The Latin Kiddie Pool

“If immersion is the best way to learn a language, then let me start in the linguistic kiddie pool.”

This is the Latin Language Kiddie Pool. We made this Kiddie Pool for all of us who want to learn Latin but never learned a “foreign” language successfully—including English. We designed the Kiddie Pool to prepare you to jump into language immersion. We think that complete immersion with nothing wavering is the best way to learn languages. ‘Learning by doing’ is still the most comprehensive way to learn a language, but we know that you have to be prepared before you jump in. Here at the Latin Kiddie Pool, we want to give you a few things before you dive into complete and total immersion. We do NOT believe in devices to keep you 'afloat' because these will only retard your language assimilation. We do believe that there are somethings that you need to know before you start your study of Latin.

Before we start any endeavor we need to count its cost and be able to afford the cost. Perhaps this sounds axiomatic, but it is true for all things we undertake, especially learning any new skill or talent. When one talks about learning Latin, one should ask oneself what are the linguistic goals one has. Does one want reading fluency to savor the classics and nothing more? Does one want to be able to write it fluently, too? Or, does one want to SPEAK Latin? How far are YOU willing to go? How much are you willing to pay in terms of commitment, time, money, and relationships? Are you in for a penny or a pound?

Now that we have shaken you up just a little bit and perhaps even scared you, we want you to know it's not that hard if you commit to it. We want you to have fun, lots of fun learning and using Latin (or any other foreign language for that matter) . Begin by thinking about your goals. Then, write them down. Any unwritten goal is just a dream. Writing them down will also help them condense from a nebulous state into solid, tangible goals. Post your goals everywhere you can see them. Do this so you can mentally and orally recite your goals as mental affirmations every moment possible. This is just your first step in a wonderful, exciting journey of billions, and billions of light-years.