quam hanc linguam discere?

[arslongus]

Howdy:

I'm working my way through Wheelock's (up to ch. 17) by my lonesome, and also have Groten's 38 Latin Stories. I do all the supplemental excercises in the back of Wheelock's. Just wondering if anyone has any suggestions for further reading, drills, etc?
I'm convinced that reading is important at every step, no matter how halting my understanding may be. Are there readers that one would recommend for someone halfway through Wheelock's?

Thanks

[Deses]

I'm convinced that reading is important at every step, no matter how halting my understanding may be. Are there readers that one would recommend for someone halfway through Wheelock's?

Thanks

Readers halfway through Wheelock? I don't think so. In fact, some people believe that Wheelock in its entirety does not provide sufficient grammar for even very basic Latin prose. You will find excellent drills in "Latin: An Intensive Course" by Rita Fleischer.

[Turpissimus]

You will find excellent drills in "Latin: An Intensive Course" by Rita Fleischer.

Excellent advice there. Some textbooks emphasize rather odd points of Latin grammar. Moreland and Fleisher will prepare you for the habit Roman writers' had of using long participle phrases and the ablative absolute instead of subordinate clauses, and using the subjunctive independantly for expressing wishes, orders etc. - neither of which most textbooks cover very well.

Sounds awful to have to use two textbooks, but once you've memorized the tables in Wheelock I don't think there's anything too frightening that M&F can throw at you. The practice will do you good.

[Deses]

Sounds awful to have to use two textbooks,

Not at all. Wheelock has very nice "authentic" texts, much more pleasant to read than M&F's surreal readings (apart from small selectins of ancient authors). I would really recommend using M&F as a primary textbook while using Wheelock as a reader of sorts. The pace in M&F is so much faster that nothing in Wheelock can be a surprise after a few units. On the whole, Wheelock is an excellent textbook for the purpose of taking Latin and receiving credit for it. No more, no less. If science knows of any students who cheerfully went on from Wheelock to 2nd year Latin without some serious growing pains (in terms of grammar) - may facts be presented to us.

[arslongus]

Readers halfway through Wheelock? I don't think so. In fact, some people believe that Wheelock in its entirety does not provide sufficient grammar for even very basic Latin prose. You will find excellent drills in "Latin: An Intensive Course" by Rita Fleischer.

Oh on the contrary - Wheelock has some readings in it, and the Groten book is specifically designed to get one reading as early as possible.
I've acquired the Fleischer book, but I wonder how useful it will be, for unless I am missing something, there is no key to the drills. I can translate all day long, but with no way of telling whether it's accurate, I could be way off....

[benissimus]

The Oxford Latin Course (a four-book set) is a good accompaniment to Wheelock's, though I see little other use for it. The Wheelock's Latin Workbook is useful if you need more exercises. The Wheelock's Latin Reader is a good transition into real Latin after you have finished the book. And by all means, try to read some of the easier authors in their original form as soon as possible. www.thelatinlibrary.com has many texts; I found Martial and Catullus were somewhat legible long before finishing Wheelock's.

Deses, for what it's worth, I went relatively easily from Wheelock's to genuine Latin. However, we did spend much more time on Wheelock's than we should have in my opinion, and I had the advantage of having a teacher. I think the only major flaws in the book are the lack of coverage for the subjunctive and ablatives, coincidentally the most feared items of Latin grammar .

[Turpissimus]

I think the only major flaws in the book are the lack of coverage for the subjunctive and ablatives, coincidentally the most feared items of Latin grammar

I've not so much as flicked though this book. Is it a popular choice among US college students? I remember reading on this board that the subjunctive is introduced shockingly late in the book - a few chapters from the end, no? Quam ineptum, si verum est. I suppose everyone who really likes Latin has a fondness for the book from which they first learned (For me, Gavin Betts' Teach Yourself Latin, a book which, if well digested, leaves the pupil with good compostion skills and dreadful reading skills).

AFAIK the textbook of choice here in the UK for those taking Latin at university as an optional subject is Peter Jones' Reading Latin - a thorough and comprehensive book that attempts to cultivate a good knowledge of grammar and the ability to actually recognise constructions and guess at the more bizarre idioms.