Latin training for teachers: Great Courses Latin 101?

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

I'm interested in starting my oldest on Latin in about a year (5th grade).  Before I do that, I want to learn some basics myself.  

 

I see that CAP offers a teacher training course to accompany the LfC curriculum, but it's really pricy.  

 

I'm curious if anyone has tried the Great Courses Latin 101 class and how they liked it, and if it translated into being a better Latin teacher.  

 

There is also GSWL, but I think a DVD teacher might be a good fit for me.  But it's a big investment compared to GSWL, so I need to think about that as well.  I guess no matter what I choose, my kids *could* later use the same product themselves...  

 

In my ideal world, we'd use either Latin Alive or Lingua Latina Per Se Illustrata for the kids.  I'm a little intimidated by the latter, but otherwise really like the looks of it.  I'm wondering if the GC Latin class would get me up to speed enough to teach from LL.  I really want a serious study of Latin, but either designed with a slower, middle-school pacing or easily adaptable to a one high school semester --> one middle school year schedule.  So if there is another program out there that I didn't mention, feel free to let me know as well.  

[KrissiK]

This is the way I did it...I just let the curriculum teach and learned alongside my kids. We use Memoria Press's curriculum and I bought the DVDs and just sat there and watched with the kids. As the kids got in to the Form Series I did the assignments, too. I do have some experience with GC and I like their stuff, but I think that if you get a good DVD series, you can learn right along with them. But you would need to do that. You can't just sit them in front of the DVD and leave. If you're going to be of help to them as they progress, then you do need to learn it. But, I love Latin now, actually, and study it every night on my own.

 

I am a huge proponent of MP's curriculum. I think it is very thorough and methodical yet starts gently. Some people find all the recitations and memory work tedious, but that's what you have to have in order to know a language. If you do go with MP, start with Latina Christiana. I think it is a pretty gentle introduction. The Form Series is excellent, but it does have high expectations and ramps up quickly. For me, to learn the language, I had to understand how it worked - it's an inflected language, word order is negotiable.... the way my brain works I can't just take a few pieces and put it together as a whole. By the end of LC I was able to understand how it it works, basically and then learning the grammar made a lot more sense to me.

Edited November 22, 2016 by KrissiK

[8filltheheart]

I don't know if Signum University is still offering Latin as coursepacks or not.  I would contact and ask. It was a GREAT deal.  I think I paid $95 for each semester and it included lectures for the entire Wheelock's book over the 2 semesters.

 

 

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

I don't know if Signum University is still offering Latin as coursepacks or not.  I would contact and ask. It was a GREAT deal.  I think I paid $95 for each semester and it included lectures for the entire Wheelock's book over the 2 semesters.

 

I should just stop reading posts from you when I have less than four hours to digest the contents, because... you always make me rethink my life.  :-D  

 

Do you know if SIgnum is accredited?  Because I suddenly see a Lang and Lit MA with a concentration in Tolkien hanging on my future wall...  and accreditation is not explicitly stated on the website and googling isn't turning much up.  I guess I'll email them...  

[8filltheheart]

No idea.  But, yes, their courses are intriguing.  They have some you can listen to for free on iTunes U (or at least the used to.)

[EndOfOrdinary]

The GC course moves FAST! It is very hoid, but you would need a separate book to translate and practice. There just is not enough repetition. This is very good, in that you personally choose your level of busywork. It is very adult in that way. It is bad in that you are coming in to the class -in theory- without enough background to know how much you do not know.

 

I have coupled it with Wheelock and that worked well for me. The order is sometimes a bit wonky, but within a couple of chapters it all comes back together. If you have decided on your son's curriculum, then you can just use that instead of Wheelock. Get an answer key.

 

I had previous Latin in Catholic school and Ds now uses Lukeion. I have found that TGC works well for me to use when I know I have an hour of direct time. Then I set study goals based on the week.

