Reading list

[Fradle]

Bonjour à tous!

It has been a couple of weeks now since I started Latin for Beginner. Its quite good but the growing number of rules and declensions make my head spin. I can't learn a language only by learning the rules (heck I only know a handful in French, my first language) so I got myself more books as reference and now I need reading material. A list of translated works with their level of difficulty would be quite useful, does such a list exist?

Other books I use:
Les rudiments ou les premiers principes de la langue latine par Samuel Leresche
Méthode pour étudier la langue latine par J.L. Burnouf

I would rather study using french material but these books a too dry by themselves. I keep D'Ooge as my main source and sprinkle information from the other two when things get serious.

Sometimes Latin is so close to French it is almost easy to read.

Francis

[adrianus]

Salve, Fradle
Vous n'avez pas pensé à acheter Le Latin Sans Peine (Assimil, 1966). Moi, je l'ai et je le trouve bien. On dit l'edition de 1966 être mieux que les autres. Heureusement elle est encore disponible. Je l'ai acheté sans disques à amazon.co.uk.
Hoc opus tibi commendo: Le Latin Sans Peine (Assimil, 1966). Eum habeo et amo. Discos compactos non emi. Editionem annis milia nongenti sexaginta sex elegantissimam esse legi, quare eam emi (sine discis compactis de bibliopolâ amazon.co.uk) quia adhùc haberi est.

[vastor]

Bonjour à tous!
It has been a couple of weeks now since I started Latin for Beginner. Its quite good but the growing number of rules and declensions make my head spin. I can't learn a language only by learning the rules (heck I only know a handful in French, my first language)

I think it's the same case for everyone, regardless of their native language. We process language naturally without much thought (yes even reading requires little brain power) to how it works. So when we start to learn a new language and encounter lots of rules, idioms, and paradigms, it seems entirely alien. Myself, I am a native english speaker, yet I knew very little of my language, except the basics such as a noun, verb, adjective, and the main tenses (present, past, future). So learning latin has helped me rediscover my native tongue.

With a language such as latin, a good grounding in grammar and sentence structure is fundamental to it's understanding.

It can make your head spin a little at first, but this is actually a good thing, as it shows your brain is learning a new way of thinking. The rules also improve your memory. The key is not to rush the lessons, but to go through them slowly and repeat previous lessons regularly. In addition, imagining different constructions with new vocabulary and rules helps to reinforce long term memory.

so I got myself more books as reference and now I need reading material. A list of translated works with their level of difficulty would be quite useful, does such a list exist?

Other books I use:
Les rudiments ou les premiers principes de la langue latine par Samuel Leresche
Méthode pour étudier la langue latine par J.L. Burnouf

I would rather study using french material but these books a too dry by themselves. I keep D'Ooge as my main source and sprinkle information from the other two when things get serious.

For reading material I'm currently using Caesar's gallic war commentaries, although it's still a little beyond my abilities. However, when beginning latin, I think the learning material itself is sufficient.

To supplement D'Ooge's latin grammar, I use adler's perpetual execises. Adler's material emphasises conversational and reading fluency at the expensive of formal grammatical instruction. This method supplements a formal grammar to give a comprehensive approach.

Sometimes Latin is so close to French it is almost easy to read.

This is also true for english. Sometimes I can decode expressions even though I don't know some of the vocabulary; Simply because the new words are obviously roots for english derivatives.

[Kyneto Valesio]

Vous n'avez pas pensé à acheter Le Latin Sans Peine (Assimil, 1966).

This course is very highly esteemed by leading European Latinists:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaius_Licoppe

It is so good that even I, who only read French with great difficulty, use it. Do yourself a favor and buy Le Latin Sans Peine by Clément Desessard. Assimil no longer sells it but you can probably get a copy on the used market.

http://tinyurl.com/2vdr5t

Make sure that you get the the tapes that accompany the course. These can be converted to MP3 format for accelerated but easy learning. Learn while you walk in the park !!

There is a Circulus Latinus in Paris but its web page is currently dead. I will try to find out what happened to it.

Best.

Ken

[philplus]

Le Latin sans Peine est une bonne méthode, surtout si tu l'as avec les enregistrements.

Et en fait on peut aussi les télécharger via eMule. Quelqu'un a scanné la méthode et converti les enregistrement en format MP3, et une simple recherche suffit pour les trouver. Bonne nouvelle pour les amateurs de la langue latine, bien que le copyright n'est malheureusement pas respecté...

Et je suis très content de savoir que ce M. Licoppe est tout près de chez moi.

[Kyneto Valesio]

Quelqu'un a scanné la méthode et converti les enregistrement en format MP3

Someone has scanned the book and converted the recordings to mp3 format? Well, I own the book and I have a set of mp3 recordings. Nevertheless, I would be interested to know where on the net these resources can be found. Best.

[Kyneto Valesio]

Et je suis très content de savoir que ce M. Licoppe est tout près de chez moi.

Yes Philplus, you are fortunate indeed! As it turns out M. Licoppe is the moderator of the Circulus Latinus Bruxellensis. I highly suggest to you that you find out the time and location of the next meeting. Good luck and let us know what the meeting is like if you go. Here is the link for the circle (look for "vita circuli Bruxellensis").

http://users.skynet.be/Melissalatina/

And M. Licoppe contact information can be found at the bottom of the "prima pagina" link.

Wow .... I really envy you!

[edonnelly]

Quelqu'un a scanné la méthode et converti les enregistrement en format MP3

Someone has scanned the book and converted the recordings to mp3 format? Well, I own the book and I have a set of mp3 recordings. Nevertheless, I would be interested to know where on the net these resources can be found. Best.

I found a site that claims to (and apparently does) have the first 17 lessons (text and audio) available for download:

http://www.latinitatis.com/latinitas/menu_gb.htm

To learn Latin live, the French-speakers have a stroke of good fortune, because they have at their disposal the best method for learning it, the Assimil method. This well-known method is based on repetition, listening and absorption in the language. You will find here the first 17 lessons in JPEG format, which you can print out in landscape orientation in order to follow the recorded lessons in sound files.

[quendidil]

If you have no qualms about piracy, eMule has a whole lot of Assimil courses, most of them are in French though, but they should be no problem to you.
Both Le Grec Ancien sans peine and Le Latin sans peine are available.

[Kyneto Valesio]

eMule has a whole lot of Assimil courses,

Emule is new to me. Is there are completely free version?

[philplus]

Thanks, K.V. I would be very happy to report if I can participate in the meeting of the Circulus in the future. But I have to learn Latin well first... Helas, I just picked it up again after abandoning it for a period of about one year! Their Latin course interested me a lot, I will ask them if they continue to hold it. I would also like to know other courses of Latin & Greek offered here in Brussels, of course.

And for eMule, it's completely free - they hold free sharing as a principle I think - and you can surely find a lot of useful books, tools, music, films...there.