Latin for beginners and from scratch. Learn Latin for Free: Nine Best Video Channels on YouTube
You can learn Latin on your own if you approach this issue correctly. All you need is a set of the right textbooks, some exercises, and practice writing Latin. Most likely, your relatives and friends will not be able to speak Latin to you, but practice spoken language will help you improve your knowledge of Latin in general. If you try, you can speak Latin as well as the Pope, and in the most as soon as possible.
Steps
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Grab a beginner's book from big amount exercises and answers to them. Answers are important because there is no one to check you.
- Wheelock's Latin is a well-known answer book. This is probably the best choice For self-study. The book contains a huge number of exercises, as well as online training groups.
- There are several public books with answers, for example:
- Choosing the right dictionary is important for what you will read. If you are interested in classical Latin, use Elementary Latin Dictionary or Oxford Latin Dictionary, if you can buy it. If you are interested in Late Latin, Medieval, Renaissance and Neo-Latin, you are better off using Lewis and Short's Latin Dictionary, although it is expensive. Otherwise, you will have to use Cassell, which is not very useful and is not small in size. Unfortunately, choosing the right and inexpensive dictionary will not be easy. If you understand French, then a dictionary. Grand Gaffiot would be a good choice.
- While you are still learning from the textbook, you will have to memorize a lot: declensions, conjugations, vocabulary. There is no shortcut. In this case, your morale is very important.
- Latin is a language with a poor vocabulary, in other words, one word can have several meanings. This also means that Latin has a lot of idioms that you will have to learn as well. You will reach a point where you understand every word, but the meaning of the sentence as a whole will not be clear to you. This is because you think about the meaning of each word individually. For example, the expression hominem e medio tollere means “to kill a person,” but if you don’t know this phrase, it literally translates to “remove a person from the center.”
- Avoid poetry while still learning prose. Would you recommend reading Shakespeare to someone who teaches English language, not yet knowing how to read a newspaper. The same applies to the Latin language.
- Learn words. Carry a word list or flashcards with you to look at on the bus, the toilet, or anywhere else.
- Write in Latin. Even if you want to learn to read, don't avoid the English to Latin translation exercise.
- Take your time. One lesson every few days will be enough. If you rush, you will not have time to remember the information you need. On the other hand, don't hesitate. Try to exercise at least once a week.
- If your answers don't match those in the textbook, you're probably missing something. Go back to class and reread.
The course will provide you with the opportunity to touch the riches of the Latin language, which influenced the formation and development of several European languages, such as French, Italian, Spanish, English and others. Therefore, studying Latin will make it easier for you to master new foreign languages in the future or open up unexpected facets in already known ones. Just like logic and mathematics, practical skills in linguistic analysis of Latin texts will have a positive impact on any research activity.
The Latin language has long become the basis of scientific terminology in various branches of knowledge, and therefore is necessary for those who study law, medicine, biology, philology, history, philosophy and other disciplines.
Since Latin today is not a native language for any people, that is, it does not belong to the “living” ones, during classes we will focus not on conversational practice, but on translation and analysis of texts. The course creators have made an effort to ensure that during the learning process you learn to read, understand and translate with a dictionary both individual sentences and adapted prose texts. During the classes, you will also master the ability to translate simple Russian sentences into Latin, which will help you better understand and consolidate the grammatical categories of the language you are learning.
During the course, you will definitely get acquainted with popular Latin expressions that are included in the treasury of world culture, as well as with the fate of Latin words in Russian and other European languages.
Requirements
Completed secondary education.
