Learn a dead language, that hasn’t been spoken in decades… what purpose does it serve? For many people, this is a very bizarre idea and they do not see the point.
It is true that Latin while having been the universal language of an ancient empire, is no longer spoken commonly and only exists in archaic pieces of literature and is practised in a modern way by enthusiastic cardinals in the Vatican.
Indeed, ancient languages such as ancient Greek and Latin have given birth to modern Greek and numerous Latin-based languages (that are spoken in Europe and Latin America) such as Portuguese and Spanish.
The aforementioned languages are utilised by more than a billion people worldwide from Argentina to Italy, Cameron to France and Brazil to Portugal. Wow, that’s quite international! Yet there are still many who are against requiring students to learn Latin in secondary school. Although these classes are extremely useful in the understanding of Latin-based languages among other things such as:
- Impeccable spelling,
- A better understanding of French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and Romanian grammar,
- A better comprehension of the etymological roots
- Learning spoken languages will come more quickly.
A major downside: we completely understand that it is very outdated and unentertaining to have students recite by heart Latin grammar, Latin declination and its 12 forms of cases that change the ending of Latin words, syntax or the reading of ancient texts…
In other words, having impatient teenagers follow these classes would waste their time and use too much of their brainpower to learn things they will not likely use in the future.
Superprof has great news and the perfect solution. We will show you how to learn the Latin language while having fun and maintaining your thirst for learning.
Learning the Basics
Whether you are learning Latin at school or you studied another foreign language like French or Spanish, you’ll remember the hard work it takes. It's important to have a good cover of the basics in Latin before advancing.
Starting Out
Just as you would at school, the first thing you should learn is grammar and vocabulary basics. It’s also useful to learn the history behind the language and its influence on other foreign languages that are spoken today.
Of course, when you’re a teenager at school you’re like a sponge taking everything in at once. Learning another language might be a bit more difficult now but your studying should have the same structure and you should be progressing towards a goal or level as if you were studying for a school exam!
Having strong foundations in a language is essential for you to progress. If you don’t understand something don’t ignore it, work at it until you do understand it. You’ll thank yourself later when you have a solid foundation to build on.
Where to Find Online Latin Courses
Starting out learning Latin by yourself is very brave! Luckily for you, you’ll find everything you need to learn Latin online.
This way of learning is less structured and relies on the motivation and dedication of the student.
Websites and Apps
This is the most common way of learning, especially for young people and to kick off your Latin learning there are several sites and apps adapted to your needs! You can use them to build up a base in the language through simple exercises and quizzes.
You’ll learn verbs and their endings and how to form them in different tenses. And of course, you’ll learn how to write and find out more of the history behind the language.
Thanks to students like you this ancient language is being brought into the modern day! We've provided some examples of the best online courses for Latin below.
Private Tutors
Thanks to sites like Superprof and its multitude of Latin teachers, you can progress quickly. With a private tutor at home you’ll learn even quicker; lessons are personalised and adapted to your level, so you’ll get real added value.
Unlike in group classes, your private tutor will have the time to address any difficulties you have. You can repeat exercises with them until you understand without having to worry about the rest of the group class. They are there to help you as an individual so you can spend more time on things you don’t understand.
Private lessons are tailored to students so you can work towards your specific goals. If you want to be able to speak more you can focus on conversation skills or maybe you want to focus on grammar so you can then learn other romance languages like French or Spanish. No matter what your goal is your teacher can adapt the class to suit you.
Private lessons will also boost your confidence in your abilities.
You might find it hard to answer questions in front of others in a group class or maybe you’re not confident enough that you have the right answer.
A private tutor will help you with this. They are there just for you and so will know the best way to improve your confidence. You can do one on one conversations with them or repeat exercises until you are confident you know it.
If you don’t understand something tell them straight away, they’ll help you work it out and you can go on to the next topic confident in your abilities!
You can even find Latin classes in your area to support your learning. There are thousands of Latin teachers on different platforms, so you’re sure to find one to suit you.
