Latin pronunciation, as well as spelling (including macrons over long vowels).
• Q & A. I will ask a question in Latin, and you will write a sentence that answers the question. This will test your understanding of spoken Latin and your ability to answer questions spontaneously in that language.
• Translation. I will give you two or three sentences in English, for you to render into Latin.

As you can see, if you practice (aloud!) using the plan I suggest above, you will be well prepared for the written quiz. Good luck!

Familia Romana CD user tips

If you are using the Lingua Latina CD, you may have noticed that the user interface is somewhat primitive and seems to lack features that have come to be standard in most Windows-based software. If you are having any problems finding your way around, you may be interested in the following tips:

• Understand the Latin labels. Like the textbook, the software interface is all in Latin, so you need to know (or figure out) what the Latin labels mean. "CAP. +" and "CAP. -" will take you to the beginning of the following (+) or previous (-) capitulum. "VOX" will play a recording of Hans Orberg reading aloud the current chapter. "FIX" will allow you to set up to V (5) bookmarks. "PENSA" will allow you to complete a written version of the pensa exercises at the end of each chapter -- with immediate feedback to let you know if your answer is correct. If you want to go back to the reading when you've finished the pensa, just click the "TEXT" button.
• Menus. At the top of the screen, you can use the "CAPITVLA" menu to go directly to the desired capitulum; the "TABVLAE" menu gives access to all the indices and appendices found in the back of the reader.
• Changing pages. While you can change pages by manually entering a page number in the little circle next to the word pagina, that can be cumbersome if you simply want to go to the next page. Instead, just LEFT click on the current page image, and you will see it change to the following page. To go to the previous page, RIGHT click on the page image.

Homework for Week 3: Capitulum I, Lectio III

Homework preparation for class on March 13/14: Finish the final lectio of Cap. Primum (Litterae et Numeri), and then practice, practice, practice what we've been learning! Do the written exercitia as usual (the ones marked for Lectio Tertia, sets 8-11). Take some time to look at the Grammatica Latina section at the end of the chapter, which summarizes all the new grammar and syntax introduced in the chapter, and the Pensa, which are practice exercises similar to those in the written Exercitia.

You'll notice that this week's lectio is short and introduces only a few new things -- but don't forget to read the relevant section in Latine Disco, to make sure you are noticing and understanding the new material. Since the lectio is relatively short and simple, we will be able to take some time in class to practice everything in Capitulum Primum before going on to the next chapter.

Homework for Week 2: Capitulum Primum, Lectio II (ll. 22-61)

Homework preparation for class on March 6/7: The assignment for this week is to finish Lectio II in Capitulum Primum (lines 22-61), which we began in class, and complete the associated sets of Exercitia (4-7). Follow a pattern similar to that suggested for Week 1, doing a little each day, and reviewing at the beginning of each day's study time, before moving ahead to newer things -- in this way, each day you will reinforce what you've already learned and also learn something new.

Here are some tips that can help you make the best use of your study time:

• As you read each new paragraph in the lectio, try to notice new vocabulary and grammatical constructions being introduced. Spend a little time just noticing what is new and then spend a moment testing whether you understand the new material. Look for any marginal notations or illustrations and familiarize yourself with the wordless way they try to get you to see what is going on.
• Set yourself a goal for each day. For instance, one day you might say, "Today I will read the next two paragraphs in the lectio and practice the material until I can pluralize fluvius and oppidum, with the appropriate form of est, without having to stop to think about it or look at the textbook." Another day, you might say, "Today I will practice looking at the map and describing what I see, using the vocabulary and grammar introduced so far, in complete sentences."
• Always read aloud to practice good pronunciation. Remember to try to make long vowels (and double consonants) actually sound longer. If you have the CD, listen carefully to Hans Ørberg’s pronunciation, and try to emulate it. Read expressively when you can (make magnus sound BIG and parvus sound small, to help yourself remember their meanings).
• Try to make study and practice fit into your daily routine. If you say, "I'll do half an hour of Lingua Latina before watching my favorite TV show (or right before breakfast, etc.)," it will become a daily habit, and you'll learn gradually and incrementally. Be the slow and steady tortoise rather than the jackrabbit. If you leave everything until the day before class, you won't have the time or repetition to learn the material properly; conversely, if you try to do everything right after class, while you are still keyed up about Latin, you may become complacent in the following days and forget the new material before the next class.
• Read the instruction in the student manual, Latine Disco, after you have been through it thoroughly on your own. Hopefully, you will find out that you have already been able to notice and understand on your own many of the points that the manual instructions discuss.
• Take note of anything that seems to be giving you problems. Always try to learn contextually first, then look to the student manual for help, but if you are still having trouble with something, make sure to mention it in class.