Course program
Introductory lecture
I. 1. Alphabet. Reading rules
2. Verb – general information. Basic forms, basics, personal endings of the active voice
3. Praesens indicativi activi. Imperativus praesentis activi. Forms of prohibition
4. Noun – general information. Cases. First declension
5. Personal pronouns. Reflexive pronoun
II 1. Second declension (masculine)
- 2.Second declension (neuter gender). Neuter rule
3. Adjectives of I–II declension. Possessive pronouns
4. Passive voice. Personal endings passive voice. Praesens indicativi passivi. Infinitivus praesentis passivi
5. Active and passive constructions. Ablativus auctoris. Ablativus instrumenti
III 1. Pronouns ille; iste; ipse
2. Imperfectum indicativi activi et passivi
3. The pronoun is, ea, id. Pronominal adjectives
4. Futurum primum indicativi activi et passivi
5. Prefixed verbs with “esse”
IV 1. Third declension: consonant type
2. Third declension: vowel type
3. Third declension: mixed type
3. Third declension: adjectives
4. Features of the third declension
5. Participium praesentis activi
V 1. Functions of the infinitive. Turnover Accusativus cum infinitivo (beginning)
2. Turnover Nominativus cum infinitivo (beginning)
3. Perfectum indicativi activi
4. Participium perfecti passivi. Perfectum indicativi passivi
5. Pronouns qui quae, quod
VI 1. Plusquamperfectum et futurum secundum indicativi activi et passivi.
2. Ablativus absolutus
3. Comparative degree of comparison of adjectives and adverbs. Ablativus comparisonis.
4. Superlative comparisons of adjectives. Genetivus partitivus
5. Fourth declension
VII 1. Fifth declension
2. Pronoun hic, haec, hoc
3. Participium futuri activi. Infinitives
4. Turnover Accusativus cum infinitivo (continued)
5. Numerals
VIII 1.Gerundium
2. Gerundivum as a definition
3. Coniugatio periphrastica. Descriptive conjugation.
4. Irregular Verbs– eo, fero
5. Irregular verbs – volo, nolo, malo
IX 1. Modus coniunctivus – formation of forms
2. Coniunctivus in independent clauses
3. Student anthem “Gaudeamus”
4. Rule for setting times in subordinate clauses with conjunctiva
Learning outcomes
Upon completion of this course, students will
Be able to:
1. Translate coherent adapted texts and individual sentences with a dictionary into Russian.
2. Translate simple sentences into Latin with a dictionary.
3. Use the Latin-Russian and Russian-Latin dictionary.
Know:
1. Basics of Latin morphology.
2. Basics of Latin syntax.
3. Basics of grammatical terminology.
Own:
1. Skills in reading texts and placing emphasis.
2. Skills in translation from Latin into Russian.
3. Skills in translation from Russian into Latin.
Formed competencies
OK-1 – readiness for critical understanding of social and cultural life; ability to perceive, analyze, summarize information, set goals and choose ways to achieve it
OK-2 – readiness to respect historical heritage and cultural traditions, tolerantly perceive social and cultural differences
OK-3 – ability to use in cognitive and professional activity basic knowledge in the field of humanities, social and economic sciences
OK-4 – mastery of a culture of thinking, the ability to construct oral and written speech in a reasoned and clear manner
OK-5 – ability to use in social sphere, in cognitive and professional activities, computer skills
PC-1 – the ability to demonstrate knowledge of the basic principles and concepts in the field of theory and history of literature (literatures) and the main language(s) being studied, communication theory, philological analysis and interpretation of text, an understanding of history, current state and prospects for the development of philology
PC-3 – mastery of basic skills in collecting and analyzing literary and linguistic facts using traditional methods and modern information technologies
PK-6 – the ability to apply acquired knowledge in the field of theory and history of literature (literatures) and the foreign language(s) being studied, communication theory, philological analysis and text interpretation in one’s own research activities
PC-13 – translation skills various types texts (mainly scientific and journalistic) from a foreign language and into a foreign language; annotating and summarizing scientific papers and works of art in a foreign language
Despite the fact that it is considered dead, it is studied and used in many areas of human activity: law, medicine, pharmacology, biology. The amount of knowledge a person needs depends on the scope of application and ultimate goal, but in any case you need to know the basics. In this article we will look at the question of what a “beginners” course looks like. The alphabet, grammar review and practice tips are minimum required, which will help in self-study.
