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“Scraped through a Latin degree without being able to read Latin”
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Some people study Latin purely on their own steam. The autodidact way. But most of us have studied it, either in school or university (or both). Maybe you even got a full degree in Latin. I did. In fact – I excelled at Latin in university. One of my lecturers – who retired the year I graduated – introduced me to his wife as ‘the best Latin student I’ve ever taught.’ I don’t say that to brag. I say it because it’s sad. Tragic, even. Why? Because after years of self-study in Latin, and 3 years of university-level study – in which I was top of the class – I left university without being able to read Latin. And I’m not the only one. I’ve heard the story time and time again. Some of my students are people who got their Latin degrees half a century ago – 50, 60 years or more… And they STILL can’t read Latin. I don’t say this to criticise anyone, or to make anyone feel bad. But if we’re honest with ourselves – it’s pretty shocking. In 50 years, we should be able to become so fluent we can DREAM in Latin! Instead, it’s still a struggle. And – It’s an indictment of the ‘grammar and translation’ crap we were all taught. Because if it worked – we’d know more people who can read Latin. But I’ve met maybe 3. And every one of them did exactly what I did – they slogged through reading a lot – NOT translating. Just understanding. So why waste the time on grammar and translation? Skip the middle man – if your goal is to read, READ. Don’t translate. Don’t struggle. Don’t parse. Just read. Deep in your unconscious you have an incredible ‘language mechanism’ that identifies linguistic patterns, connects words and phrases to ideas, and basically makes you a master at any language you want to learn. But it’s like ChatGPT and other AI – it learns only from input. So your conscious task is just to give your unconscious ‘language mechanism’ enough input to do its thing. That’s all there is to it. Where to start? Well, I always recommend starting with fables. If you’ve gone through that – then I’d suggest my favourite Roman author, Seneca, and his delightful essay, On The Shortness Of Life. What would YOU like to read? Alexander P.S. Here’s some more input for you: In oppido sunt multa aedificia. – in the town there are many buildings – Quo in loco sunt multa aedificia? – in which place are there many buildings? In oppido sunt multa aedificia. – in the town there are many buildings Quot in oppido sunt aedificia? – how many buildings are there in the town? Multa in oppido sunt aedificia. – there are many buildings in the town Quae res sunt in oppido? – what things are in the town? Aedificia multa sunt in oppido. – many buildings are in the town |
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Most textbooks talk about ‘graded reading’. But as anyone who’s worked through a textbook and tried to read a real Roman author can tell you – graded reading is a lie. The idea sounds great… start with really easy Latin, then make it gradually harder until you can handle even the most complex author with ease. Beautiful. Or at least – it would be, if it worked. But it doesn’t. 1. Because to construct a true graduated reading programme from zero to fluent would take WAY more time than any of...
If you want to become fluent in Latin – then I recommend handcopying, one phrase or sentence at a time – alongside its translation. Especially if you don’t have as much time to devote to Latin learning as you’d like. This is honestly the most efficient method I know when you’re on your own. I’ve been using copywork for years. For writing – hand copying great writing. For philosophy – writing out the ideas and arguments. I’ve used it for language learning, history, science, and so on. It’s...
All this week I’ve been talking about how and why you should use hand copying (called copywork) to become fluent in Latin reading. Why is this such an effective method for you no matter where you’re at right now? One reason is that doing this guarantees you’re spending your time reading and understanding real Latin, not the Latin of textbooks. It also means you’re READING – understanding – not just translating. Another reason is that copywork practically forces what you’re learning into your...