LATINTEACH

National Classical Etymological Online Exam

2011-09-29T19:27:00.004-04:00

There's still time to register for the National Classical Etymology Online Exam, but the October 15th deadline is quickly approaching. The National Claassical Etymology Online Exam is sponsored by the National Junior Classical League.

The exam will be administered in November 2011. To register visit http://quia.com/nceeorder. There is a school registration fee of $15 ($25 outside of the United States) in addition to the $3 per student exam fee. Schools that have an NJCL chapter receive a $10 discount on the school registration fee. The payment deadline is November 1, 2011. For additional details visit the National Junior Classical League.

Phineas and Ferb know Latin!

2011-08-04T15:56:00.006-04:00

Tomorrow is the Disney Channel premiere of the full-length movie "Phineas and Ferb Across the Second Dimension." If you already have Friday plans or don't subscribe to cable television, the DVD release is August 23rd.

As it turns out, Phineas and Ferb apparently are Latin students, because one of the songs on the soundtrack (already available on Amazon.com and presumably, iTunes) is entitled "Carpe Diem!"

The Controversial Macron

2011-07-07T21:13:00.006-04:00

Should Latin teachers insist that their students memorize macrons?

Professor Richard LaFleur, editor of Wheelock's Latin, emphatically says YES!

Cheryl Lowe, author of First and Second Form Latin, responds with a resounding NO!

Two very interesting articles! Who knew macrons could be so controversial?

Highlights of the American Classical League Institute 2011

2011-07-06T13:13:00.003-04:00

Zee Poerio just posted her video of the highlights of the 2011 American Classical League Institute!

Scala Sapientiae

2011-06-21T00:11:00.005-04:00

The creative and energetic Laura Gibbs has just established a brilliant new blog, Scala Sapientia. If you are teacher or student of beginning Latin or a fan of Latin proverbs, you will love this site! Laura has organized hundreds of proverbs using a 'stair step' structure. As you progress from proverb to proverb, there is only one new step you need to learn to progress to the next. Each proverb is annotated with helpful vocabulary and interesting grammatical and literary or cultural notes.

May CANENS Newsletter

2011-06-06T12:07:00.003-04:00

The latest issue of CANENS, the Classical Association of New England's newsletter, is now available for download. There are some great articles in this one, notably a feature by Brian McCarthy about his adventure running a marathon in Athens. You can also read about a JCL team that hosted a trivia contest as a very successful fundraiser!

Teaching Classical Languages

2011-04-21T22:26:00.004-04:00

The latest issue of the journal Teaching Classical Languages, edited by John Gruber-Miller of Cornell College, has now been made available for download.

Articles in this issue include:

Rebecca Harrison, "Exercises for Developing Prediction Skills in Reading Latin Sentences" (describes more than 20 field tested exercises to help beginning and intermediate students become more efficient readers of Latin)
Peter Anderson & Mark Beckwith, "Form-Focused Teaching for the Intermediate Latin Student" ( introduces teachers to form-focused instruction, a pedagogy that integrates grammar instruction within a communicative context)
Albert Watanabe, "The 2010 College Greek Exam" (an analysis of students' strengths and weaknesses on the 2010 College Greek Exam)

LET'S LEARN LATIN: A WORKSHOP FOR ES/MS TEACHERS!

2011-04-13T19:39:00.002-04:00

LET'S LEARN LATIN: A WORKSHOP FOR ES/MS TEACHERS!
the Latin language - Latin vocabulary - word roots - ancient Roman
culture - Greek & Roman mythology - techniques for incorporating these
topics into your classroom

August 1-3, 2011 / 9:00 am - 3:00 pm
Clara Byrd Baker ES, Williamsburg, VA
co-sponsors: WJCC Schools & Ascanius: The Youth Classics Institute

Let's Learn Latin will introduce elementary and middle school teachers to the world of Latin and the ancient Romans through three days of engaging lessons. Teachers get to play the role of students, learning the material through the same activities and lessons that they will be able to use in their own classrooms. Participants will enjoy learning the basics of Latin, using a colorful, interesting, kid-friendly text called Minimus, richly supplemented by effective and innovative activities to practice the material. Other topics include Latin vocabulary, word roots, and Roman culture and mythology. No previous experience with Latin is needed!

In addition, participants will explore ways of teaching about key vocabulary terms and cultural topics that integrate with the various chapters and language topics of Minimus. Participants will receive myriad classroom-ready materials on all topics studied. CEU's are available; all participants will receive a certificate documenting their 16.5 contact hours. One graduate credit is optional via Ashland University.

Register: by mail or online.
Deadline: 7/1/11. Limited to 15 participants.
Cost: $150 (includes registration, all workshop materials and resources, and light breakfast with coffee). Lunch is available for a separate nominal charge.

Visit the Ascanius Youth Classics Institute (http://www.ascaniusyci.org) website to get additional workshop details, to purchase publications, or to find out about and schedule other professional development opportunities or student programs.