Alphabet and phonetics
Where to start learning Latin? For beginners, it is important, first of all, to know the alphabet. It includes 24 letters. Based on research, their pronunciation is unified and close to the approximate pronunciation of the ancient Romans. Below is a transcription in Russian.
There are some peculiarities in reading them.
The vowel i is read as [i] and [th] before vowels, h is aspirated, l is soft as in French, y sounds like [i]. The letter c is read as [ts] before e, i, y, ae, oe or as [k] before a, o, u and at the end of words. S sounds like [z] between vowels, x - like [ks].
Diphthongs are read like this:
- ae - [e]
- oe - [Ö]
- au - [ау]
- eu - [eu]
- ch - [x]
- ngu - [ngv]
- ph - [f]
- qu - [kv]
- rh - [r]
- th - [t]
- ti - [ti]
Accent
- short (pronounced quickly) - ă, ĕ, ĭ, ŏ, ŭ, y̆;
- long (stretched when pronounced) - ā, ē, ī, ō, ū, ȳ.
Syllables are:
- open - end with a vowel;
- closed - end with a consonant.
The stress is placed on the first syllable if the word is two-syllable (it is never placed on the last syllable). If a word consists of three or more syllables, then the stress is placed on the second syllable from the end if it is long, and on the third if it is short.
Grammar
The course "for beginners" assumes knowledge of the basics of grammar. In Latin, all parts of speech are divided into changeable numerals, pronouns) and unchangeable interjections).
When studying grammar on your own, you should study using textbooks that contain answers to exercises for self-testing. It is advisable to perform a large number of practical tasks that will automate the skill of using grammatical structures, and, as a result, the material covered will be remembered for a long time.
Practice
When learning the alphabet and grammar, passive lexicon, which later needs to be activated when reading texts. At this stage, new words will appear, for the translation of which you will need an academic dictionary, for example, the Great Latin-Russian. If you know English, then you can take advantage of the Elementary Latin Dictionary and the Oxford Latin Dictuonary. You also need to get your own dictionary and periodically repeat words from it.
Reading is the final stage of the Latin for Beginners course. At this level it is recommended to read texts such as:
- Fabulae Facilities.
- Latin Reader.
- De Viris Illustribus.
- The Latin Vulgate Bible.
Gradually you need to complicate the tasks and move from simple reading to understanding without a dictionary. For this purpose, courses "Assimil", Schola Latina Universalis and forums for Latin learners are suitable, where you can practice speaking and get advice if something is not clear.
Is it possible to learn Latin on your own? Yes, this is quite possible, with the right approach to learning. The only difficulty in learning Latin is that oral practice with living people will be practically absent, since the language is dead. But with the proper motivation and diligence, you can learn Latin on your own in the shortest possible time and the speeches of the Pope, the treatises of Julius Caesar and the teachings of the great philosophers of the past in the original language will no longer be gobbledygook and an incomprehensible set of sounds for you.
Step one - Buy a workshop book
It is recommended to start your study of the Latin language by purchasing a practical book on learning Latin. It is imperative that this book contains a large number of exercises and answers to them, since most likely you will study on your own and there will be no one to check you.
An example of such a workshop is Wheelock's Latin, which is considered one of the best publications for self-study Latin. In the book you will find many exercises with answers, as well as links to language learning groups on the Internet.
Step Two - Sequence
But it is not enough to acquire a workshop on studying Latin, you need to pass it. And it is very important that you complete every exercise and task in the book. Studying the Latin language in absolutely any workshop assumes that you will study on your own and all the exercises are designed in such a way as to make up for this. Therefore, in order to learn Latin well on your own at home, it is very important not to be lazy and go through the entire book from the first to the last page
How long will it take to complete the entire Wheelock's Latin book? On average, it takes approximately six months to complete this practical book, but this directly depends on the speed of your perception. There are cases where people completed Wheelock's Latin in a couple of months, but there are also cases where it took a couple of years to study the book. The speed of learning Latin directly depends on you, and only practice will give you an accurate answer.
