As I read the posts from other Textkit newbies I’ve been thinking about how I learned Latin and what suggestions I could make for a beginner in the language. Here are a few thoughts on the matter, in no particular order :
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Festina lente! My t’ai chi teachers used to tell me that “Ten years is a good beginning”, so take your time, savor the language even at its simplest. Start with brief passages, quotations, and short poems. Some of the finest Latin poems are only a few lines long and require only a little effort to read and understand. Understand that the skill required for reading the Aeneid is considerable skill indeed, but everyone acquires that skill in much the same way, i.e., by hard study and exercise. Oh, and avoid “fake” Latin, i.e., textbook exercises. Read from the classical (or Medieval or Renaissance or Neo-Latin) authors themselves.
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Learn the prosody. I would emphasize this factor: reading Latin poetry aloud brings one to the very rhythm of the Latin mind and heart, and there are values in the poetry that simply cannot be rendered into another language (try translating the Attis by Catullus for an exercise in frustration).
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Read what you’re interested in. Caesar’s prose is interesting, but not if you really want to read Propertius. As a music teacher I’ve concluded that people will really work at getting what they want most of all. Of course the challenges of grammar and vocabulary remain, but at least you’ll be working directly with the stuff you’re aiming for.
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Avoid commentaries. Read originals, think about what you’ve read, make up your own mind. If I tell you that half of Horace is sheer buncomb, you may or may not believe me, but you will never truly know until you’ve read and thought about Horace yourself. Get a classical dictionary for reference, stick with originals, and think about what you read. Learn to make your own literary valuations.
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Try composing some Latin poetry or prose. Ja, I know it would appear to have little or no utility in our modern wired world, but such exercises work the mind in ways not common to your daily speech and writing. A classics friend once told me that there’s no accurate thought without being able to think in at least one language not native to you. You may not totally agree with that statement, but it does bring up an interesting topic.
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Memorize passages and poems, then write and recite them. Do it for the sheer pleasure of the sonority. Last summer I memorized an hour’s worth of Latin poems and recited them to myself while walking our dog. But even a few minutes worth of memorized passages will bring you into a more intimate acquaintance with the rhythm and feel of the Latin soul. And of course you’ll acquire a greater working vocabulary.
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Don’t hesitate to consult a variety of translations. No-one knows it all, and it is common practice for scholars to consult the work of other scholars. Again I’ll emphasize the avoidance of commentaries, but I do promote the use of translations as learning aids. Commentaries are interesting after you’ve absorbed the originals.
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For younger students: Translate your favorite popular songs into Latin. I think translating Eminem would be quite an interesting experience for a relatively advanced beginner in the language, and you’d certainly acquire a unique vocabulary. Teachers, perhaps this kind of activity could be done as a class exercise ? (Though I suspect Eminem would not be the agreed-upon text…)
Okay, there are a few of my thoughts on the subject. Anyone else want to weigh in on the matter ?
Btw, Schopenhauer wrote an excellent essay on the importance of learning the classical languages. Classical scholars such as Gilbert Highet have extolled the virtues of the classics, but I’m especially interested in opinions of people from outside the world of classical scholarship. Anyone else have any favorite “secular” passages in praise of the lingua materna?