[quote author=klewlis link=board=6;threadid=756;start=15#7616 date=1065124141]
the american public is much happier to be entertained than to be educated, and the powers that be like to keep it that way as well.
in canada, we just don’t care.
I’m not saying these are good things. I’m just saying that’s how they are.
[/quote]
Yep. That’s why I like being homeschooled so much. You are definitely challenged. I spent several days a few weeks ago researching and writing on the village called The Catalans, from the Count of Monte Cristo-fascinating.
And I’m studying languages, several of them, which is not a general facet of education these days…my cousin took a year of French, and slept through his classes. :-\
ah that was a mistake! French can easily be picked up however awful the class be! At basic levels it is extremely easy but later can be difficulter in ways that one may not expect.
Ahh… but at the same time, even if the classes are extremely good, it can be impossible to pick up (at least for some people 
). Had 2 years of nearly private tuition (we were only 2 people in the French class) with the headmistress. My French is still really bad. Although I can read and understand nearly everything I can’t speak it. Not a single word 
[quote author=Emma_85 link=board=6;threadid=756;start=15#7678 date=1065214277]
Ahh… but at the same time, even if the classes are extremely good, it can be impossible to pick up (at least for some people ). Had 2 years of nearly private tuition (we were only 2 people in the French class) with the headmistress. My French is still really bad. Although I can read and understand nearly everything I can’t speak it. Not a single word
[/quote]
Can’t speak it, or can’t be understood? I can speak it, but then my reserves of bravery do lie in being able to make a fool of myself. 
I also can read it, but I have difficulty speaking it or understanding it when it’s spoken. I suppose it would be the same with Latin or Greek, if I ever were to bump into anyone who spoke them.
I have read part of Harrius Potter and I really liked it. I can understand completely why a treacher would use it in a classroom. The Latin really makes the already pretty funny English, even more funny. Yes, if a kid likes Harry Potter, he will probably read it in English or even just skip the reading (unfortunately) and go see the movie. However, a kid who is “into” the Harry Potter scene will not only read the books, watch the movies and collect the playthings, but if that kid knows Latin I think he’d want to see what Harry’s like in another language. And I bet it you sat him or most any kid down at a desk and said "Here, pick one. Aeneas or Harry. " The kid would pick Harry. (As much as that might upset people, like my boyfriend, who is a Vergilian to the core.) The great thing about Harry, is that he gets kids to READ. And Harrius is a great way to “hook 'em while they’re young,” and push them into continuing their interest in the Classics. I do believe that any half-way decent teacher can make Harrius educational, and that it doesn’t take anything away from the hardcore grammar lessons. I would say those hardcore out-dated grammar lessons are responcible for the decline in the interest in the Classics. They can learn to love Vergil and Homer later, but they need to learn to love Latin and Greek first.
Lupa
Those old-school grammar lessons are perhaps the reason for Classics’ declining however I believe that it can only be taught properly in this way.
Furthermore grammatical/technical terms for linguistic elements are helpful in English language study and also other languages.
I agree that Harrius Potter is indeed funny! Read the arguments with Malfoy! 
Does anyone know any details about the release of this Greek HP? The info in that article seems to suggest that they are past due or at least quite close.
I found nothing on Amazon.com.
Thanks,
Geoff
Everything directs to the same greecenow article so far. No newer news yet.
I have the Harry Potter in Latin book. It’s great!
A search on “Harry Potter Ancient Greek” at Amazon now gives a listing with an e.t.a for July 2004. This has appeared recently. I remember looking for it a few weeks ago with no result, and today it popped up on a search for something else greeky.
Wow, great! I was hesitating if I should post a question about it recently. I hope other books in the sequel also be published soon.
I wish I liked Harry Potter. Or, I wish that they would translate the books that I like into Latin and Ancient Greek.
Hmm…The Empyrean Saga in Latin. I wish!
The Empyrean Saga? I 've never heard of that. 
Anyway, I have ordered Harrius Potter from amazon. I have read samples and it seems rather simple, so I hope it will help me grow a larger vocabulary. It will also help me with some common usage of the subjunctive and what not, which I think Wheelock could have covered better. That common speech is what I’m after; not only do I want to read great literature, I want to know some simple Latin.
But trust me, if someone translated The Lord of the Rings into Latin, I would drop Potter and flock to that.
As for LotR, I wouldn’t join the swarm for Latin edition. It should be at least Westron written in Tengwar character set. 
If it should come in Quenya or Sindarin, I might even consider learning those Elvish tongues. 
Then I could be a total nerd!
Honestly, though, I think that Tolkien would be easy to translate with the way he writes and all. Well… all those names would get difficult… and that’s a lot of pages to translate… and he uses many idioms that are particular to English and… never mind.
Ah, I love his books, but the movies disappoint me…
By the way, I’m curious how the magic spells(mostly composed in Latin) would be translated in ancient greek. `More’ ancient greek? Homeric wouldn’t be strong enough. Old Indo-european (if there’s such thing) would be too far-fetched. The magical books should be written in linear B.
Hehe. You could use “archaic” Latin (an odd term since technically all Latin is archaic). You know, all those weird and ancient forms cited by A&G like ablatives in -d and genitives in -as. That might be sort of fun to play around with actually.
Well, for the Latin one they should have used Etruscan, since they had a spooky reputation in Roman times, and the language apparently popped up in Roman religious rites regularly.
The Greeks assumed all spookiness and mystical wisdom came from Egypt. So they should use Coptic.
Not many people have. (Hey…you think maybe that’s why they haven’t translated it to Latin yet? )