 

Latin 101 is part of Great Courses Plus and that is the cheapest way I know of to use it. GSWL was wonderful for my son and was a very good initial overview. You could EASILY do it with a fourth grader to see if they were interested. It is very much a ten to fifteen minutes a day thing. It woukd give you enough background to feel more comfortable as well.

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

The GC course moves FAST! It is very hoid, but you would need a separate book to translate and practice. There just is not enough repetition. This is very good, in that you personally choose your level of busywork. It is very adult in that way. It is bad in that you are coming in to the class -in theory- without enough background to know how much you do not know.

 

I have coupled it with Wheelock and that worked well for me. The order is sometimes a bit wonky, but within a couple of chapters it all comes back together. If you have decided on your son's curriculum, then you can just use that instead of Wheelock. Get an answer key.

 

I had previous Latin in Catholic school and Ds now uses Lukeion. I have found that TGC works well for me to use when I know I have an hour of direct time. Then I set study goals based on the week.

 

Latin 101 is part of Great Courses Plus and that is the cheapest way I know of to use it. GSWL was wonderful for my son and was a very good initial overview. You could EASILY do it with a fourth grader to see if they were interested. It is very much a ten to fifteen minutes a day thing. It woukd give you enough background to feel more comfortable as well.

 

This is really helpful, thank you!  

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

Trying to learn along with my kid do drive me crazy because I need the big picture. I found my saving grace in Henle Latin.

Yes, it is very Catholic. I'm not. It's a great, systematic explanation of Latin and the grammar. No skipping around from present tense verbs to a smattering of nouns and then adjectives before coming back to verbs again. It is everything about nouns. Then adjectives. Then everything about verbs.

Just when you think your brain will explode it starts falling into place.

I also picked up Lingua Latina to get a break and practice reading for understanding without translating. There is a guy with MP3s on his website of him reading LL and that really helped with pronunciation and just getting the sound of it into my brain.

 

Is there any reason you chose Henle over Wheelocks?  And do you think LL is too hard to use directly for self-teaching?

[KrissiK]

Trying to learn along with my kid do drive me crazy because I need the big picture. I found my saving grace in Henle Latin.

Yes, it is very Catholic. I'm not. It's a great, systematic explanation of Latin and the grammar. No skipping around from present tense verbs to a smattering of nouns and then adjectives before coming back to verbs again. It is everything about nouns. Then adjectives. Then everything about verbs.

Just when you think your brain will explode it starts falling into place.

I also picked up Lingua Latina to get a break and practice reading for understanding without translating. There is a guy with MP3s on his website of him reading LL and that really helped with pronunciation and just getting the sound of it into my brain.

I'm working on Henle myself, but what's helped me understand it is my working through the Form Series with my kids. I find it interesting that it is the opposite with you. Difference in the way people's brains work, I guess!

[8filltheheart]

Henle can get a little dark with sentences like "There were bodies in the river."........ so I also got Lingua Latina to give myself a break and have a little fun.

LOL!! My kids joke that by the end of Latin 1 they describe in Latin 25 ways people are killed. Those Roman myths are brutal. ;)

[KrissiK]

LOL!! My kids joke that by the end of Latin 1 they describe in Latin 25 ways people are killed. Those Roman myths are brutal. ;)

Oh, I know. Isn't it funny? Vocabulary at the beginning of the book are words like, "they killed", "slaughter", "wounds", "attack". This book is not for those who strongly embrace pacifism.😉 Edited December 1, 2016 by KrissiK

[8filltheheart]

Oh, I know. Isn't it funny? Vocabulary at the beginning of the book are words like, "they killed", "slaughter", "wounds", "attack". This book is not for those who strongly embrace pacifism.😉

 

It is like that in all of the Latin programs we have used. :)

[happypamama]

Yep, all the Latin programs we have use the same warrior vocabulary.