Step Three - Approaches to Learning Latin
There are two generally accepted schools of Latin study, with very different methods. The first school focuses on grammar and vocabulary (Wheelock's Latin is a clear example of this). The second school puts reading at the center and large stock words This greatly limits the student, since the key person in learning becomes the teacher, on whom your success in learning directly depends. A bright representative this school can be called The Cambridge Latin Course.
Step Four - Decide on a Study Method
Of course, the first school method is suitable for those who are determined to learn the language on their own. Also, a clear advantage of this approach is free access to books and many programs based on the school’s methodology. The disadvantages include the following: high demands on self-discipline and the need for motivation, otherwise the likelihood that you will give up studying Latin is very high.
The clear advantage of the second school is that it allows you to quickly learn to read and understand the essence of statements, which will allow you to learn Latin much faster. Among the disadvantages, the following can be noted: a great need for a teacher, an almost complete lack of freely available textbooks and sufficient high costs for training as a consequence of this.
Step 5 - Combine: Read a book first, then move on to light reading
This step can also be called a combination of approaches. Reading books is harder and it forces your brain to work harder and develop the skill of delving into the essence of what is being said, since one word in Latin can have several meanings and if you have lost the logical thread, you may misunderstand the essence of what is written. And when you read something easy, it allows you to consolidate what you have learned.
Why is reading Latin so important? For one simple reason: this is the most accessible type of practice that is possible when studying Latin.
Examples of books that can be used for combined reading:
· The Latin Vulgate Bible (aka Vulgate)
De Viris Illustribus
· Fabulae Faciles (for easy reading
· First and second parts of Latin Reader
Step 6 - Think in Latin
After you have learned to read and translate Latin texts, it’s time to set yourself the goal of learning Latin enough to subconsciously understand the meaning of the expression. This goal requires you to learn to think in Latin. This is not easy, since this skill is usually developed during live conversation, so in the case of learning Latin, you will have to read a lot of texts. Finding them is not difficult, especially if you know others foreign languages or know how to translate queries from Russian into any other language using an online translator.
Step 7 - Take every opportunity to talk
Today it is very rare to meet a person who knows Latin. But if you have a chance to practice oral use of the language, do not miss the opportunity. Live communication - The best way learn Latin. You can also join Latin study groups at in social networks. There you can easily find someone with whom you can practice oral speech using Skype.
Step 8 - Create your own dictionary of Latin words
In the process of learning Latin, you will write down quite a few new words, as well as idioms that have their own meaning, without knowing which you will not you'll get the point. And to prevent this process from turning into something boring and uninteresting, you can start creating your own dictionary.
By by and large, while studying Latin, you complete a whole scientific work on classification and search of words and idioms. And just by creating a document broken down by capital letters and thematic sections, you will not only make your life easier with the search for words that interest you, but upon completion of training you will be able to release your own dictionary, which has every chance of helping more than a dozen people learn Latin on their own.
Step 9 - Read modern books in Latin
Most people are unaware that many modern books, such as Harry Potter, are translated into Latin. By reading these books, you will not only read your favorite publications in another language, but will also significantly diversify your learning. Here are some examples of modern books translated into Latin:
Harrius Potter et Philosophi Lapis (Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone)
· Harrius Potter et Camera Secretorum (Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets)
· Rebilius Crusoe (Robinson Crusoe)
· Insula Thesauraria (Treasure Island)
Step 10 - Read the treatises of great thinkers in the original
An indicator of how well you have learned Latin can be your library of Latin books you have read. Try adding treatises by great thinkers in the original; if you can read the most difficult authors, then you can safely say that you have mastered the Latin language.
