Thursday, 15 October 2009
Sunday, 4 October 2009
Friday, 2 October 2009
Thursday, 1 October 2009
I started using Latinum in June
I started using Latinum in June, after taking a more traditional Latin course through the University of Wales. I did all right with that course, but I never felt really confident that I knew the language (even though I scored a 92% on the final test) I've been going through the lessons from Adler, and listening to the audio, and I now feel as if I'm learning the language in a way that will stay with me. There is a possibility that I'll get to teach Latin to grade school students in January, and I want to be prepared.
It's been very helpful to listen to the language as I'm studying - I think that's what makes this work so well. I've gotten up to lesson 29 so far, and I had a friend who knows Latin well make a test for me up to that point, so I'm reviewing the audio whenever I can.
Looking forward to continuing on with the next part of the course and listening to some of the additional audio selections. Thank you for all the work you've done!
It's been very helpful to listen to the language as I'm studying - I think that's what makes this work so well. I've gotten up to lesson 29 so far, and I had a friend who knows Latin well make a test for me up to that point, so I'm reviewing the audio whenever I can.
Looking forward to continuing on with the next part of the course and listening to some of the additional audio selections. Thank you for all the work you've done!
Podcasting Comes to Latin
Podcasting Comes to Latin
No doubt, you've become aware of the prevalence of iPods and other pocket-size audio players which teenagers can't seem to live without. Probably you've considered it another terrible distraction from the studying that they are "supposed to" be doing. Well, now you've got more ways to capitalize on this phenomenon with the age-old strategy: "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em!"
Yes, there are now ways to sneak some Latin onto those music players, and their friends won't know what they're listening to. Welcome to the world of Latin podcasting!
Plenty of Latin teachers have been experimenting with this medium for the last few years, ever since Apple's iPod became such an iconic accessory in everyday 21st century life. Apple was not only instrumental in making these mini-"Walkmen" more stylish and ubiquitous; they were also the first to make it easy for almost anyone to create materials to play on them.
This is where I will put in a plug for Micheal Posey's pre-Institute workshop on Apple's iLife suite of software, including iTunes, and some of the free online tools from the Web 2.0 renaissance, which is moving Internet content into more media (audio, video) on more devices (phones, iPods, PDAs), and usually for less money (due to open source programming and online advertising).
One of the first people to make a serious splash with a website devoted entirely to podcasts for Latin is Evan Millner, webmaster of Latinum. He is passionate about getting students exposed to more aural Latin in the hope that they will eventually feel more comfortable trying oral Latin next. To this end, he has amassed an enormous collection of audio readings of Latin literature, along with a graduated course in "Spoken Conversational Latin," using restored classical pronunciation with tonal accentuation, and all in MP3 format (one of the major podcast file types). To find out more about this exciting new mode of instruction, check out his site at latinum.mypodcast.com.
No doubt, you've become aware of the prevalence of iPods and other pocket-size audio players which teenagers can't seem to live without. Probably you've considered it another terrible distraction from the studying that they are "supposed to" be doing. Well, now you've got more ways to capitalize on this phenomenon with the age-old strategy: "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em!"
Yes, there are now ways to sneak some Latin onto those music players, and their friends won't know what they're listening to. Welcome to the world of Latin podcasting!
Plenty of Latin teachers have been experimenting with this medium for the last few years, ever since Apple's iPod became such an iconic accessory in everyday 21st century life. Apple was not only instrumental in making these mini-"Walkmen" more stylish and ubiquitous; they were also the first to make it easy for almost anyone to create materials to play on them.
This is where I will put in a plug for Micheal Posey's pre-Institute workshop on Apple's iLife suite of software, including iTunes, and some of the free online tools from the Web 2.0 renaissance, which is moving Internet content into more media (audio, video) on more devices (phones, iPods, PDAs), and usually for less money (due to open source programming and online advertising).