 

OP, idk about the GC, but GSWL is so excellent! I have been learning Latin alongside my oldest from day one, starting with GSWL, several levels of Latin's Not So Tough, and now Latin Alive (which is very good but very fast paced -- not a lot of review, so I'm glad it wasn't our first introduction). She's usually better at remembering endings than I am, although I usually remember the vocabulary.

 

Learning alongside her has been good for me because it means I'm puzzling through the stuff with her and really learning it without glossing over anything.

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

Ok, so I think I'll do GSWL, then the GC 101 alongside another text. If I do Wheelock, what all do I need? And if I do Henle, what all do I need?

[KrissiK]

Ok, so I think I'll do GSWL, then the GC 101 alongside another text. If I do Wheelock, what all do I need? And if I do Henle, what all do I need?

I'm doing Henle myself and I love it. But what has made it infinitely easier is getting the study guide thingie from Memoria Press. https://www.memoriapress.com/curriculum/latin/henle-latin-i/ (I hope the link works) They have it all divided up into easy lessons with checklists and quizzes and making flash cards and recitations and all that. I feel like it is very well organized. Edited December 3, 2016 by KrissiK

[raganfamily]

Ok, so I think I'll do GSWL, then the GC 101 alongside another text. If I do Wheelock, what all do I need? And if I do Henle, what all do I need?

 

My older ds found the GS Latin to be good.  He had already completed some latin, and said he learned more from those videos than anything else.  That being said he is not great at Latin or any foreign language.

 

My dd used the Memoria Press guides with Henle Latin. I really like the way it was laid out on the assignments. 

 

We took a break this year with my younger two on Latin, but will start back and do the same format your thinking of. 

 

Curious what is needed with Wheelock as well.  I have the text and answer key.  http://www.wheelockslatin.com/ They have various items on their website.

 

[ElizabethB]

Anther option to consider...buy Latin Alive early and use that for yourself and then with your children.  I used that for myself for teacher training and then with my daughter and am currently teaching it to my son.  Neither of them like DVDs, but I found it helpful for the first few lessons for myself to hear the sounds and see the teaching.  I only ended up using the first for lessons of the DVDs, and then only for myself, but I don't regret buying them, I was having trouble teaching myself from just books.

 

My daughter was able to start it at a slower than recommended speed at 4th grade, my son this year for 6th grade.  I like the format.  It also starts with war vocabulary, LOL.  You are sailing and attacking in lesson 1...

 

https://classicalacademicpress.com/product/latin-alive-book-1-program/

 

A short sample from the first DVD:

 

 

 

About the series:

 

 

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

I'm doing Henle myself and I love it. But what has made it infinitely easier is getting the study guide thingie from Memoria Press. https://www.memoriapress.com/curriculum/latin/henle-latin-i/ (I hope the link works) They have it all divided up into easy lessons with checklists and quizzes and making flash cards and recitations and all that. I feel like it is very well organized.

 

Ok, the Henle vs Wheelock is killing me!  LOL.  I went and saw they had actual samples of the Henle text on the site, and... it looks so much like a McGuffey Reader!  Which I love!  LOL!!!  So now I'm throwing my hands up in the air over this again!  Sigh.  

 

How ridiculous would I be if I ordered ALL THE BOOKS???   :leaving:

[Colleen in NS]

Monica,

 

I'm wondering if this thread about Henle, starting with posts #19 and 29, might help you:  http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/330830-guide-for-henle-that-is-a-bit-faster-than-cheryl-lowes-mp-guide/

Edited December 11, 2016 by Colleen in NS

[KrissiK]

Ok, the Henle vs Wheelock is killing me! LOL. I went and saw they had actual samples of the Henle text on the site, and... it looks so much like a McGuffey Reader! Which I love! LOL!!! So now I'm throwing my hands up in the air over this again! Sigh.

