Everyone who self-studies Latin has a "Method." I've decided that it comes down to using pretty much all the resources you have. Still, there has to be a structure that keeps you practicing every day (or, you know, most days).
There is, in one case, the punishing Dowling Method. You'll get the feeling from the link that Dowling sort of hates his students; and in a way, using the Dowling Method is a lot like self-flagellation. It cuts out all the safety padding and reduces the process to three steps:
1. Skeleton grammar
2. Latin table memorization
3. Lingua Latina
Lingua Latina is a reader written entirely in Latin. It starts with very simple sentences and gradually works you into reading original Latin text. It's the most immersive way to learn Latin, and the best for gaining strong reading comprehension. The other two steps are there to prepare you for this book.
In a sense, this method is perfect for the lazy, ten-year Latin student who can't seem to learn the language: Dowling tells you exactly what to do and in what order.
There are two major problems though. The first is that the Dowling Method is thin on grammar instruction. He lists some basic English grammar on his webpage, and then leaves the rest to Lingua Latina (again... written entirely in Latin).
The other problem is that rote memorization on this scale is incredibly tedious. It's very difficult to stay motivated through 200 repetitions of each table (and this is after already being able to write them from memory).
So, this method mostly needs better grammar instruction. I've gathered some quality aids from around the internet, and I integrate them as they arise in Lingua Latina. I also use a flashcard program called Anki to practice vocabulary. Mostly you'll retain vocab from the readings, but it can be helpful.
When it comes to memorization, unfortunately there isn't much to be done to make it more interesting. When it comes down to it, you have to memorize those tables, and the most direct way to do it is to just binge. It's important to have them thoroughly memorized before beginning Lingua Latina, because you need to be able to identify all the grammatical elements of every word you encounter. There can't be any cheating. Otherwise, you end up looking at the stems, ignoring the endings, and trying to guess at the meaning of the sentence - something we all know can't work at an advanced level.
So, this is about a strong foundation. That means mostly grammar, then vocabulary and reading comprehension. Here's my map for the final assault, and the resources we're going to need to get there:
Phase 1: Structure and Form
- It's important to first have a thorough understanding of basic English grammar.
- Next you need to understand some fundamental aspects of Latin such as sentence structure and pronunciation that will frame our approach to learning the language.
Phase 2: Latin Grammar
- First we tackle the basics of Latin nouns. This includes gender, case, and declension.
- Next we cover the basics of Latin adjectives and pronouns, and how they change based on the nouns they modify.
- Last we cover Latin verbs. This includes passive and active forms of the indicative and the subjunctive conjugations.
- Memorization comes last here. I include tables for 1-3 above, and after you can write them without looking, you need to write (or type them with Dowling's Wheel) 200 times a piece before moving to phase 3. Don't be discouraged! Remember to participate in communities to keep yourself motivated.
- If you want, during the time you're working on repetitions, you can also throw in some vocabulary drills with Anki.
Phase 3: Reading Comprehension
- This is when we start reading Lingua Latina. I'll make a post for each chapter, with links to grammar resources to help us work through it more easily.
- This is the best step. After reading through the first and second Lingua Latina books, we'll be ready to start exercising our Latin skills by finding and reading original Latin texts. This is where you get to read The Aeneid in the original Latin - or anything else you've always wanted to read! We'll see as we go.
So that's the lesson plan. Who knows, it might change as we progress. Below, I've linked all the resources that I've gathered to make this happen. Don't worry, though, I'll be linking everything directly in posts when they're relevant.
Phase 1 Resources:
- Latin Tutorial is a great video series that explains these foundational concepts very well.
- English Grammar for Students of Latin is a book I own that I often reference when I'm confused about grammar.
- Dowling's Wheel is a great tool for memorizing the tables: you can type them instead of writing them out. Because you'll probably be using this a lot, I've linked it on the toolbar as well.
- Latin Tutorial is another major source here. I'll be embedding these videos when they're relevant.
- Latin Handouts provides more detailed information on Latin grammar, plus some vocab lists for Lingua Latina. It can be difficult to isolate good resources, since the internet is flooded with basically too much information on these topics. I link these when they're relevant, because I don't find them overbearing.
- Wheelock's Latin is a very approachable reference for Latin grammar. I recommend buying a copy; but you can also grab it here.
- Lingua Latina is the focus of this phase, because it transitions you from simple to complex. I'll link chapters along with relevant grammar sources as I work through the books.
- Perseus is an online library of classical texts where you can find original Latin texts with all the words parsed grammatically with English translations.
- NoDictionaries is similar to Perseus, but tries not to be as much of a crutch. There's no parsing, and you can control how much vocabulary you see.
- Whitaker's Words is a pretty well-known Latin lexicon and grammar parsing program. I've embedded this on the front page, because it's so useful. Be warned though: don't let it become a crutch!
- Anki is spaced repetition software (SRS) for flashcards. You can study Latin vocabulary using Anki; the words you get right appear less often, and vice versa.
Communities
An important key to being successful is to not go at it alone. There are tons of Latin-specific communities out there (and non-Latin ones that I'm sure you already use), but I've got two here that you may not know about - and that I think will really help.
- Textkit: this is a forum where Latin learners can ask questions. This is really important, because when you self-study, you're going to eventually have questions that you can't answer on your own. They also have a nice selection of books in PDF that you can check out, if you want.
- SCHOLA: this is less like a forum and more like a social network / blogging community. It's unique because the site is written in entirely in Latin - and everything you post there has to be too. It sounds intimidating, but there's a strict no-correction policy to keep people off your back. It's for learners like us, so once you start Lingua Latina, head over here and start blogging to reinforce your Latin.
0 comments:
Post a Comment