I just made a last minute purchase from The Teaching Company (The Great Courses), and I was emailed a link to course starter materials as a follow-up to my order. I was thrilled to see there was a link to the Perseus Digital Library.
I have seen similar sites, but this one is outstanding, and I just had to share.
Feeling oh so grateful for the Internet right about now.
Enjoy!
Showing posts with label Latin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Latin. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Really Learning Latin
Just yesterday, as I struggled to translate a Latin sentence through what this site refers to as a "crossword puzzle" reading of it, I realized that I had a problem that needed addressing. Deconstructing sentences this way is wholly inefficient. I tend to follow all of the steps thusly: pick out the verb, determine the conjugation (1st, 2nd, etc.), determine the personal ending, the number (singular or plural), the tense, the voice, the mood, pick out the subject, determine the number, check for an object, again check if it's singular or plural, determine the noun cases, etc. And I didn't even get to adjective declensions, or issues of gender. Not to mention that I'm still learning all of the vocabulary.
The article I've hyperlinked above details the Dowling Method for learning Latin. It speaks of learning Latin grammar via "brute memorization." Well, after yesterday's exercise in frustration, I've come to the conclusion that yes, nothing but brute memorization is required here. Surely, internalizing all of the forms by way of daily recitation and keeping copywork notebooks full of charts would be more than helpful. The article recommends that these charts and tables be copied 200 times each--100 times for the adjectives table. That's a lot of copying. If I'm not able to master the paradigms after that, I'd have to pack it all in. But how could one not get it after all of that? Now, despite my agreement with all of this drilling and copying, I just don't see the point in holding off so long before introducing reading selections. The article explains how the forms must be mastered first, and asserts that this could take about six months' time. That's a big time commitment to nothing but rote memorization. I'm a big believer in the immersion method to language learning, which requires little to no prior familiarity with the target language. And yes, while immersion in Latin is very different than immersion in a modern language (it's not like you will be surrounded by native speakers or anything like that--unless of course there's some society of classicists that do nothing but hang around together and speak Latin all day), I still see value in exposing oneself and one's children to Latin readings early on. In my opinion, it gives children (and adults) something for which to strive. Drilling forms, I've determined, is essential, but why hold off on something as pleasurable as reading? Why can we not have our cakes and eat them too?
As far as Latin reading material is concerned, I do own the first of Hans Orberg's series, also referenced in the above article. I've only read through a dozen or so pages, but I was able to understand everything I've encountered there so far. I understand there is a huge jump in difficulty as you go along, but that's to be expected, and brings us closer to our goal of eventually reading more complex material. It's such a neat idea. In fact, I wish such a series existed for most languages, but especially for ancient Greek. The illustrations basically help you understand the text. Really, i
t's as much of an immersion program as can be found for Latin students.
Some other books I either own, or am contemplating purchasing for the kids are Ecce Romani (similar to Orberg in that you are immediately immersed in Latin, although Orberg's books are far better and infinitely more thorough), and an assortment of children's books/stories translated into Latin (Fairy Tales in Latin: Fabulae Mirabiles, Harrius Potter books which I recently found are also available in ANCIENT GREEK, and various Dr. Seuss titles as well). There are just so many options now, and it would be a pity to hold off on them until all of the Latin grammar is committed to memory.
The article I've hyperlinked above details the Dowling Method for learning Latin. It speaks of learning Latin grammar via "brute memorization." Well, after yesterday's exercise in frustration, I've come to the conclusion that yes, nothing but brute memorization is required here. Surely, internalizing all of the forms by way of daily recitation and keeping copywork notebooks full of charts would be more than helpful. The article recommends that these charts and tables be copied 200 times each--100 times for the adjectives table. That's a lot of copying. If I'm not able to master the paradigms after that, I'd have to pack it all in. But how could one not get it after all of that? Now, despite my agreement with all of this drilling and copying, I just don't see the point in holding off so long before introducing reading selections. The article explains how the forms must be mastered first, and asserts that this could take about six months' time. That's a big time commitment to nothing but rote memorization. I'm a big believer in the immersion method to language learning, which requires little to no prior familiarity with the target language. And yes, while immersion in Latin is very different than immersion in a modern language (it's not like you will be surrounded by native speakers or anything like that--unless of course there's some society of classicists that do nothing but hang around together and speak Latin all day), I still see value in exposing oneself and one's children to Latin readings early on. In my opinion, it gives children (and adults) something for which to strive. Drilling forms, I've determined, is essential, but why hold off on something as pleasurable as reading? Why can we not have our cakes and eat them too?
