Anyone here studying/has studies Latin? Self Education.

[awtl]

I'm just wondering if I'm the only one! Is Latin supposed to be so difficult? I'm doing a Wheelock study group and I feel so stupid because it just seems so hard. I'm glad I'm doing it, and I do enjoy it, but it doesn't seem to by anything like French in terms of difficulty level.

 

What has been your experience. Do you have any tips?

 

ETA: I meant studied by the way! Don't know why I put "has studies".

Edited December 4, 2010 by awtl

[elegantlion]

Honestly, I started with Latin for Children, working ahead of my ds. I checked Wheelocks out of the library and was totally confused. Starting at a more basic level has been most helpful. We're on our third year of Latin and I could probably handle Wheelocks now, but it was overwhelming at the beginning.

[awtl]

Thank you elegantlion. That would be a good word for how I feel-overwhelmed. Do you think the Latin for Children book you were talking about would be a good supplement and explain things better, or would it be too simplified to be of much help?

 

I am ordered the workbook a couple days ago-hopefully that will help some.

[C_l_e_0..Q_c]

I did Wheelock with an online study group too, a few years ago.

 

I didn't find it so hard, until I hit 3/4 of the book. But by then, the fact that I was studying in my second language really bothered me (I'm a French speaker).

 

However, I did find it hard, because I couldn't remember things!

[Rosie_0801]

I'm not even daring to start Latin until I've finished Analytical Grammar...

 

Rosie

[elegantlion]

Thank you elegantlion. That would be a good word for how I feel-overwhelmed. Do you think the Latin for Children book you were talking about would be a good supplement and explain things better, or would it be too simplified to be of much help?

 

I am ordered the workbook a couple days ago-hopefully that will help some.

 

A good option for you might be Getting Started with Latin. It's short daily lessons that are great for the adult learner. I had forgotten about it when I posted earlier, I used it towards my first year of Latin studies. The author maintains a webpage with audio pronunciation, I believe. You can do a search here for some reviews, trying searching GSWL.

[C_l_e_0..Q_c]

I'm not even daring to start Latin until I've finished Analytical Grammar...

 

Rosie

 

Very good idea. How strong is your grammar to start with? You need a mastery of grammar concepts before you can tackle Wheelock. In children's Latin books, you will be taught the grammar at the same time as the Latin, but not in Wheelock.

[Rebecca VA]

That's true, Cleo. Amy Barr of The Lukeion Project (online Latin and Greek classes) recommends a strong grammar background. She is partial to the Rod & Staff program. My own daughter is three-quarters of the way through Wheelock's, and she constantly mentions that the Wheelock's grammar isn't all that hard because Rod & Staff taught the same basic concepts.

[Teachin'Mine]

I think that Henle teaches the grammar along with the Latin. It might be easier to start with one of theirs and then move into the Wheelocks later.

[Tressa]

My 10th grader is basically teaching himself Henle. He used Rod and Staff grammar and every day I thank my lucky stars for finding it all those years ago.

[Willow]

I cannot do wheelocks either, so I am going to do cambridge latin. It is aimed more to reading than talking apparently, so that suits me.

 

I have not got it yet however so cannot comment. I did do 'getting started with latin and found it great fun.

[Ester Maria]

Is Latin supposed to be so difficult?

Well, in a way, yes - there is no royal road to that language - or to any language, for that matter, if we speak about concrete, serious knowledge of the language needed to go through the most complex original texts. It requires time and patience, it requires concentration, and certainly some amount of frustration is going to be involved, as in a serious study of anything. :)

I'm doing a Wheelock study group and I feel so stupid because it just seems so hard. I'm glad I'm doing it, and I do enjoy it, f...] Do you have any tips?

You might wish to post concrete examples of things that you find difficult and get some help here. Things quit being so hard when you pick them apart and identify them: it's not "Wheelock's is hard", but, rather, "I have problems with the third declension, here is what I find illogical there, here are my solved examples which are supposedly incorrect, what am I doing wrong?" You need to think exactly in this way, very analytically, and tear your "general problems" down to pieces to identify what exactly are specific, concrete problems you have. (One of the cognitive benefits of the analytical study of a/the language is the acquired ability to think things through in this way, pinpointing the problem. A bit like math.)

[ElizabethB]

For me, I learn languages best when I can hear them spoken and learn the basics of pronunciation and syllabication well. So, I was having a hard time with Latin at first--although it is similar to Spanish and Italian, it does not seem as similar to them as Spanish was to Italian. Italian was the only language I was able to learn easily without an oral component since I already knew Spanish.

 

I am now working through the Latin Alive DVDs and the Student text and am finding it most helpful. The explanations are quite clear, and hearing it spoken is very helpful for me.

[Janie]

...is English Grammar through Latin. A bit pricey for its size, but, my, oh, my, what a great little help this book is.

 

Imo, it teaches English grammar concepts more understandably than anything. Plus, you understand Latin better.

[emubird]

Wheelock's is pretty hard, and it's not just because you're already supposed to know grammar. By about 1/2 through, Wheelock's just stops explaining what it's doing. And there aren't enough exercises to make things clear or give enough practice. It also gets really ambiguous about what the right answers are. I know that there are accepted answers for the exercises, but they seem to still be a matter of interpretation.

 

The colleges around us dropped Wheelock's awhile back. They've found better books. I suspect Latinstudy probably keeps using Wheelock's because it's in an easy format for the way their groups work.

 

I dropped out of several of those groups. I went back to Cambridge several times to learn the material, then came back to Wheelock's to review using those groups. Wheelock's is still useful, but I'm not sure it's the best book to learn the first time through unless you have a teacher who is providing explanation and lots of supplemental material.

