We are yet another family who needs help with Latin

[SusanAR]

We became overwhelmed during units 6 and 7 of Henle I. The thought of another year with Henle is not appealing to me!! In fact, I feel sick thinking about it-:lol:. The colleges in which my ds is interested require two years of the same language, so we don't want to begin Spanish at this point. We just want to 'get it done' KWIM?

Henle focuses heavily on grammar, and although I agree that Latin grammar is a useful application of logic, I would like to find a program that includes more vocabulary than Henle since he is going into a science related field.

Which programs include more vocabulary? How does one change Latin programs midstream- do you sart over and travel quickly? I don't want to spend a great deal of $$$ if possible, since my spending for this year is already way over budget.

Am I asking the impossible??

Susan

[Cedarmom]

Wow, your post sounds very familiar to one I posted a few months ago. On the advice of several wise posters, I purchased Lingua Latina I. It is a context based approach to Latin. The stories and grammar are all in Latin. When we reached something we didn't understand, we read about it in Henle. It gave both my ds a feeling of accomplishment,to actually be reading stories. It also helped to cement the grammar. Now, we could see how all the grammar worked in "real life".

 

 

If you go to http://www.latincentered.com/, there are some excellent articles on using Lingua Latina, written by Drew, the author of Latin Centered Learning and a regular poster on these boards.

[LisaNY]

Susan, after finishing Unit VII, you have gotten through the most difficult part of Henle I. In fact, many choose to go into Henle 2 at this point. Perhaps you just need some time to review and let the material sink in. It would be a shame to have to start all over again with another program, you have done most of the work already.

 

I was having trouble with the grammar/translation approach when I first began learning Latin. It was getting jumbled up in my mind, and I had trouble making sense of it all. I then began studying Latin with Oerberg's Lingua Latina. By just reading the stories, the Latin became clearer to me, since I was seeing the grammar in context. After reading many chapters in LL, the grammar in Henle makes a lot more sense, and the translations are A LOT easier. (I don't place a lot of stock in translation work, and I think it actually hinders the reading of "Latin as Latin", but, be that as it may, translation work has its place.) You and your ds will be able to breeze through several chapters in Lingua Latina, and I daresay, you will be surprised at how enjoyable reading Latin can be. Since a person will encounter around 1800 vocabulary words in LL-Familia Romana, it will definitely be of great benefit to your Latin vocabulary building. Again, reading the words over and over in context will aid in retention as well.

 

This is my suggestion to you. This way, you will not be spending a lot of money, and you will be able to utilize Henle again, making it your base for grammar. LL will serve as your "reader/vocabulary builder". :001_smile:

[SusanAR]

Thank you. This looks interesting. Ds enjoys translating Latin to English and did very well on the vocabulary and Latin to English portions of Henle and the MoDG tests. The problem was English to Latin as is, I'm sure, the case with most students. He may enjoy LL

Should I order the text, exercise book, and cd? Is the grammar book necessary if I have Henle's?

Thank you,

Susan

[LisaNY]

Thank you. This looks interesting. Ds enjoys translating Latin to English and did very well on the vocabulary and Latin to English portions of Henle and the MoDG tests. The problem was English to Latin as is, I'm sure, the case with most students. He may enjoy LL

Should I order the text, exercise book, and cd? Is the grammar book necessary if I have Henle's?

Thank you,

Susan

 

I would get the text, the Teacher Materials Booklet (which provides the answers for the Pensa and Exercitia), and the College Companion Guide, which explains all of the grammar, as well as the vocabulary. There are no translations, as this is an immersion text. Repeated readings will help facilitate comprehension. It is important to try NOT to look up words right away. Try to allow your brain to get the exercise it needs, by thinking through unfamiliar material. There are "Pensa" exercises at the end of each chapter, which offer practice in vocabulary and grammar. If you want to use the full program, then get the Exercitia. I use it as a supplement to Henle, so my dd only does the Pensa comprehension questions. Colloquia Personarum is a booklet of stories that coincide w/each chapter in LL. I would recommend that also for further reading practice. The stories are fun, too!

 

I like Focus Publishing. I get all of my materials through them.

[Tullia]

Henle can be dry, and both my son and I dreaded Latin. I decided to continue with Henle lessons, assign essential exercises, and supplement with Lingua Latina. I bought two soft-cover texts (Familia Romana), the college companion, and the cd which we use for listening/reading/review of the text and for completing the pensa which appear at the end of each reading.

 

Since we are not using this as our principal curriculum I didn't buy any of the teacher's materials. I use the pensa after each section to decide when it's time to move on.

 

I ordered from Focus Publishing and was pleased with the way my order was handled.

 

There are several old threads which have more specifics from those who do use LL as their main curriculum. My goal in using the LL is to increase fluency and have some fun. I've noticed that since we added LL the Henle exercises don't take as long to complete.

 

HTH,

Martha

 

You mentioned budget issues. The interactive cd has a copy of the text, so two paper copies of the text are not essential. I chose to buy two books because ds and I take turns reading aloud, and the computer isn't convenient to our seating area. The cd is not essential, but we enjoy it for listening to each section the first time or two, for doing the pensa, and for review. I do think that the college companion is worth the money. It breaks down vocabulary, grammar, and idiom section by section in a way that makes it easy for me to use it with very little outside preparation.