Good luck building a good study routine this week! See you in class this weekend. Remember to bring a written set of Exercitia 4-7 (complete sentences) to class.

Homework for Week I: Capitulum Primum, Lectio I

Well, the class is officially underway, and we are all learning Latin! I hope those who weren't able to meet the first class will be able to join us next week; if you like, you should give me a call or collar me at church for a little orientation on what we've already done. Here I will review some aspects of the Lingua Latina method that you should keep in mind, and outline a study program for the coming week that will help you get the homework done and reinforce what we did in class, so that you'll be ready to keep going next week.

About the Method

Remember that the textbook (Familia Romana) is designed to help you learn Latin without recourse to English. As you go through each reading, try to notice new words and grammatical constructions as you encounter them, and to figure out what they mean from the context in which they occur, rather than mentally translating into English. Take advantage of the drawings and marginal notes to help you understand the readings. Also, always read the lesson aloud and try to cultivate good pronunciation (if you have the CD, listen to the narrator's voice and imitate his pronunciation). Practice the exercitia and pensa orally before writing them out, and when you do write them, always write out complete sentences. Remember: qui scribit bis leget (He who writes reads twice).

Homework -- a Day by Day Plan

Homework preparation for class on February 27/28: The following will allow you to complete all the homework for this week without trying to do it all at one time (hurriedly, the night before class!). You can use it as a model to spread out your Latin study each week, so that you can gradually and consistently add to and internalize your knowledge of Latin. Here's another little Latin maxim you might like to learn: Repetitio mater memoriae est (Repetition is the mother of memory). This doesn't simply mean mindless rote memorization, but going back over what you have already "learned," to make sure that you actually have learned it, before going ahead to something new. This week try spreading out your study according to this plan:

• Day 1 --  Re-read (aloud!) the portion of Lectio I (Cap. 1, lines 1-21) that we went over in class. Remind yourself of the points of grammar and pronunciation that were emphasized in class. Then go ahead and read the rest of the Lectio, paragraph by paragraph, taking note of any new constructions or vocabulary that may be introduced. Be particularly careful to look at any of the marginalia (marginal notations) and make sure you understand what they are trying to point out. Practice asking yourself, and answering (in complete Latin sentences) questions about what you have just read, such as: Ubi est Gallia? Gallia est in Europa; Suntne Aegyptus et Arabia in Europa? Aegyptus et Arabia in Europa non sunt; etc.
• Day 2 -- Briefly review Lectio I in Familia Romana to refresh your memory, and practice answering the Exercitia orally, until you can do so with some fluency and confidence. At this point, you need not write out your answers, but do try to answer with complete sentences.
• Day 3 -- In Latine Disco, read the Introduction (p. 3-8). You might try applying the rules of orthography (spelling) and pronunciation to the reading we did in class, to see how the text illustrates the rules of spelling, pronunciation, and syllable stress. Then read the portion of the Instructions for chapter 1 that correspond to Lectio I (p. 9 and 10, through the second full paragraph). Hopefully, this will clear up any lingering doubts you may have about the meaning of what you have read in the Lectio.
• Day 4 -- Return to the three sets of Exercitia for Lectio I in the first chapter. Run through them once or twice orally, then write them out on a separate sheet of paper, being sure to write out complete sentences (do this from memory, not by constant reference to the textbook). Try to remember to put long marks over the appropriate vowels. When you have a clean copy that you are satisfied with, bring it to the next class.

Requiescat in pace aeterna Hans Ørberg

Hans Ørberg, author of Lingua Latina per se illustrata, the Latin-learning curriculum that we are using in class, departed this world on Ash Wednesday, 17 February 2010, after a long (90 years) and fruitful life as a teacher of French, English, and Latin, and husband and father of five children.

Oddly enough, we will get a chance to know Hans and his family, as they were the models for the family whose story makes up most of the reading in our textbook, Familia Romana. And, as I mentioned in a previous post, it is Hans's voice that you will hear reading the lessons if you purchase the optional Lingua Latina CD. I understand that some of Professor Hans Ørberg's children will oversee the continued publication of the Lingua Latina curriculum.

