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