Are you thinking about learning Latin, or have you recently started? Here's some advice to help you get the most out of your studies.
1. What are your reasons for learning Latin?
Before you commit to a Latin course, reflect on your reasons for learning Latin and write a list of your short-, medium- and long-term goals. Perhaps you're a history enthusiast who wants to read Tacitus and Livy in the original. Maybe it's the poetry of Virgil, Ovid or Catullus that excites you. You may be a language-lover who relishes the challenge of ancient languages and wants to investigate the roots and etymology of modern languages. Perhaps you want to understand the Latin you've come across in your study or practice of the law, sciences or medicine.
Whatever your reasons and goals, you need to take them into account when choosing learning materials and methods: make sure you communicate your motivations clearly to your teacher, or bear them in mind if you're selecting a textbook for yourself.
2. Take it slowly and celebrate small victories
As Cicero said, omnium ... rerum principia parva sunt ('The beginnings of all things are small'). To put it another way, Rome wasn't built in a day. Latin is a challenging language, so take it one step at a time. Every new word learned or new rule understood brings you closer to your goal - we were all beginners once.
3. Look for links between Latin and languages you already know
Many modern languages (e.g. Italian, French, Spanish) are descended from Latin, and English derives more than half of its vocabulary from Latin. This means that you can use modern derivations to help you guess and memorise the meanings of Latin words that you meet. For example, 'porter' (a person who carries things) comes from the Latin 'portare' ('to carry'), and Latin 'aedificare' ('to build') gives us 'edifice'.
If you're not sure whether an English word derives from a particular Latin word you can check it using the excellent Online Etymology Dictionary website.
4. Use flashcards and post-its for vocab building
Use flashcards to help you learn vocabulary. You can create physical flashcards with the Latin on one side and its meaning on the other. Digital flashcards, such as the ones on my resources pages (Latin Resources Archive and New Resources) are good for learning on the go. If you would like to be notified when new resources are added to this site please subscribe to the mailing list. You can also create your own digital flashcards using apps like Quizlet.
Another tip is to write words you're struggling to learn on post-its, and stick them on your fridge, bathroom mirror, or anywhere you'll see them often.
5. Grammar does matter, but you don't need to be a grammar fiend
Many Latin courses are very grammar-focused. One reason is that it's difficult to immerse yourself in Latin and learn grammar by experience/ example as you might for a modern language, so instead it's taught explicitly. Latin is an inflected language, which means that the form of words (mainly their endings) changes to signal their role in the sentence: you need to come to terms with the grammar in order to unravel more complicated sentences.
The traditional grammar-translation method - where you learn a grammatical rule then apply it by translating sentences or passages - offers an effective way for some students to make fast progress, but it doesn't suit everyone. Although you can't really avoid grammar learning, there are teaching methodologies that take a gentler, less grammar-focused approach. Make sure you let your teacher know your feelings about grammar learning, and your experience of learning the grammar of other languages
6. Take a structured, logical approach to translation
Treat translation like a puzzle. Latin is a highly structured language, and many words change their form depending on their function in the sentence. Proceed logically: examine every word and check the endings to help you identify its place in the sentence (subject, object, verb and so on).
7. Allow yourself some flexibility when finalising your translation
This being said, once you have worked out the literal meaning of a sentence, you will probably need to alter your English translation - otherwise it will sound tortured.
New students of Latin can become preoccupied with keeping their translation close to the Latin original, in terms both of word order and of grammatical forms. For example, a student might be tempted to translate 'puella hortum amabat' as 'The girl the garden was loving'. Clearly this is not good English; a better (and correct) translation would be 'The girl loved the garden'.
Allow yourself the freedom to translate into good, idiomatic language. English and Latin are different languages, so you can't expect every Latin word, verb form and structure to have an exact English equivalent. Be sensitive to Latin word order: not only is it different to English, it is also very flexible and can be used as a stylistic tool.
8. Start reading stories as soon as you can
Choose learning materials that introduce stories (or other extended passages of Latin) as soon as possible.
Paragraphs of Latin may look more intimidating than individual sentences, but they're often easier to translate. When you're reading a story you have context: you have ideas about the setting, characters and plot, and this helps you to figure out tricky sentences. Stories are also more interesting to read than isolated sentences. And don't worry: beginners' textbooks and readers use simple Latin passages, often written by modern teachers and in Latin appropriate to the target learner level.
9. Consider trying a bit of translation into Latin
Teachers often debate whether, and to what extent, students should be asked to translate into Latin. For a fuller discussion of the topic please see my post Prose composition' - the pros and cons of learning to write in ancient languages.
Whether or not you translate into Latin should be your choice, but if you're open to the idea you will probably benefit from trying at least some simple translation. Producing your own Latin will really test your understanding of the grammar, and actively coming up with words (not just recognising them when you see them) helps you memorise vocabulary.
10. Connect with other learners, online or in person
Learning Latin with others can make it more enjoyable and effective, as well as adding structure and accountability to your studies. Whether you join an in-person or online class, form a study group, or connect with others learners online, discussing challenges, cooperating on translations and simply sharing your progress can help you stay motivated. Ideally, if you're forming a beginners' study group, try to include at least one person who isn't a beginner!
Conclusions
Learning Latin as an adult is a fulfilling intellectual challenge. It’s a language that sharpens your mind, enriches your understanding of modern languages, and connects you with a vast and influential cultural heritage.
If you're thinking of taking up Latin, or have recently started and would like some advice, please feel free to contact me at drthomas@principiaparva.co.uk.