Many Latin teachers and students owe a great debt to Hans Ørberg. Please take a moment to perform a spiritual work of mercy by praying for the repose of his soul. Requiescat in pace, et lux perpetua luceat ei.

Compare Bible Verses in Latin and English

Did you know that both of the first major translations of the Bible into English were based on St. Jerome's Latin Vulgate translation? Both the Douay-Rheims (Catholic) and King James (Protestant) versions were translated from the Latin version, with reference to the ancient Hebrew and Greek originals. You can compare familiar English verses to their Latin originals at this web site or this one.

The Latin translation of the Bible was called the Vulgate (Sacra Biblia Vulgata = "the Holy Bible in the language of the common people") because most early Christians in the western parts of the Roman Empire (including Rome!) did not speak or read Greek, the language in which the New Testament was written, as well as the language of the Septuagint, the Greek version of Jewish scripture that forms the Christian New Testament; therefore, early on various parts of the Bible were translated into Latin, to make them accessible to Latin speakers. Some of these early Latin translations were not very good, so in the late fourth century St Jerome set about completing and correcting the Latin translations already in existence. The result was what we call the Vulgate, the Bible in the Latin of (often illiterate) ordinary Romans.

The fact that the Vulgate was in ordinary, no-frills Latin is a real boon to modern Christians learning Latin. Reading a familiar, faithful English translation of the Bible (such as the Revised Standard Version) alongside the Vulgate is an excellent way to practice and improve your knowledge of Latin and of the Bible! You may find that by recognizing the Latin roots of familiar English words you gain deeper insight into their meaning.

If you're interested in owning a bi-lingual (Latin/English) Bible, Baronius Press has recently published a very beautiful one, with the Clementine Vulgate and the Douay-Rheims versions side by side.

First Class Meetings: Saturday, 20 Feb, and Sunday, 21 Feb.

The first official meetings of the new Latin classes will take place this weekend. Provisionally, I've divided the list of students into a Saturday section, and a Sunday one. For the first week, please meet the section in which you are scheduled, if at all possible. We can make schedule adjustments as we go. Here is the breakdown of the two class sections:
 
Saturday -- Meets 9:45-11:00 a.m. in choir practice room

• Kortegast, Gaye 
• McCay, Leigh 
• Mitchell, Helen 
• Oliver, Ben 
• Ramirez, Patricia 
• Rollins, Amber
• Southard, Terry 
• Southard, Zack 
• Vera, Gloria 
• Walker, Kevin 
• Walker, Pat 
• Whitfield, Joshua 
• Williams, John  

 
Sunday -- Meets 12:30-1:45 p.m. in choir practice room

• Bell, Jessica 
• Hayden, Gerro 
• Hayden, Joe 
• Hayden, Allison
• Huber, Kirsten 
• Lemmert, David 
• Ortiz, Dorothy 
• Pierce, Anne
• Shockley, Carole
• Hager, Alice 
• Hager, John
• Morris, Sarah
• Morris, Elizabeth
• Crawford, Walter

If you already have your textbooks, please bring them to class. If you have ordered them but not yet received them, I can make copies of the first lesson for you to use until your books arrive. You should also bring, as a regular habit, a notebook or paper and something to write with.
 
So -- let's learn Latin!

Demo of Optional Lingua Latina CD

I mentioned an optional CD that some students may wish to purchase for extra practice at home, between weekly class sessions: Lingua Latina: (PC/CD-ROM) Pars I: Familia Romana-Interactive CD Rom (Latin Edition). If you are interested in the CD (available on Amazon for approx. $19), you might wish to try the free demo download before buying. By clicking the hyperlink in the previous sentence, you can download the demo (30 Mb file) to your computer to give it a test run.

The demo contains samples from two chapters of the full-length CD.

Great Kick-Off Attendance!

Wow, your humble Latin instructor was blown away by the great show of enthusiasm represented by the attendance at today's introductory meeting. Including those who were unable to attend but wish to participate, it looks like I'll be teaching around 20 students, from junior high to great-granny ages. A year from now, we may hear some coffee hour chitchat in Latin instead of English!

