Pace of Study; Accompanying Reader?

[figliaperduta]

Salvete omnes! Nomen mihi est fig.

And that's pretty much the extent of my Latin, so I've decided to self-study Wheelock's. I have the book itself, the workbook (though not the answers, yet), and Grote's Comprehensive Guide. So, there are a few things I'm curious about.

1) What about an accompanying reader? I know there's 38 Latin Stories, but I've heard very mixed reviews about it. Is there something else that's better, or is it preferable to hold off on that until I've finished with Wheelock's and then start in on Wheelock's Latin Reader or Aeneas to Augustus and then the ancient authors?

2) Recommended pacing? I've not got a deadline, formal or informal, to which I am held or holding myself. My time is, for the most part, open for now, though that may change in the coming weeks. I have had some college, though have not completed a degree. I am looking to go back, sometime in the next couple of years.

Gratis,
fig.

[retypepassword]

Salvē! Welcome to Textkit!
I don't have quite as many books as you... just Wheelock's and whatever online resources I come across and find useful. Anyhow, to answer your questions:
1) I don't have 38 Latin Stories, but if I can ever get a copy, I'd probably use it. 38 Latin Stories, in my view, should provide a less boring approach to practicing reading than Wheelock's passages about friends and money. I'd say, go for it. As for whether or not to get Wheelock's Latin Reader after Wheelock's: By the time you finish Wheelock's Latin, you'll probably have an opinion of what to do next. If you're still unsure then, come to Textkit and ask.

2) I started at one chapter per week --- about half an hour per day, and got to chapter eight with a pretty solid understanding of all the material taught up until then. I'd recommend that. Also, to make sure the paradigms stuck, I wrote out each paradigm a hundred times... I had them down pretty solidly after that. Now, I'm doing a chapter every two or three days, and I spend about three hours a day on Latin. No matter what schedule you take, don't let a day pass without Latin. Even five minutes --- a translation or two, perhaps --- helps to reinforce the concepts you've learned.

Hope this helps.

[klewlis]

I detest Wheelock but I do like the 38 stories. The stories follow the book in concepts and difficulty, so they make a good supplement. They are all based on mythology, which is also interesting. Don't forget about the extra reading at the back of wheelock too.

As for pace, I think whatever pace will keep you moving and learning is the right pace. ;) For reference, most schools spend one term on 1-22 and one term on 23-40.

[Stoic]

I have a love hate relationship with Wheelock, so I'd love to know what you recommend as an alternative.

[TOCAMom]

I am using Wheelock's preparatory to enrolling in a university program that uses it, but I started with Cambridge Latin Course and loved it. You really have to force yourself to learn the grammar with CLC, but with Wheelock's you have to force yourself to keep going - CLC is a fun read all the way through (although I only completed 3 of the 4 books...) I will reserve final judgement until I've gotten through both - I don't yet know if it's possible to go from CLC to "real" Latin without additional preparation.

I'm using CLC to teach my teenager (15) Latin and he describes it as "fun."

UCLA uses "Auricula Meretricula" with Wheelock's for 1st-year Latin. It's a short play in the comic tradition written to make Wheelock more engaging. I have not started it yet, but I've purchased it and it looks promising - a prostitute is in love with a poet, to the annoyance of her pimp. 10 acts, about 50 pages, with a full glossary - the first act is keyed to Wheelock's chapter 8 (Focus Classical Library).

I've also got "38 Stories" and they are definitely better than the selections in Wheelocks - the selections I've read are from classical mythology and are based on Ovid.

As for additional reading, I would not buy anything more before ploughing through the "Loci Immutati" in Wheelock.

[Pros]

Salve fig,

Si vales, valeo. I recently joined a Wheelock Latin Study Group, Equites2008 at http://www.quasillum.com/study/latinstudy.php and would encourage you to participate. They use 38 Stories to supplement Wheelock's grammar book. So far I have to agree with TOCAMom that 38 Stories is better than the selections from Wheelock. So, get 38 Stories.

Tolle lege! (Take and read!)
Pros