Wheelock's & Lingua Latina?

[Ann T]

Salvete!

I have recently returned to my Latin study after a 20-year hiatus. I am using Wheelock's and am, mostly, pleased with my choice. I've been introduced to the Lingua Latina series and am really excited by it. Is anyone else using these two texts together? If so, what is your study process? I like Wheelock's for the grammar and LL for the reading/exercises. Any opinions on if/how these two texts would work together?

Many thanks for your kind assistance!

[thesaurus]

I've used both courses, although not simultaneously. I found that working quickly through Wheelock and then through LL is a good combination. Wheelock will give you an understanding of the general grammatical outline of the language and you'll be familiar with all the major constructions. Then, as you work your way through LL you'll learn lots of vocabulary and actually get to experience reading all of the grammar that you've learned mostly abstractly until that point. At the same time, you won't struggle as much trying to assimilate complicated grammar from a Latin only context.

Whether the reading course would work well while working through Wheelocks is a possibility, but personally, I prefer to focus on one course at a time.

[Ann T]

Thanks, Thesaurus, for your response. Your approach sounds like the best way to go about it. I've read other posts here about the Dowling Method. Any opinions on that approach?

The grammar has been fairly simple for me so far - I guess my previous Latin study is slowly but surely being unearthed from deep down in my brain. So working quickly through Wheelock shouldn't be a problem. I have to confess that I'm anxious to get into Lingua Latina. It looks like it will be a lot of fun!

[thesaurus]

Thanks, Thesaurus, for your response. Your approach sounds like the best way to go about it. I've read other posts here about the Dowling Method. Any opinions on that approach?

The grammar has been fairly simple for me so far - I guess my previous Latin study is slowly but surely being unearthed from deep down in my brain. So working quickly through Wheelock shouldn't be a problem. I have to confess that I'm anxious to get into Lingua Latina. It looks like it will be a lot of fun!

I don't have much experience with the Dowling method, but I don't know if I'd call rote memorization much of a method. If you actually work through Wheelock conscientiously you should get greater benefit then just trying to memorize paradigms. You'll memorize the necessities, but you'll also get plenty of explanations of syntax, usage, and examples. You'll still be primed for when you hit the LL.

[Ann T]

I think you're probably right about the rote memorization. The main reason I've come back to Latin study is for enjoyment and, frankly, an exercise in brute memorization doesn't sound fun to me. However, I'm willing to do whatever work I must to get to the point where I'm reading some actual Latin.

One question more, if I may bother you again... When you worked through Wheelock, how many of the exercises (P&R, SA, etc) did you do? I'm finding those a little strange - helpful, certainly, but very odd sentences.

Thanks again for your help and patience!