Here are the other results of today's meeting:

• We decided that we will split into two separate classes, to accommodate people's schedules and to allow everyone more in-class participation. It seems likely that Section 1 will meet on Saturday mornings after the morning Mass, and Section 2 will meet on Sundays after the 10:30 Mass (this must be cleared by the Powers That Be in the parish office, before it can be "official" and exact meeting times determined). On any given weekend, any member of either group who can't make their group's meeting should feel free to attend the other Section, so that hopefully no one will have to miss a week's class meeting because of unexpected obligations (change in work schedule, family events, etc.). I'll be contacting everyone later in the week when I've ironed out the details.
• Everyone seemed to agree that a minimum $5 tuition per class did not seem prohibitive. Those who feel prosperous or generous or embarrassed pay so little for a valuable service are free to pay more, and anyone who finds him/herself occasionally unable to pay the $5 minimum should not skip class on that account. I will not keep track of who pays how much or when, unless someone wants a receipt for their tuition (it may count toward an Itemized Deduction on a tax return, for all I  know). Students can feel free to think of the tuition as a deep discount on a professional service, or a charitable donation to support the unemployed, if they like; it will be left up to the individual conscience. If you wish, you can place your tuition payment in a receptacle I'll provide at the beginning of each class.
• Those who were able to make the meeting got a little taste of what the first lesson will include, and their first chance to sample the classical pronunciation of Latin. Remember to practice those motor-boat sounds that will help you with the rolled Latin "R."
• I said a little about the three required books and one optional supplemental CD. You can buy these from Amazon by clicking through the hyperlink in the left sidebar. Everyone should plan to buy your books before the first class, tentatively scheduled for two weeks from now. Details will be forthcoming in a few days.

Anyone who did not attend today, and whose home phone or email I do not have (I have the 2004-5 parish photo directory) should call me or email me. Contact info is in the Feb. 10 Sunday bulletin. Let me know if you have an email address, so that I can easily contact you.

Required Materials for "Let's Learn Latin 2010"

Each student is responsible for purchasing his/her own books. Three are required:

1. Lingua Latina: Part I, Familia Romana.  This is the textbook/reader. Entirely composed in Latin, Part I, Familia Romana, provides an excellent introduction to Latin, including the essentials of Latin grammar and a basic vocabulary of over 1500 words. The thirty-five chapters describe the life of a Roman family in the 2nd century A.D., and culminate in readings from classical poets and Donatus’s Ars Grammatica, the standard Latin school text for a millennium. Each chapter is divided into two or three lectiones (lessons) of a couple pages each followed by a grammar section, Grammatica Latina, and three exercises or Pensa. Hans Ørberg’s impeccable Latinity, humorous stories, and the Peer Lauritzen illustrations make this work a classic. The book includes a table of inflections, a Roman calendar, and a word index, Index vocabulorum. (Note: this is available in either paperback or hardback -- your choice.) [Amazon price: $11.90 paper, $16.47 hardbound]
2.  Exercitia Latina I. This will be used for written homework exercises, to help you begin to practice what was covered in class. This book contains an extensive collection of exercises—entirely composed in Latin—for the 133 lectiones in Part I: Familia Romana. An important tool which every student will profit from and enjoy. [Amazon price: $7.93]
3. Latine Disco: Student’s Manual. This student’s manual is written in English with a guide to pronunciation, instructions and information on key points to be noted in each chapter. In class, we will try to recognize how grammatical constructions work in the context of our reading, while this manual will provide more explicit discussion of what we have gone over in class. [Amazon price: $6.00]

If you would like to buy these required texts from Amazon (the best price I've found), just click the Course Materials link in the right sidebar on this page, and then select each of the books marked as "required" to add it to your online shopping cart. The price of the three books together will qualify your purchase for free shipping (min. $25).

You will see a couple of other suggested items in the Amazon list, but you need not buy them now (or ever).

Introductory Session Sunday, 7 February, 1 p.m. at the Catholic Church of Saint Mary the Virgin (Anglican Use)

I'm delighted that at least a dozen parishioners at Saint Mary's have expressed enthusiastic interest in the Latin class (including one or two of those mysteriously-designated "advanced adolescents"). Before we begin regular class meetings, I will present an introduction to the course next Sunday at 1 p.m. to give everyone a feel for how we will proceed, to try to reach a consensus on the best time for the class to meet (several people have suggested Sunday afternoons, which would be fine with me). My intention is to accommodate everyone who is truly interested, if at all possible. Those planning to attend should gather at the conference table in the back room where the adult Bible study meets on Sunday mornings (does this room have a name?).

