Learning Latin

Homework giving you a headache? Math gives you a migraine? Can't quite figure out how to do something in photoshop? Never fear, the other members of CAA share their expertise in this forum.

Learning Latin

Postby Edward » Tue Sep 20, 2011 4:05 pm

Salvete!

So, I've decided to start teaching myself Latin, for no particular reason other than personal curiosity. I've been using the lessons on this site. I've watched the first two lessons and I think it's rather good, though the teacher's voice is a little annoying.

But I was wondering if anyone knew of other, free recources I could use to supplement the site I linked. Books I could buy or check out at a library would be helpful too.

If anyone knows of any helpful websites or books for learning Ancient Greek, that would be helpful too, so I don't have to make another thread if I decide to tackle it after Latin.
User avatar
Edward
 
Posts: 433
Joined: Sat Oct 09, 2010 1:23 pm
Location: Neither here nor there

Postby Nanao » Tue Sep 20, 2011 7:30 pm

We used this site in school, particularly the LatinPraxis portion. There are literally hundreds of practice exercises there, and I believe that they have answers as well.

For Greek, we used a lot of resources from Persus. They have a lot of downloadable information (and I believe some textbooks) in both Greek and Latin in addition to loads of reading practice.

As far as books go, I'm really only familiar with the ones that we used in school, but Wheelock's Latin which was an excellent course. Cambridge Latin Course is also pretty good. For classical Greek, Beginning Greek by Stephen Paine, Greek Grammar by Herbert Weir Smyth and From Alpha to Omega by Anne Groton are all good. I'm not sure about availability in your local library, but you could certainly check them out ^__^

Hope this helps and good luck with your studies!
[color="RoyalBlue"]My help comes from the Lord, maker of heaven and earth.[/color] Psalm 121:2
[color="Pink"]@)[/color][color="Green"]}~`,~[/color] Thanks, To All The CAA Moderators.
User avatar
Nanao
 
Posts: 279
Joined: Sat Jan 01, 2011 12:49 pm
Location:

Postby Rylynn4869 » Tue Sep 20, 2011 8:49 pm

My class used Wheelock's Latin, and it had lots of helpful charts in the back for all the different declensions and conjugations. I completed Latin II last year, so if you have any questions feel free to PM me! My class mainly focused on grammar, though, so my vocabulary isn't too extensive, but I can try to help you understand the language as best I can!

Good luck!
[SIZE="2"]We've all got wounds, we've all got scars
Sometimes it hurts, sometimes it's hard
Don't give up hope, don't give up hope

'Cause He's got those wounds, and He's got those scars
And with His blood He heals our hearts
He is our hope, He is our hope!
~Don't Give Up the Fight by Revive[/SIZE]
User avatar
Rylynn4869
 
Posts: 104
Joined: Thu Jun 23, 2011 6:32 pm

Postby Agloval » Wed Sep 21, 2011 10:58 am

The internet wasn't used a great deal when I was taught Latin, so I can't offer many helpful sites for starting the process. We used the Cambridge Latin Course at school, and it seemed to work well, though I've no way of comparing it to other options. I still use the Cambridge Latin Grammar as a lightweight, to-hand grammar reference.

But I know nodictionaries is a fun resource when you just want to bash your head against some original texts for a little while. You can use the slider on the right-hand side to control the amount of help it automatically gives you, and clicking on a particular word will reveal all the base words it might potentially be a form of. But this site's probably most useful once you've already got a bit of a grasp on Latin.

If you do at some point just need a big, full-on dictionary, you can find a full, searchable version of the Lewis & Short dictionary online here (site seems to be running slow for me right now, but I assume that's a temporary thing).
'That blast is blown for me, for I am the prize, and yet am I not dead.'
User avatar
Agloval
 
Posts: 214
Joined: Tue Jan 11, 2011 12:33 pm
Location: The south of England

Re: Learning Latin

Postby LastLfan » Fri Dec 07, 2012 6:58 pm

We use oxford latin course at my school, not sure if you can find it free though, designed for collage though so it definately helps.
User avatar
LastLfan
 
Posts: 527
Joined: Sun Jul 15, 2012 12:37 pm
Location: Pallet town

Re: Learning Latin

Postby *fragment » Wed Mar 06, 2013 2:05 pm

If you're particularly interested in Ecclesiastical/Medieval Latin, I've found John F. Collin's A Primer of Ecclesiastical Latin to be a good textbook. Leo F. Stelten's Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin is very handy.

There isn't much of a substantive difference between Classical Latin and Ecclesiastical Latin (it's mainly just differing vocab/pronunciations), so once you have the basics of one, getting to know the other is fairly easy.

More generally, I like Charles E. Bennett's New Latin Grammar.

Unfortunately none of these are free, as far as I can tell.
User avatar
*fragment
 
Posts: 7
Joined: Sun Apr 22, 2012 6:09 pm
Location: Canada


Return to Tutorials

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 31 guests