Language of the Catholic Church and Western Civilization
Dear Stella, Could you explain to me what the benefits of reading Latin would be? A blunt way to put this is--what makes learning Latin worth my time? I'm not Catholic, and think learning Latin would be cool. Can you explain to me what the cultural implications were with the importance of Latin? What did... Continue Reading →
I was once a beginning Latin student and teenage Great Books reader: and all because elders of countless generations led me to believe that studying Classical Languages could make me more and better. I had no reason not to believe them...
Did you know that the tune for the Victorian-era Christmas song "Good King Wenceslas" is from a much older song, from the Age of Faith (c. 1300s)? And did you know that the words to that original song are all about Spring?
It's really a huge project, learning Latin. It, uh...takes awhile. At long last, here is Part 2 of the post about common causes of feeling unmotivated in the middle of your Latin studies.
I've learned from my students two things that make Latin study tough, which I would like to share with all of you!
Sometimes it’s just painful. As an autodidact, you have taken responsibility for learning Latin by your own disciplined efforts. The first two days, it was fantastic, wasn't it? Full of exuberance and excitement, you put in the time eagerly. And then...reality hit. After a short time, you met a wall. And that is when you... Continue Reading →
This Latin mastery thing--it sure isn't easy. But we each have the necessary ingredients available to us, if we are willing to work and make it happen.
It's never too early for Latin, and it's never too late.
If you read last week's post, featuring Fr. William Most's thoughts on teaching Latin, you know there is something going on. It's a war.
"Most Latin teachers will readily admit that Latin is not taught with very great success today. Even after as much as eight years of Latin, students often find it quite an effort to translate fifty lines of Cicero in an hour and even then, they will not always get the sense."
Learn Church Latin 