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 us has time for.

Why?

Because every single quirk of grammar or syntax would need some time for that to be the one new thing until you got used to it.

And when you think about how many of those ‘quirks’ there are, you realise…

You’ll NEVER reach fluency that way.

Which is exactly what happens to most people.

One to the next reason it doesn’t work…

2. Because our brains are designed to take a ‘whole of language’ approach to learning.

Let me explain.

Children absorb ALL the language around them – not just the ‘baby talk’ most people use when speaking to them.

And even when we do speak to babies directly… yes, we simplify the language. But we don’t even think about the grammar or syntax.

And so we ‘accidentally’ introduce the baby to complex structures.

Yet they learn – and they learn quickly.

When you use graded reading, you’re training your ‘Latin brain’ to only recognise the simple.

Anyway, back to the myth of the easy author.

After going through textbooks, people are often advised to start with some ‘easy’ author, like Eutropius, or Justin, or Caesar.

They’re ‘easier’ than Cicero, so start there, we’re told.

But again, this is a lie.

Firstly, the gap between textbooks and even Eutropius (the ‘simplest’ of those mentioned above) is HUGE.

And secondly… if you’re not actually interested in reading that particular author… it’s difficult no matter how simple it is.

The reality of human learning is that we need t be interested.

You’re MORE likely to work through a supposedly ‘hard’ author if you’re actually interested in reading him, then a ‘simple’ author you’re only reading because he’s simple.

Let me say that again:

It’s easier to work through a supposedly ‘hard’ author you actually want to read, then a ‘simple’ author you’re only reading because he’s simple.

Burn that into your brain.

There are no easy authors.

But there are interesting ones – and that should be enough.

Talk soon,

Alexander

P.S. I’ve been getting some great (and some very helpful) feedback about the 8-week Latin Masterclass that just finished. I’m making some tweaks, and then I’ll be launching a new idea soon – I think you’re gonna love it. I’m super excited to share it with you, but I can’t say until I’ve sorted out the details, so hold your horses on that!

In the meantime, I have a number of interesting authors decoded in the ‘old-style’ decoding, which you can get through this link:

​>>>Click here for a selection of interesting Latin authors​

P.P.S Here’s some Latin for today!

Urbs est in finitus Asiae.

The city is in the borders of Asia

Quae res est in finibus Asiae?

What thing is in the borders of Asia?

Urbs est in finibus Asiae.

The city is in the borders of Asia

Quo in loco est urbs?

In which place is the city?

In finibus Asiae est urbs.
The city is in the borders of Asia.

Cujus in finibus urbs?

In whose borders is the city?

Asiae in finibus est urbs.

In Asia’s borders is the city