Beginner Level Latin With Day in the Life Stories of Ancient Romans Part 4

Do you want to learn how the world of gladiators, gods, and togas has shaped the world we live in? From NASCAR to graffiti to representative democracy, ancient Rome and its language, Latin, is the foundation of our Western way of life. In this class, you will learn, from the ground up (NO previous experience required), the language that Julius Caesar spoke, and how it is very much alive in English and the modern Romance languages, as well as even Russian and German! You will learn to think linguistically, hone your skills with grammar and vocabulary, sharpen your logical reasoning, and learn how Latin continues to live all over our world, in places like the one-dollar bill and the way we tell time, to begin with! 

I have found an interdisciplinary approach the most engaging and effective, so each session covers topics in the context of other topics i.e. grammar is learned in the context of short narratives involving characters dealing with events and activities of ancient life, which is also explored and discussed in terms of its relevance to our own life. So we learn about English grammar and increase English vocabulary in studying the Latin language; we learn about Ancient Roman culture and society in comparing it to our own, which owes a great deal to it!

In this 4-week introductory course, you will continue mastering the basics of Latin grammar and vocabulary, along with English words derived from the root words learned. This will be done in the context of simple to increasingly complex narratives involving Roman culture, mythology and history. Each class will have 3 components: Latin grammar and vocabulary instruction and exercises involving reading, writing, translation, and discussion; a cultural topic with brief lecture and discussion; Latin in current use from mottoes and phrases to Latin roots and English derivatives. 

Upon completion, students will be equipped to continue to the fifth course for further training in Latin, but this course also serves a stand-alone introduction. Below is a weekly lesson plan outlining what can be expected, with the caveat (that's a Latin term!) that pacing will be calibrated to the interests, progress, and needs of the students.


Week 1 - We will review the major components of Book 1 Ch. 12-16 namely declensions 1-3 and the verb tenses: present, imperfect, and perfect, as well as indirect statement. We will also continue with our characters into the Great Fire of Rome in 64 AD, learning the vocative case and continuing to review previous material.

Week 2 - We will continue learning of verb tenses with the pluperfect, how to translate and form it as we encounter various occupations, such as perfume making, shop keeping and laundering. We also learn the formation of adverbs and how to determine the type of conjugation a verb belongs to.

Week 3 - We will learn the future tense of 3rd conjugation verbs as well as the irregular verb ire and the impersonals licet, necesse est, and placet in the context of the characters we have been following.

Week 4 - We will learn how the present participle in Latin as we look at the afterlife of ancient Romans. We will also recap the previous 3 weeks, reviewing the new concepts and cementing them in preparation for progress to part 5!