Routes to Latin Fluency

In my last entry, I talked about setting and achieving your linguistic goals with Latin. If you have not yet decided on what you want out of your Latin studies, do so now before proceeding. Without these highly defined objectives and goals, you will have no way of measuring your progress nor staying focused on your learning and fun with the language. And, you will end up having a bad experience, which Latin ought not to be.

There are as many different ways of learning as there are learners. My aunt, Miss G. Ipson, who is a special education teacher says, "All of us are both gifted and talented learners and special education learners at the same time." In other words, we all have our learning strengths and weaknesses. Latin learning is no different. You will find aspects of it which you can excel at and other aspects which may frustrate you. This, too, can be an obstacle to learning and having fun with the language. Know your learning styles and play to your strengths. It's as simple as that. Knowing this is important to know so you can select the best style of Latin course for you. There are all kinds of different course styles for people who wish to teach themselves.

I want to tell you about the two principle routes and other less traveled routes one can take into Latin learning, from which you can choose your course and course style. Each one has its advantages and disadvantages. I do have my favorites, but those are suited to me. Each one also has similar, but not identical, destinations. One must consider the journey sightly more than the destination though since one can have great fun along the journey as well as at the destination. Please seriously consider these routes as they can bear sweet and delightful fruits.

The first principle route consists of learning Latin from the Classics by reading classical authors and imitating their writing style and vocabulary. This is a great method, and it is most widely used. This method relies very heavily on grammar, parsing, and translation. All who are serious about learning Latin sooner or later will study the Classics and Latin this way, which I personally love since in part the Classics motivated me to study Latin. There are many books and audio-visual courses based on this method. If you follow this method, you can expect a certain degree of reading fluency and perhaps some writing fluency. No one ought to judge you by the amount and kind of Latin you want. This is also the principle method for teaching Ecclesiastical Latin.

The next route one can take is studying Latin as any modern language. You learn to speak Latin and use it as you would Spanish, Mandarin, Arabic, Russian, or English. You can then use it with the growing numbers of Latin speakers in the world. Latin is not a dead language as many say. Recently it is beginning to enjoy a rebirth or renaissance in the world. The secret of this way of learning Latin is that not only will you be able to speak the language, but being able to speak it will lead to being able to read and write the language easier. I think that this is the best way to achieve fluency in writing and reading. This way you will also learn the Classics since Modern Spoken Latin is based on the thoughts, words, expressions and linguistic patterns of the Classic writers. Modern Latin, however, also allows for new expressions of thought and idioms to be invented--one of the myriad ways one can have fun with the language. Unfortunately, there are not many programs of this kind yet. This is also not the method currently used in most schools and universities. You may find some hostility towards this method; but, I believe this is so only because the power that be do not want to democratize the teaching of Latin.

You can also start with Ecclesiastical Latin or Medieval Latin. Both are excellent starting points too. They are taught, however, by the first method described above. If you could find Medieval or Ecclesiastical programs that start with the oral language, that would be even better. There is and will be a greater resurgence of Ecclesiastical Latin because of Pope Benedict XVI. He wants it to be fostered and used more. Medieval Latin is considered a hybrid between the Ecclesiastial (much of which is Medieval) and the Classical. They both can be rewarding, too.

Now, weigh your options in your mind. When you have made your choice, come back and we'll start you in the right kiddie pool for Latin Immersion. Remember though, if you decide to change routes in the middle, there is nothing wrong. Our learning has to be adapted to our lives, not the other way around.