Learning Latin

[jesuisavectoi]

Hi all!

 

I'm considering taking up Latin this coming semester at university but I don't know anyone who has done it so I'm hoping that some of you out there have and can leave me your thoughts on it. How did you find it? Was it challenging? Are there any languages that might help you pick it up faster? and more importantly, did you enjoy it? I'm so excited to start it but I'm just a little worried, a lot of people wanted to drop out of the course last semester because they found it too difficult.

[docoflove1974]

I did find it a challenge, but by the time I had taken my first class I had already studied Spanish and Italian for several years. That did make the verbal morphology easier (differences between verb forms), as well as much of the vocabulary. The declensions, however, were (and still are!) a bit of a bugaboo for me, although I did recognize patterns eventually. Still, I'm glad to have taken it!

[Aurelia]

I also studied Latin at university and actually quite enjoyed it. I did identify with it because my mother tongue is Portuguese so it felt a bit like a journey of discovery for me. If you already speak a Romance language (Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian), that is definitely an advantage. German also helps understanding the declensions. If not, don't worry, it could still be fun and useful if you plan to study other Western European languages in the future or if you just want to understand them better - including English, which has inherited a lot of Latin words, especially via old French.

[GhostOfClayton]

I had a bit of a stab at learning Latin by using various little free courses on iTunes, YouTube, etc. I found it really hard going, and now I just try to pick up a bit here and there. However, I did think I was at a distinct disadvantage not having the benefit of a Tutor (or indeed anyone I know) who knew Latin.

 

I can get by in French and German, and was taught in the old fashioned way using proper grammar and cases, etc. That helped with Latin.

 

Also, I do find languages hard work. Even though my sister is a professional translator into (and out of) more languages than you've had hot dinners, I clearly didn't inherit that gene. I'm sort of guessing from your screen name and avatar that English isn't your first Language. Is that right? if that's the case, I reckon you did inherit the gene, because your English is indestinguishable from that of a native English speaker. A very high standard to reach! So you have the ability and the opportunity - go for it! You may regret it if you don't, you won't if you do.

[jesuisavectoi]

I had a bit of a stab at learning Latin by using various little free courses on iTunes, YouTube, etc. I found it really hard going, and now I just try to pick up a bit here and there. However, I did think I was at a distinct disadvantage not having the benefit of a Tutor (or indeed anyone I know) who knew Latin.

 

I can get by in French and German, and was taught in the old fashioned way using proper grammar and cases, etc. That helped with Latin.

 

Also, I do find languages hard work. Even though my sister is a professional translator into (and out of) more languages than you've had hot dinners, I clearly didn't inherit that gene. I'm sort of guessing from your screen name and avatar that English isn't your first Language. Is that right? if that's the case, I reckon you did inherit the gene, because your English is indestinguishable from that of a native English speaker. A very high standard to reach! So you have the ability and the opportunity - go for it! You may regret it if you don't, you won't if you do.

 

I'm not French, but I studied it for 2 years and fell in love with it. Fantastic language. Hence the name and avatar. I think the course is primarily reading with some writing and I picked that up pretty instantaneously with French - hopefully that's a good sign!

[GhostOfClayton]

I'm not French,

 

Wrong again. C'est la vie!

 

Best of luck with the Latin.

[Ursus]

The standard textbook for Latin seems to be Wheelock. I found it boring as all hell. If I were in a class where the professor used Wheelock, I'd have to drop out, too. Unless you really, really enjoy reading Cicero's dry lectures, I would not touch it with a ten foot pilus.

 

I had more success with other textbooks, principally Latin Via Ovid.

[Ingsoc]

I also study Latin at the university for two years, it's was hard but I did find it fun and I actually was excited that I can read all of those ancient Roman writing in their original language.

 

It's really depend on your talents at getting new languages but you should take into account that you will need to invest great deal of your time in order to succeed learning the language, you may find the reading material a bit boring at first (at my first year we mostly read sentences from Caesar's Gallic War)

[Skywatcher]

There is a free online Latin class on the internet. He uses an old textbook which is in the public domain. I think he explains the material pretty well. So far he has completed 37 lectures out of 73. For anyone trying to learn Latin on their own this would probably be a good place to start although the author does appear to speak Latin with a Southern accent.

http://linneyslatinclass.com/