 

Should also have added that the cd has a self-grading feature that gives immediate feedback for the pensa. Since we use MODG exams for Henle, I wanted to keep LL as simple as possible.

[LisaNY]

 

There are several old threads which have more specifics from those who do use LL as their main curriculum. My goal in using the LL is to increase fluency and have some fun. I've noticed that since we added LL the Henle exercises don't take as long to complete.

 

HTH,

Martha

 

Yes, this has been true for me as well. I began by using LL exclusively w/my younger dd. She didn't care for it, so I switched over to Henle, which has been a much better fit for her. I decided to go back to the beginning w/Henle for myself, just so I could be on the "same page" as my dd. I was able to blast through the first 5 Units of Henle in less than two months. I actually find the English to Latin exercises easier than the L to E. I attribute that to the experience I got via LL. :001_smile:

[latinteach]

I was having trouble with the grammar/translation approach when I first began learning Latin. It was getting jumbled up in my mind, and I had trouble making sense of it all. I then began studying Latin with Oerberg's Lingua Latina. By just reading the stories, the Latin became clearer to me, since I was seeing the grammar in context.

 

While learning grammar is very important, many people do find that it is really helpful to see how the grammar is used in context. Latin books that use a "whole to parts" approach really AREN'T trying to teach Latin through a "whole language" approach. They are typically written with a specific sequence to the grammar so that you are learning the forms along with syntax and sentence structure. You learn to recognize phrases and clauses -- you see how the grammar and syntax work. This means that you'll be reading Latin sentences and paragraphs sooner and that you'll be reading the language in the word order, which is a much more natural than parsing. (Parsing means that you're looking first for a noun, then a verb, then fitting everything else in, which is a really inefficient way to read and quite slow.)

 

fter reading many chapters in LL, the grammar in Henle makes a lot more sense, and the translations are A LOT easier. (I don't place a lot of stock in translation work, and I think it actually hinders the reading of "Latin as Latin", but, be that as it may, translation work has its place.)

 

I don't think much of English-Latin translation at this early stage. It's better to spend your time learning to read the Latin.

 

This is my suggestion to you. This way, you will not be spending a lot of money, and you will be able to utilize Henle again, making it your base for grammar. LL will serve as your "reader/vocabulary builder".

 

I'll second (or third) that. There is an email discussion group on Yahoo for Henle, by the way, and there's also a list for Oerberg's Latina Lingua.

 

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HenleLatin/

 

http://nxport.com/mailman/listinfo/oerberg

Do invest in the "College Companion for Lingua Latina" for the Oerberg text -- it really spells out the scope and sequence beautifully and is written by a very experienced professor.

[at the beach]

I would get the text, the Teacher Materials Booklet (which provides the answers for the Pensa and Exercitia), and the College Companion Guide, which explains all of the grammar, as well as the vocabulary. There are no translations, as this is an immersion text. Repeated readings will help facilitate comprehension. It is important to try NOT to look up words right away. Try to allow your brain to get the exercise it needs, by thinking through unfamiliar material. There are "Pensa" exercises at the end of each chapter, which offer practice in vocabulary and grammar. If you want to use the full program, then get the Exercitia. I use it as a supplement to Henle, so my dd only does the Pensa comprehension questions. Colloquia Personarum is a booklet of stories that coincide w/each chapter in LL. I would recommend that also for further reading practice. The stories are fun, too!

 

I like Focus Publishing. I get all of my materials through them.

 

Hi, Lisa, I have Henle and Lingua Latina reader and college companion. I was going to supplement Henle with LL. What teacher materials specifically should I get? I thought about ordering everything that goes with the text, but is that overkill? We are going to try Henle with LL in the fall with my 6th grader.

 

Thanks!

Anita

[LisaNY]

Hi, Lisa, I have Henle and Lingua Latina reader and college companion. I was going to supplement Henle with LL. What teacher materials specifically should I get? I thought about ordering everything that goes with the text, but is that overkill? We are going to try Henle with LL in the fall with my 6th grader.

 

Thanks!

Anita

 

Hi Anita,

 

If you are using Henle as your base text, and LL as your supplemental "reader", then all you really need is the text and the College Companion. Colloquia Personarum is also a good supplement, as it contains stories that expand upon and coincide with each story in LL. The Exercitia booklet contains exercises that practice grammar, vocabulary and comprehension. Using it in addition to the exercises in Henle would be overkill, IMO. I'd just do the Pensa exercises that are in the text at the end of each chapter.

 

If you do a search on the forums for Henle and Lingua Latina, you'll get a bunch of discussions with info. on how others implement these two programs. :001_smile:

[at the beach]

Hi Anita,

 

If you are using Henle as your base text, and LL as your supplemental "reader", then all you really need is the text and the College Companion. Colloquia Personarum is also a good supplement, as it contains stories that expand upon and coincide with each story in LL. The Exercitia booklet contains exercises that practice grammar, vocabulary and comprehension. Using it in addition to the exercises in Henle would be overkill, IMO. I'd just do the Pensa exercises that are in the text at the end of each chapter.

 

If you do a search on the forums for Henle and Lingua Latina, you'll get a bunch of discussions with info. on how others implement these two programs. :001_smile:

 

Than you for your help! :)

 

Anita

[LisaNY]

Than you for your help! :)

 

Anita

 

You're welcome, Anita! :001_smile:

 

If you get the chance, please post back to share how things are going.