How to Review

The Final Stretch

So the first part of the Dowling Method is the hard part: memorizing the tables.  But, it doesn't have to be as boring as you think (although, I admit, it can get really boring).  

To start with, since we've covered so much grammar, it's a good idea to look through everything and gather the charts in one place.  Below, I've embedded the tables from Wheelock's that you'll need to study before starting Lingua Latina. They are:

1. Nouns - 200 repetitions
2. Adjectives - 100 repetitions
3. Verbs - 200 repetitions  +  SUM - 100 repetitions

In that order.  I think it's more advantageous to write them out by hand, but that can take a lot of time and a lot of paper and ink.  I recommend trying Dowling's Wheel to do your reps.  This website will allow you to type out your tables (based on the paradigms in Wheelock's) rather than writing them, and then it will check for accuracy.  This site is also linked at the top.

These are the main parts of grammar that the Dowling Method says to learn (and the number of repetitions that it prescribes).  Once you finish your repetitions of nouns, adjectives, and verbs, I'm sure you'll be ready to move on to Lingua Latina.  Be sure to look over the pronouns, though, even if you don't write them out so many times.  It's good to be familiar with what they look like before you start reading.  Otherwise, it can get confusing.

When you approach learning the sets, it's easiest to work vertical for each word and then horizontal to pick up the next one.  For example, when you study nouns, first write out "porta" as "porta, portae, portae, portam, porta; portae, portarum, portis, portas, portis."  Then move to "magnus," and so on.  While Wheelock's lists more than one example for some of these, there's no need to practice more than one word of a certain gender-declension combination.  For the second declension masculine, you'll notice that the stems will sometimes change.  To make sure you learn them all, I recommend rotating these words each day.  Don't worry - you'll know the changes by heart before you're finished!

For the rest, it follows just the same.  When you study verbs, start with Present Indicative, the first set on the first page.  Write out the 1st conjugation word, "laudo," then move on to "moneo," and so on.  I suggest learning them this way because this is how you'll start to notice patterns, and this makes it easiest to recall the information when you're trying to read Latin.

I recommend buying some cheap pens and notepads from the grocery store - you'll be going through a lot of ink and paper before you're finished!

Some Final Considerations...

If you haven't already, get a copy of Wheelock's Latin to help answer any questions you may have about grammar as you work through the tables.  You can always look back through posts here or check the sidebar for links to other resources.

And finally, just a word on motivation.  I know that rote memorization is difficult, especially by hand, and it can be very difficult to maintain focus and bring yourself to write these out every single day.  However, it's important to put everything you've got into it.  If you start to really hate it, then take a break.  It might be good to go ahead and skip to Lingua Latina at this point - after all, there's no point in learning Latin if you're really hating it, and the last thing you want is a sense of dread to arise every time you think about approaching the language!  Lingua Latina was designed for beginners anyway - though it was designed to be taught with grammar as well.  If you do dive into the text early, be sure to continue your grammar tables afterwards.  Finish them eventually - it will be worth it!

Also, if you find as you practice grammar that you can't remember what a grammar term means or how a Latin form should be translated to English, then feel free to consult all the posts here on Latin grammar.  You can find a list in the Archive.  Also, be sure to check out any additional Latin Tutorial videos that you think may be helpful.  If you get discouraged or burnt out, don't be afraid to head over to the TextKit forums.  It's really vital to be part of a community that supports you, because there will be lows with the highs.  And TextKit has a really great community for this.

Good luck!  I'll see you on the other side, in Phase 3 :)

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