[awtl]

I don't think I'm having any problems with grammar. I really liked grammar in school and I understand the grammatical concepts, although the genitive and dative can confuse me sometimes.

 

The problem seems to be pulling it all together. I forget so many things, and there's so much to remember just to decipher one sentence. That's the thing. With French, Spanish, or even Hindi (I studied that for a while), you can look at a sentence and read it at a glance. With Latin, it doesn't feel like I'm learning to read, it feels like I'm learning to decipher a secret code. Every sentence for me has to be taken individually, and painstakingly taken apart and put back together before I know what it means.

 

There is also so much to remember. I used to be great at remembering things. Now, my brain seems to rebel at each new concept!

 

I am doing a Latin study group, but got behind due to some very stressful times a few weeks back, and I am determined to catch up!!

[HeidiKC]

I did 4 years of Latin in high school and loved it. It was definitely challenging, but I wouldn't say it was as hard as chemistry - plus I liked it a heck of a lot better! I am now using Latin for Children A with my son and really like it a lot. I am impressed with how fast it moves along. I think it would be great for an adult learning Latin - especially if you get the DVDs. There is also a chant CD that you can buy, and I'd recommend that as well. Don't need the activity book - mostly extra busywork.

 

As long as you're not studying Latin in order to pass some exam or something, I don't see why it would be a problem to go with something much easier. It does a very good job of explaining Latin. I'd say go with something on the easier side so that you feel like you've really got a handle on it and can do it, instead of getting a sore brain and feeling frustrated with Wheelock's. You can always do that one down the road, right?

[Elizabeth in WA]

With Latin, it doesn't feel like I'm learning to read, it feels like I'm learning to decipher a secret code. Every sentence for me has to be taken individually, and painstakingly taken apart and put back together before I know what it means.

 

This is why we use Lingua Latina as readers along with Wheelock. While we trail far behind in terms of grammar used in Lingua Latina, my kids are finding translations in 38 Stories and Scribblers as well as the Wheelocks text and workbook much easier since they started to "think" in and hear Latin with the Lingua Latin book and CDROM (which reads the book and has electronic forms of the exercises). I am not sure Lingua Latina would have enough grammar to be stand alone for us, but as a supplementary reader, I can't say enough good things about it. :)

[Cleopatra]

I'm using Henle for myself. I love that you only have to memorize a few vocabulary words but it immediately gets you working on translation. You begin to learn the Latin syntax very quickly. After that, to add more vocabulary is a "piece of cake" because you know exactly how to conjugate/decline the word and exactly where it goes in the sentence. It makes so much sense to me. My dd is using Latina Christiana and I now question why they get the children to memorize so much vocabulary and don't have more translation.

[Tressa]

I have been told that the three big hurdles in Latin are 3rd declension, 3rd conjugation, and the subjunctive. I am stuck in the passive subjective. Does this mean that once I get passed this hurdle I am in the clear? I hope so. I am beyond frustrated right now. Fortunately, my son isn't as frustrated and is moving along nicely.

[Ester Maria]

Does this mean that once I get passed this hurdle I am in the clear?

Nope, you still have consecutio temporum left. :tongue_smilie:

 

(I get 3rd declension. I get subjunctives, as it's a notion somewhat strange to English speakers. But why 3rd conjugation? I see nothing about it that would make it a big hurdle. :confused:)

[Tressa]

Nope, you still have consecutio temporum left. :tongue_smilie:

 

(I get 3rd declension. I get subjunctives, as it's a notion somewhat strange to English speakers. But why 3rd conjugation? I see nothing about it that would make it a big hurdle. :confused:)

 

Bummer! Subjuctives are frying my brain. I am not sure about 3rd conjugation. Maybe he was just trying to make me feel better? :001_smile:

[awtl]

This is why we use Lingua Latina as readers along with Wheelock. While we trail far behind in terms of grammar used in Lingua Latina, my kids are finding translations in 38 Stories and Scribblers as well as the Wheelocks text and workbook much easier since they started to "think" in and hear Latin with the Lingua Latin book and CDROM (which reads the book and has electronic forms of the exercises). I am not sure Lingua Latina would have enough grammar to be stand alone for us, but as a supplementary reader, I can't say enough good things about it. :)

 

I have heard a lot of good things about Lingua Latina. I think that might be more my style.

I am doing 38 Latin Stories along with the Wheelocks, and I really like it. I think it's fun translating stories...it's all those sentences in the book that I hate! I also ordered the Scribblers book last week, and it looks like it will be fun.

 

I'm glad that other people seem to have trouble as well. It seems like there is just so much to learn. I had read a lot on here about how people said how their kids loved Latin and how much fun it was, so when I started having trouble, I though..."What in the world is wrong with me!"

[lewelma]

I found that you really need to do the extra DRILL for Wheelocks.

 

Go to the wheelocks website. click: links related to wheelocks, and go down to Study aids. Print off pages and pages of DRILL.

 

Latin Praxis: Practice Exercises for Wheelock (6th ed.)

http://www.slu.edu/colleges/AS/languages/

classical/latin/tchmat/wh-prax.html

 

Each chapter has between 400 and 800 sentences to drill on. You need to be able to read them without translating. I found it useful to work 1 chapter behind where I was learning in the book.

 

Also, keep in mind that Wheelock's is based on REAL Latin. I definitely find that the made up sentences are much easier because they are written with a modern mind using my language (English) as a starting point. The original Latin is tough, but that is what makes Wheelock's special! and really cool.

 

keep at it!

 

ruth in NZ

[awtl]

Thank you, Ruth! Both for the encouragement and the great link. There is a two week break at the end of December, so that will hopefully give me what I need to finally catch up!