 

How ridiculous would I be if I ordered ALL THE BOOKS??? :leaving:

I've never checked out Wheelocks. We started out with MP and since that goes into Henle, I just kept going in that direction. So, I really can't help you out there! But I do know that Henle, with the MP study guide has made learning Latin extremely easy and doable for me.

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

Monica,

 

I'm wondering if this thread about Henle, starting with posts #19 and 29, might help you:  http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/330830-guide-for-henle-that-is-a-bit-faster-than-cheryl-lowes-mp-guide/

Very helpful, thanks!!!

[Hunter]

Henle and many other older Latin curricula prepare a student to read the Gallic War. The vocabulary prepares for that book. I prefer beginner grammars that teach a reduced vocabulary that prepares for a specific easy book.

 

Hoopla has some of the Great Courses. I know they have the Greek, but I'm not sure about the Latin. I'll check in a minute. Some libraries give a partial free subscription to Hoopla. Many libraries in the capital city give Hoopla subscriptions. Most capital cities give a free card to any resident in the state. One trip to the capital city should get you a year or more of free online streaming and downloads from a variety of resources.

 

We don't teach English with one book. I wouldn't know how to teach a second language with just one book. Most of the time I used Henle as our main Latin text, but supplemented with all sorts of stuff, especially for reading practice.

 

I found the vocabulary in Wheelock too extensive for our needs. It distracted from learning the grammar which was my primary goal.

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

Henle and many other older Latin curricula prepare a student to read the Gallic War. The vocabulary prepares for that book. I prefer beginner grammars that teach a reduced vocabulary that prepares for a specific easy book.

 

Hoopla has some of the Great Courses. I know they have the Greek, but I'm not sure about the Latin. I'll check in a minute. Some libraries give a partial free subscription to Hoopla. Many libraries in the capital city give Hoopla subscriptions. Most capital cities give a free card to any resident in the state. One trip to the capital city should get you a year or more of free online streaming and downloads from a variety of resources.

 

We don't teach English with one book. I wouldn't know how to teach a second language with just one book. Most of the time I used Henle as our main Latin text, but supplemented with all sorts of stuff, especially for reading practice.

 

I found the vocabulary in Wheelock too extensive for our needs. It distracted from learning the grammar which was my primary goal.

 

Thanks, Hunter!  I will take a look and see if I can get an "out of area" card for my former home town.  Living in Switzerland does have its occasional disadvantages...  

 

Yes, again I come back to the limited vocab aspect of Henle that I like.  

 

I feel like Winnie the Pooh.  *think think think*

[Hunter]

I'm not sure if my library has a different situation with Hoopla than other libraries, but we have the Greek but not the Latin. There is a dinosaur cartoon in Latin though.

 

There is a sample at YouTube.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=o_PvhIMs0xQ

[raganfamily]

Henle and many other older Latin curricula prepare a student to read the Gallic War. The vocabulary prepares for that book. I prefer beginner grammars that teach a reduced vocabulary that prepares for a specific easy book.

 

Hoopla has some of the Great Courses. I know they have the Greek, but I'm not sure about the Latin. I'll check in a minute. Some libraries give a partial free subscription to Hoopla. Many libraries in the capital city give Hoopla subscriptions. Most capital cities give a free card to any resident in the state. One trip to the capital city should get you a year or more of free online streaming and downloads from a variety of resources.

 

We don't teach English with one book. I wouldn't know how to teach a second language with just one book. Most of the time I used Henle as our main Latin text, but supplemented with all sorts of stuff, especially for reading practice.

 

I found the vocabulary in Wheelock too extensive for our needs. It distracted from learning the grammar which was my primary goal.

 

I had no idea Hoopla had Great Courses.  Thank you for sharing this!

[Hunter]

My library has Mango Language. I just downloaded the app to see what they have. They offer Latin, Ancient Greek, and Koine Greek. They are immersion type courses.

 

The Koine Greek appears to be modern pronunciation and starts with John 1.

 

The Ancient Greek appears to be a pretty standard pronunciation and starts with the Iliad.