Here is what I plan to cover at that time. First, some necessary nuts and bolts:

• Required textbooks (see below)
• Optional supplementary materials available
• Possible times for regular class meetings 
• Tuition cost (this will be as low as possible, to compensate a little for your unemployed Latin instructor's travel and time)

Something more interesting, I hope:

• A quick overview of the importance and development of Latin in Western culture
• An overview of the method we'll be using to learn Latin
• If time and interest permit, we may get in a little practice beginning to practice pronouncing Latin, as well.

What I hope to accomplish in this preliminary meeting:

• A list of those who definitely wish to commit to the class
• An agreed upon time to meet each week
• Clarification of any questions, qualms, or quibbles from prospective students
• A date & time for our first class meeting
• Sustained enthusiasm for our new undertaking!

If there is anyone who wants to join the class but who will not be able to attend the meeting on Feb. 7, please contact me by phone or email to let me know of your interest. I will post any developments here on the class blog.

Let’s Learn Latin!

Who is this course for?

Adults or advanced adolescents who would like to learn to read and understand (even speak!) Latin quickly and with a minimum of drudgery. High school students (including home-schooled) who have not had an opportunity to study in their own schools, and adults who are interested in knowing Latin but think they are "too old" to start a new language, or who believe that Latin is "too difficult," can benefit equally from this course. Anyone who has studied Latin in the past but "lost" much of what they learned may also find this course a useful and enjoyable "refresher."

What curriculum will be used?

Hans Ørberg's Lingua Latina Per Se Illustrata, a method based on the way we naturally acquire language, which gets the student reading real Latin right away, learning grammar naturally and contextually as we go. This method can be much more effective than many others at getting students not only to learn, but to retain and internalize what they have learned, by reading and discussing (in Latin!) the textbook's entertaining, ongoing story of a Roman family living in the second century of the Christian Era.

When will the course be offered?

Days and times will be determined based on the availability of the instructor and prospective students. Most likely, the class will meet once or twice per week during the afternoon or evening. All new material will be introduced during the class, and students will be expected to review, practice and complete written exercises on their own time between class meetings. A free introduction to the course will be held at St Mary's on Sunday, 7 February, at 1:00 p.m., to allow Dr. Nicholas to introduce the curriculum to prospective students and discuss details of when & where to meet. Students are asked to commit to a minimum of three months' study, although the class may continue as long as there is interest.

Where will the class be held? In the parish house of St Mary the Virgin Catholic Church in Arlington, unless the class members prefer to arrange a different venue (a café or a student's home).

Why would anyone want to study Latin?
Latin is the mother-tongue of Western civilization and the Church. Now that Pope Benedict XVI is encouraging Catholics to reacquaint themselves with the riches of the Latin liturgy, this is an excellent time to begin to learn (or re-learn) the language which became the common tongue of the early Church and has continued to be the "native language" of
Catholic liturgy and spirituality ever since. And students who continue with the Ørberg curriculum will find that, after completing the first-year text, Familia Romana, they are ready to begin reading many great writers of Rome's Golden Age of literature, such as Cicero, Plautus, Vergil, Pliny, and others. Also, most people find that as they learn to understand Latin, their understanding of English and other modern languages is also deepened and illuminated.

Who will teach this course?
Dr. Lisa Nicholas, who has taught and tutored Latin through the intermediate level (advanced grammar and reading) at both the University of Dallas (where she was awarded her doctorate in literature) and at the University of Southern Indiana (where she taught English and Humanities for five years).

What is the cost of the course?

There will be a modest per-class tuition fee, and students will be responsible for purchasing their own textbooks (total price is less than $30 on Amazon). The tuition fee may be paid in advance by the week or the month.

How will students' progress be assessed? There will be ongoing informal assessment in class to make sure that every student is truly learning the material, so that the pace of the class is matched to the students' rate of learning. Students who wish or need to have more formal assessment (exams & grades) will be accommodated.

What should I do if I am interested in this course?

Contact Dr. Lisa Nicholas (info below) and plan to attend the free introductory class on
Sunday, 7 February:

Voice mail: 682-227-2535
Email: learn_latin2010@yahoo.com