As far as Latin reading material is concerned, I do own the first of Hans Orberg's series, also referenced in the above article. I've only read through a dozen or so pages, but I was able to understand everything I've encountered there so far. I understand there is a huge jump in difficulty as you go along, but that's to be expected, and brings us closer to our goal of eventually reading more complex material. It's such a neat idea. In fact, I wish such a series existed for most languages, but especially for ancient Greek. The illustrations basically help you understand the text. Really, it's as much of an immersion program as can be found for Latin students.Some other books I either own, or am contemplating purchasing for the kids are Ecce Romani (similar to Orberg in that you are immediately immersed in Latin, although Orberg's books are far better and infinitely more thorough), and an assortment of children's books/stories translated into Latin (Fairy Tales in Latin: Fabulae Mirabiles, Harrius Potter books which I recently found are also available in ANCIENT GREEK, and various Dr. Seuss titles as well). There are just so many options now, and it would be a pity to hold off on them until all of the Latin grammar is committed to memory.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
The Children Have Spoken
I was just informed by the Littles that they miss doing Greek (Koine). It wasn't my intention to just drop it this year. Frankly, I very nearly just forgot about it--not surprising really, considering the general disorder of things in my head. It's not like we really need something else to add in, but if the kids don't protest, and in fact ask for something more, I guess there's no harm in obliging. But oh, what of the schedule? When to fit it all in? Guess that we'll be picking up where we left off in the Elementary Greek program (from Open Texture), but we'll surely need to review after our extended time off from the program. Joy! It's not like I'm dreading getting back into it or anything, just maybe a little frustrated about having to do all of that reviewing first.
Oh, and tangentially related, the Littles have also shared that they miss their Latin Prep (LP) program from Galore Park. We were going through this primer series at a ridiculously slow pace, which is why I made the choice to switch to First Form Latin in the first place. I can see why they miss LP, what with its conversational style and distinct British humor. While the order of the cases is different from that of American programs, that hasn't been an issue for us. LP suggests a silly, and mildly irreverent (made me lol) little mnemonic to aid in learning the order of the cases:
Naughty - Nominative
Vicars - Vocative
Always - Accusative
Go - Genitive
Downstairs - Dative
Awkwardly - Ablative
We've just come up with another mnemonic to help us remember the American order.
Napoleon - Nominative
Gives - Genitive
Deb - Dative
Agita - Accusative
And - Ablative
Vexation - Vocative
Okay, not very imaginative, I know. But it sent the Littles into fits of laughter as soon as I thought of it, and they haven't forgotten the American order yet. A mild success the way I see it!
Oh, and tangentially related, the Littles have also shared that they miss their Latin Prep (LP) program from Galore Park. We were going through this primer series at a ridiculously slow pace, which is why I made the choice to switch to First Form Latin in the first place. I can see why they miss LP, what with its conversational style and distinct British humor. While the order of the cases is different from that of American programs, that hasn't been an issue for us. LP suggests a silly, and mildly irreverent (made me lol) little mnemonic to aid in learning the order of the cases:
Naughty - Nominative
Vicars - Vocative
Always - Accusative
Go - Genitive
Downstairs - Dative
Awkwardly - Ablative
We've just come up with another mnemonic to help us remember the American order.
Napoleon - Nominative
Gives - Genitive
Deb - Dative
Agita - Accusative
And - Ablative
Vexation - Vocative
Okay, not very imaginative, I know. But it sent the Littles into fits of laughter as soon as I thought of it, and they haven't forgotten the American order yet. A mild success the way I see it!
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