 

The Latin appears to be a pretty standard pronunciation and start with the Gallic War.

 

I really need a project to distract me for the rest of the month. December is NOT a good month for me. I looked at the Spanish, too, and between Hoopla, Overdrive, and Mango, there is a ton for that, but after playing in the apps, I think I want to do a classical language. I'm just not sure which one, yet.

 

I'm thinking Latin, as I'm not in the mood to deal with any font issues. Font issues are as common now as pre Y2K. Fonts never catch up to the rest of what is going on with computers, I guess. I'm going to see what else is free online in general and for me, and choose which option has the most resources.

[Hunter]

Did anyone post the link to http://www.linneyslatinclass.com

 

Linney's Latin appears to be a typical traditional Gallic War based course.

http://www.linneyslatinclass.com/studyhelps.html

 

I'm thinking this is what I want to do this month. Prepare to read the Gallic War in Latin. I like the Loeb Classic version. It is small and pretty and familiar. I never got good enough in Latin to really read it all in Latin.

 

Reading the Gallic War is a better goal than watching more episodes of Sons of Anarchy and Bitten.

Edited December 11, 2016 by Hunter

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

Did anyone post the link to http://www.linneyslatinclass.com

 

Linney's Latin appears to be a typical traditional Gallic War based course.

http://www.linneyslatinclass.com/studyhelps.html

 

I'm thinking this is what I want to do this month. Prepare to read the Gallic War in Latin. I like the Loeb Classic version. It is small and pretty and familiar. I never got good enough in Latin to really read it all in Latin.

 

Reading the Gallic War is a better goal than watching more episodes of Sons of Anarchy and Bitten.

 

The link hadn't been posted, but I did know about it.  Thanks for the reminder!

[Hunter]

I'm going to review with the Linney course and the Mango course. I'm still ironing out some tech issues, but think I can resolve them.

 

Years ago Amsco had some cute Middle School PS texts. Let me see if I can find them and if they are still around.

[Hunter]

Here it is. Latin is Fun.

https://www.amscopub.com/world-languages/latin/latin-is-fun.html

 

Back in the 90s the text was cheap. I'm not sure what the price is now and how much it has changed. I didn't find it systematic enough to be a core text, but it had cute pictures, and it was cheap, then.

 

EDIT. PB is $22.00 and the TM is $11.00.

Edited December 11, 2016 by Hunter

[Hunter]

Studying and trying to implement TPR took up too much of my time, but, just saying it is an option.

http://todallycomprehensiblelatin.blogspot.com/2014/08/tpr-total-physical-response-for-first.html

[Hunter]

Udemy has videos for Wheelock. I never buy anything from them so they are always sending me big coupons.

https://www.udemy.com/wheelock_latin/

The 6th edition eBook is on sale in Kindle for $6.99. I found an old PDF answer key for the 6th edition. I'm looking at this. If I buy lessons 1-15, I'll give a review.

 

This link leads to links for a 2 volume Latin textbook series with teacher manuals. I don't remember this series. It might be new to all/most of us.

http://m.wikihow.com/Learn-Latin-on-Your-Own

The 6th edition eBook is on sale in Kindle for $6.99. I found an old PDF answer key for the 6th edition. I'm looking at this. If I buy lessons 1-15, I'll give a review.

 

 

Is there a way to preview it?  Wheelock (and all Latin books, for that matter), depend on having good formatting of tables and charts, and I've heard bad things about how some versions of Wheelock have been converted to the Kindle.

[Hunter]

Im just linking up these two Latin threads, as I'm having trouble not posting things in one that might be better in the other.

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/631381-best-latin-curriculum-for-the-littles/?p=7337817

[Hunter]

Is there a way to preview it? Wheelock (and all Latin books, for that matter), depend on having good formatting of tables and charts, and I've heard bad things about how some versions of Wheelock have been converted to the Kindle.