One of the first people to make a serious splash with a website devoted entirely to podcasts for Latin is Evan Millner, webmaster of Latinum. He is passionate about getting students exposed to more aural Latin in the hope that they will eventually feel more comfortable trying oral Latin next. To this end, he has amassed an enormous collection of audio readings of Latin literature, along with a graduated course in "Spoken Conversational Latin," using restored classical pronunciation with tonal accentuation, and all in MP3 format (one of the major podcast file types). To find out more about this exciting new mode of instruction, check out his site at latinum.mypodcast.com.
Wednesday, 30 September 2009
Why Study Latin?
My argument for Latin, and Classical Civilisation
Molendinarius
I believe strongly that the intangible thought patterns that lead to Western Culture becoming what is is, are found in Latin, and in Ancient Greek.
Could we imagine a China, where the Chinese abandoned their ancestral language of culture, Chinese? A Europe without Latin, to my mind, would be like China without Chinese. This is the argument, and it is a purely cultural one.
I have no time for utilitarian approaches to studying the language - you'd be better off teaching advanced computer programming and formal logic.
In the UK, there is a a great deal of talk about the values of British Society undergoing rapid change - and that old poltical concepts are slipping away.
My suspicion, is that many of these 'British' concepts, are in fact classical Roman ones, what became part of the fabric of our society through Classical education.
Not all of these ideas are good ones, but some are - and I am no recidivist, harking back to a golden age. The present, in my view, is infinitely superior to the past, in just about every respect.......However, that being said, Roman History presents an object lesson in the fragility of republican freedoms, the dangers of an unedcuated society, etc etc.... Roman literature offers a severe and disciplined approach to creativity......
That is one strand of my thought, but it isn't the major one.......
The other argument I think that is the ultimate argument for Latin study, is more deep rooted - Latin had been the language of intellectual discourse in Europe from Roman times, until around 1750. Even after this date, discourse was still heavily coloured by Latin, right through to the 1800's."Civis Romanus Sum" Said Lord Palmeston in his famous speech to Parliament, as recently as 1850.
http://www.historyhome.co.uk/polspeech/foreign.htm
Indeed Lord Robert Cecil remarked subsequently, "I am aware that, whatever folly or madness an English Government may commit, the appeal to the Civis Romanus doctrine is rarely without its effect upon an English audience.
The days of an intense identification with Rome have slipped away, by accident. Baby and bathwater, down the plughole of history. What will replace it?
Molendinarius
I believe strongly that the intangible thought patterns that lead to Western Culture becoming what is is, are found in Latin, and in Ancient Greek.
Could we imagine a China, where the Chinese abandoned their ancestral language of culture, Chinese? A Europe without Latin, to my mind, would be like China without Chinese. This is the argument, and it is a purely cultural one.
I have no time for utilitarian approaches to studying the language - you'd be better off teaching advanced computer programming and formal logic.
In the UK, there is a a great deal of talk about the values of British Society undergoing rapid change - and that old poltical concepts are slipping away.
My suspicion, is that many of these 'British' concepts, are in fact classical Roman ones, what became part of the fabric of our society through Classical education.
Not all of these ideas are good ones, but some are - and I am no recidivist, harking back to a golden age. The present, in my view, is infinitely superior to the past, in just about every respect.......However, that being said, Roman History presents an object lesson in the fragility of republican freedoms, the dangers of an unedcuated society, etc etc.... Roman literature offers a severe and disciplined approach to creativity......
That is one strand of my thought, but it isn't the major one.......
The other argument I think that is the ultimate argument for Latin study, is more deep rooted - Latin had been the language of intellectual discourse in Europe from Roman times, until around 1750. Even after this date, discourse was still heavily coloured by Latin, right through to the 1800's."Civis Romanus Sum" Said Lord Palmeston in his famous speech to Parliament, as recently as 1850.
http://www.historyhome.co.uk/polspeech/foreign.htm
Indeed Lord Robert Cecil remarked subsequently, "I am aware that, whatever folly or madness an English Government may commit, the appeal to the Civis Romanus doctrine is rarely without its effect upon an English audience.
The days of an intense identification with Rome have slipped away, by accident. Baby and bathwater, down the plughole of history. What will replace it?
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