Entertaining Sites for Learning Latin
The classic letters can be addressed and learnt while having fun. Here is a selection of websites that will help you correctly juggle Latin declinations, Latin vocabulary, lexical words and Latin verbs, etc.
Check out this Latin courses on Superprof.
Learn the declinations and conjugations
Memoria Press offers a fantastic PDF describing in a very effective way the Latin declensions and conjugations. It is extremely informative but if you are looking to learn declensions while having fun with some charts and playing games a great find is found on a little website called half-a-hundred acre wood.
On this website, you can find resources such as:
- Latin noun declension match-up,
- Latin noun declension file folder game,
- Latin noun declension charts,
- Latin noun declension picture and story cues.
These printable exercises are absolutely amazing and available for free download on the aforementioned songs. They are useful for native English speakers because they provide us with definitions of how to correctly pronounce Latin declensions using common English words.
The declensions are presented one by one in a very entertaining way. This website is highly recommended for Latin beginners who want to learn while having fun!
My Languages
A great website strictly dedicated to learning languages, My Languages provides a great introduction to ancient Latin explaining its origins, use throughout the Middle Ages and the Latin-based languages it has birthed that are still used today. Lessons are easy, understandable and adaptable for all ages. The lessons are completely free and can be done at your own pace; all while having fun!
Here are some of the things you can learn on this website:
- Grammar (the six cases, declensions, adjectives, adverbs etc.)
- Numbers: cardinal and ordinal.
- Questions: Questions and interrogative expressions that help you learn the correct structure and basic words and phrases.
- Essential Vocabulary (new words about countries, time of day, professions etc.)
- Verbs: essential verbs and verb tenses to have you learn to speak (present, future, pluperfect)
- Alphabet: all the letters you need to know!
- Games: there is even a fun word game that can be played online!
When studying Latin grammar, using this resource, it would be recommended to study only about 15 minutes each time in order to not become discouraged. Language learning needs to be done in a short and structured way, especially for a beginner.
Do More Latin Quizzes!
Doing fill-in-the-blank exercises can be extremely entertaining but sometimes you need to switch things up. Let’s try some quizzes!
In addition to helping you revise your Latin, they help to enrich your Latin culture without seeming to be working too hard to learn.
Sporcle is highly recommended. The quizzes on Sporcle really require you to think and remember your best Latin.
The quizzes are user created and varied. Here are some quiz examples to choose from:
- 5 declension charts: you are given hints to write down the correct answer to determine if the declension is plural or singular, accusative or dative etc., very helpful to get your brain exercised!
- Latin noun and adjective charts: you are given a noun and adjective ex: stella pulchra, and then you have to be able to write down on a chart what would be the ablative singular or the genitive plural. This exercise may be a little more advanced and may require a basic knowledge of the Latin declensions but nonetheless very fun and thought-provoking.
- "You DO know Latin": quizzes based on the meaning of popular Latin expressions and sayings.
- Latin Phrases: fill in the missing letter from the common vocabulary.
- Latin roots: find the roots of words that are used every day in the English language.
If you are confident with your vocabulary, grammar and knowledge of common expressions, move on to quizzing yourself about other interesting things such as Roman history and mythology.
Join the discussion: how hard is it to learn Latin, really?
The Encyclopedia Brittanica is not just an online dictionary but rather a place to test your skills about ancient civilisations. Leaning more about history is a way to learn Latin while having fun.
You can find quizzes about:
- Ancient Greek and Roman mythology: answering questions about Ceres, Mars, Zeus etc.
- The Roman Empire: When did the Western Roman Empire come to an end? Who was the legendary founder of Rome? When did Julius Caesar die? How many hills was ancient Rome built on?
If reading a passage or biography about famous Roman men such as Julius Caesar, Augustus, Nero, and Hercules or events such as Pompeii and various wars interest you I urge you to look up online some quizzes that can help you learn more. The internet is so great for testing your knowledge. Many sites do not just quiz you but often explain the correct answer using facts and dates.
Find out how you could learn Latin online!
Here are some final suggestions for quizzing yourself:
- Ancient Rome quizzes on historyextra.com and Quizony
- An informative quiz about Pompeii is available at ducksters.com
- Let's see if you know all the Emperors of Rome on this quiz from Sporcle
Let the quizzing games begin!