Download a sample.

 

If you buy it, and don't like it, you can go into your account and just click "return it" or something like that. Sometimes I forget I can do that. Other times I do remember and return books that I'm disappointed in.

[Hunter]

Udemy has some Henle videos, too.

https://www.udemy.com/latin-i-first-quarter/

[Hunter]

In the past, if I put Udemy courses in my wishlist and didn't buy anything, they sent me special deals. They are already offering me 50% off. I'm going to leave them there a little longer and see what happens.

[Hunter]

Archive.org has a kind of messy, but readable FREE Henle grammar.

https://archive.org/details/LatinGrammarForHighSchoolsRobertJ.HenleS.j

 

Google Play Store has the Henle textbooks and grammar as eBooks.

https://play.google.com/store/books/author?id=Robert+J.+Henle

 

I don't see any answer keys in eBook anywhere.

[Guest]

 

I feel like Winnie the Pooh. *think think think*

I am so sorry and I am supposed to be a grownup and this is so inexcusably puerile but I just can't resist letting you know that this exists:

 

https://www.amazon.com/Winnie-Ille-Pu-Latin-Milne/dp/014015339X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1481651874&sr=8-1&keywords=Winnie+Ille+Pu

 

So not what you want or need but I thought it might make you smile. ;)

 

/slinks away with tail between legs

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

I am so sorry and I am supposed to be a grownup and this is so inexcusably puerile but I just can't resist letting you know that this exists:

 

https://www.amazon.com/Winnie-Ille-Pu-Latin-Milne/dp/014015339X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1481651874&sr=8-1&keywords=Winnie+Ille+Pu

 

So not what you want or need but I thought it might make you smile. ;)

 

/slinks away with tail between legs

 

 

Haha!  I've seen it and love the cover art.  I plan to reward myself with it after I've finished some benchmark in my studies.  Someone has also translated the first couple Harry Potter books!  

[Hunter]

I am so sorry and I am supposed to be a grownup and this is so inexcusably puerile but I just can't resist letting you know that this exists:https://www.amazon.com/Winnie-Ille-Pu-Latin-Milne/dp/014015339X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1481651874&sr=8-1&keywords=Winnie+Ille+Pu

So not what you want or need but I thought it might make you smile. ;)

/slinks away with tail between legs

Haha! I've seen it and love the cover art. I plan to reward myself with it after I've finished some benchmark in my studies. Someone has also translated the first couple Harry Potter books!

 

I do intend to read some modern books translated into Latin, when I am ready. I presume they are easier to read than books written originally in Latin. I think just reading is important. Pu is at the top of my list. :)

 

Today as I was making flash cards, I remembered in the past, when I wasn't as confident about my handwriting, I hestitated to make my own flash arts. I would encourage a mom to make sure she practices until she is confident about her handwriting before seriously teaching Latin.

 

Teaching Latin includes enrichment. I have been looking at Roman mythology today. Not Greek myths or comparison books, but books written just about the Roman gods.

 

There is a vintage book called The Kingdom of Jupiter by R. E. Francilion.

 

Is there anyone that intends to teach Latin but not Greek and is going to teach primarily Roman mythology?

 

Some of the vintage narrative geography series that get a bad rap, are better tolerated for their ancient books. Peeps at Many Lands and Our Little Cousins come to mind. Does anyone use those as enrichment for Latin study? What is available for Henty for Rome?

Edited December 13, 2016 by Hunter

[Hunter]

Children of Ancient Rome, by Louise Lamprey

https://books.google.com/books?id=eurQAAAAMAAJ&dq=inauthor:%22Louise+Lamprey%22&source=gbs_navlinks_s

 

Sunbonnet Babies in Italy

https://books.google.com/books?id=eZpUAAAAYAAJ&dq=sunbonnet+babies+in+italy&source=gbs_navlinks_s

 

I'm posting these because they are not on any reading lists I have ever seen.