To read ancient philosophers who wrote in Latin, you need to understand the language thoroughly, since Latin is a language poor in vocabulary and the meaning of the expression is understandable only when you know the most different meanings Latin words and idioms. An excellent starting point for studying such works in Latin is Julius Caesar's De Bello Gallico.
Good luck in learning Latin!
Latin language (or just Latin) for beginners and “from scratch” at the “European Education” school - training is conducted via Skype.
Two languages have their roots in history European civilization- These are ancient Greek and Latin languages. They are also often called classic.
Ancient Greek language was the most important factor in the development of European civilization in its various spheres. It was the Greeks who laid the foundation of philosophy, the basis for natural and humanities, gave direction to the literature, and were also the first to demonstrate complex socio-political connections and relationships. It was the Greek language that became the first European language to have its own written language. Ancient civilization begins in Greece, but then the Roman Empire picks up the baton. IN Western Europe Rome brings further development, but it is no longer Greek that is the language of civilization, but Latin.
Latin belongs to the Indo-European family (along with Greek, English, German and others Germanic languages), and later on its basis the Romance languages arose: Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian and others.
Latin has been the language of living communication since the 6th century BC. to VI AD e. One of the Italic peoples, Latini, was the first to use the Latin language. The Latins inhabited the central part of Italy - Latium. Since VIII BC. e. Rome becomes their cultural and political center.
Over the course of its thousand-year existence, the Latin language, like any other living language, has changed and been replenished with new words and rules.
IN modern world Latin is considered a dead language (i.e. it is no longer used for live communication).
Today, Latin is needed by students of philological faculties, medical workers, lawyers, politicians, philosophers and representatives of some other professions. In addition, Latin terminology is adopted as a basis by other languages, remaining in its original form or subject to certain changes. It should be noted that in mathematics, physics and other sciences they still use symbols, which often serve as abbreviations for Latin words. In biology, medicine, pharmacology, a single international Latin nomenclature is still used today. Along with Italian, Latin is state language Vatican.
Since Roman science was built on the foundation of Greek, modern scientific terminology contains a significant Greco-Latin component.
Latin for beginners is quite broad concept, because its study pursues various goals. Teachers at our school will help you clearly define the structure of your work and build a course that will be as focused as possible on your goals and wishes. Even if many have the same goal, the path to achieving it may be different. Since we are all different, we have different perceptions and understanding of the structure of language, different schemes memorization, etc. The teacher tries to take into account individual characteristics each student in preparation for classes, which greatly facilitates the process of mastering a specific topic and language as a whole. For example, if you are a medical student, then topics such as the Latin language and the basics of medical terminology, Latin for doctors, Latin for studying pharmaceutical terminology, a brief anatomical dictionary, Latin terminology in the course of human anatomy, etc. will probably be relevant to you. d.
Each profession has its own programs and topics for study, which can be changed and supplemented in accordance with the wishes of the student.
It is better to study Latin for beginners for an hour and a half, and on days when you do not have classes, consolidate the material in shorter approaches. On the weekends, you can devote a little more time to learning Latin. It should be remembered that working with a teacher is only part of the journey. To achieve results you need to put in a lot of effort and independent work.
Latin phonetics is quite simple, as it is based on letters that we are all familiar with (the Latin alphabet is the basis for almost all European languages). For beginners, it is more difficult to master the rules of reading in Latin. If you want to learn to understand the language, and not just learn a couple of Latin proverbs and phrases, you need to master grammar. Understanding the meaning of Latin texts is simply impossible without knowledge of grammar. The fact is that conjugation and other transformations of parts of speech occur according to certain rules, therefore initial stages textbooks often contain explanations and footnotes to texts to facilitate understanding and comprehension of the meaning of what is read.
It should also be remembered that the Latin course for beginners is not aimed at mastering spoken Latin (since Latin has not been used in spoken language for a very long time). A beginner's Latin course will help you master the grammar and vocabulary needed in your field.