Games to Learn Latin
Is there a better way to learn than to play games?
Teachers all over the world have realized that playing some serious, well-planned games is extremely beneficial, how so? Well, students enjoy learning more when they are having fun. Games capture the pupils' attention and get them to remember more clearly what they have learnt. Do you think a child would have fonder memories of memorizing a pile of textbooks or playing a word game? The answer is obvious.
This is not just applicable to children but also to adults. We all need to be engaged and motivated in order to learn. It's important to have fun learning and this is especially true with Latin.
Losing interest in a "dead language" is extremely common if we are not enjoying ourselves.
Thankfully the internet is our best friend and provides great game resources for learning classical Latin. Whether we enjoy matching games, flashcards or scatter games the world wide web has it.
Latin Alive! has games that can be played alone or with a classroom of students. Know what's so great about these games? There is no preparation needed! You can thank me later Latin teachers. Also, all of these games enable us to learn Latin while having fun.
How about some more tips for learning Latin in school?
If you are in a classroom full of students a great game would be a Spelling Bee. Very simple. All students stand up beside their desks and the teacher says the Latin word twice, (go slow the first time) then the student should spell the word correctly and provide its meaning. If the student does not spell the word correctly or give the right meaning, he must sit back down in his seat. The last one standing wins!
If you are by yourself or studying with a fellow Latin student, I recommend Hangman. It is played the same way regular hangman is played except you should use recently learnt Latin words. In order to win against your pal, you must guess the correct Latin word and be able to tell what it represents.
These games are entertaining and encourage students to improve their spelling and vocabulary.
History Games
There are various games that are available for free online to help you learn more about ancient Roman history. Some games are pretty simple and are about dressing a Gladiator for a battle or Roman aqueducts but one that I found particularly interesting was about being a Roman Emperor. You really put yourself in the shoes of the empire's most respected man and make decisions that he probably would have made.
This game can really bring out your imagination as you picture what life would have been like during the Roman Empire. You may even start speaking like Julius Caesar using your best Latin accent!
These games make learning Latin so much fun. They really enable you to immerse yourself completely in the language of the ancient Romans. After seeing how entertaining lingua Latina can be you will never question its use again.
Learning Latin Through Literature
Whatever language you’re studying you can supplement your learning with fun activities!
Finding a film in Latin might prove difficult to find but you can easily find literature to read. Poems are a good start and are easy to find. Or if you prefer something less sophisticated (but still just as useful) try reading the comics Tintin and Lucky Luke which exist in Latin!
Even these simple texts can help your understanding of the language, no need to go searching for ancient Latin novels.
Besides comics and more traditional texts like the Bible, most books are translated into Latin.
And if you want to make it really difficult for yourself… pick up an English-Latin dictionary and get reading!
Speak the words out loud to work on your pronunciation and write them down to practice your spelling.
Ancient Rome and Latin Language
Always wanted to learn intriguing facts about ancient Roman civilisation? Now is the time. Latin goes hand-in-hand with classical civilisations and learning about them.
If you are learning Latin it is extremely rewarding and beneficial to learn a bit about ancient Latin culture. Quizlet provides educational activities about ancient Rome using flashcards to make the learning process more entertaining.
Another great resource is found on a website called EZ school, there are many multiple-choice questions and fill-in-the-blank exercises.
Both of these references help you brush up on:
- Latin expressions
- Important events and dates
- Famous poets, leaders, writers and philosophers
- Important vocabulary
Learning about ancient Rome is not just for history buffs. Learning about the history of Latin culture will spice up your language classes and bring a whole new meaning to certain words.
You may also enjoy learning with these language apps...
In general, the objective of learning Latin isn’t to become bilingual but to act as a key to understanding other foreign languages like French and Spanish. Having a strong base in Latin can make learning these languages easier. It may also help you with things like the etymology of words and medical terms.
Now discover Superprof's tips for learning Latin quickly...
Enjoyed this article? Leave a rating!
Loading...