Conventiculum Bostoniense

2011-04-01T10:30:00.001-04:00

It's not too late to apply for the Conventiculum Bostoniense, July 30-August 7, 2011, a week-long Latin immersion program sponsored by UMass Boston and held on the campus of UMass Darmouth, near the south coast of Massachusetts.

Participants take one of two courses for two or three graduate credits:

1) Newcomers to spoken Latin take "Active Learning Methodologies for Teachers of Latin," in which they are introduced not only to speaking Latin but also to second language acquisition theory and its application in the Latin classroom.

2) Experienced speakers take "Living Text", which focuses this year on the poems of Catullus, and also includes the development of classroom materials that incorporate active methods (speaking and writing).

Further information and application materials are available at: http://www.conventiculum.org.

Happy Pi Day 2011!

2011-03-14T15:19:00.007-04:00

Happy Pi Day 2011! Enjoy it while listening to the Pi Symphony and perhaps having a piece of pie as well!

For more information about the origin of Pi Day, see this previous Latinteach post.

It's National Latin Teacher Recruitment Week!

2011-03-07T11:09:00.003-05:00

This week (March 7-11, 2011) marks the 9th Annual National Latin Teacher Recruitment Week.

Sponsored by the American Classical League and the American Philological Association, along with numerous other state and regional organizations, the motto for this year's NLTRW is "Your Future is Our Future."

Gaudete, Gaudete! Latin Christmas and Holiday Songs!

2010-12-05T01:49:00.008-05:00

Rejoice, all ye who seek Latin Christmas Carols! Laura Gibbs is continuing her Latin Holiday Songs Project this year at Gaudium Mundo! Visit each day for new songs and lyrics in Latin, Latin-English and Latin-Polish!

Need more holiday ideas for your Latin class? We've got 'em! Here are just a few from past years!

Christmas Teaching Ideas and Carols

St. Nicholas and the Legenda Aurea

O Abies! O Christmas Tree!

Yummy Chocolate Saturnalia Mice!!!

Coldplay Knows Latin! Really!

2010-12-01T21:52:00.007-05:00

At about two minutes and forty seconds into their new video "Christmas Lights," you'll see Coldplay performing on a stage with the words "Credo Elvem Etiam Vivere" ("I believe Elvis is alive...") lit above. Chris Martin, lead singer of Coldplay is not only a talented vocalist and musician, but also a Classics scholar, having taken first class honours in Greek and Latin from University College London.

SCRIBO Latin Composition Competition

2010-09-23T01:11:00.003-04:00

Introducing SCRIBO, an International Latin Composition Contest!

Goals: This contest is designed to spur interest and excitement in using Latin for creative writing, provide teachers with high quality materials in Latin that they can read in their classes, and honor and recognize top work in Latin creative writing!

Entries: Original short stories, comics, and poems are accepted. Illustrations are encouraged but not required. Entries have a maximum of 1,000 words and a maximum of 10 pages.

Eligibility and Levels: Students of Latin in any grade, from kindergarten through college, may participate. Entries will be sorted into the following levels, which are based on length of time studying Latin and content of the course: exploratory, lower, and upper.

Classroom Integration: SCRIBO is designed to be as flexible as possible for easy classroom integration. You could offer a contest, assignment, or project from which you could choose and submit the best entries. This could be open-ended, connected to a cultural unit, or connected to your text's storyline!

Benefits: Participation in SCRIBO has the following benefits

certificates for all participants
medals with ribbons for the top 20% of scorers
press release plus letter to the principal recognizing medal winners
free CD of the top entries, including multiple entries per level
ability to purchase full-color bound books of the collected top entries (plus inclusion in a raffle to win a free copy of this book)
knowledge that your school is supporting the mission of Ascanius: The Youth Classics Institute to bring Latin and Classical Studies to our youngest scholars

Scoring: All entries will be judged by Latin teachers and professors who have training in Latin composition and/or oral Latin, using the following categories: grammatical and syntactical accuracy, choice of vocabulary, quality of work, audience appeal. Entries in the running to be in the top 20% will be scored by at least one additional judge. (Contact SCRIBO to apply to serve as a judge.)

Cost: $25 for 1 entry (or homeschool groups); $45 for 2-5 entries; $75 for 6-10 entries.

Registration & Submission: Register and pay by mail/online, including names, ages, and levels of student participants, no later than December 15, 2010. Receive an email from SCRIBO with identifying codes for all your participants, no later than January 1, 2011. Then the teacher submits all entries electronically in PDF format no later than January 15, 2011. Results, awards, and CD's should be in the mail by April 15, 2011!

Visit http://www.ascaniusyci.org/scribo for more information and to register!

Sponsored by Ascanius: The Youth Classics Institute, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

CAMWS Latin Translation Contest 2010-2011

2010-09-07T09:54:00.005-04:00

The Classical Association of the Middle West and South Latin Translation Contest 2010-2011 is a competition open to advanced Latin students anywhere in the United States and Canada, who are either enrolled in secondary schools or attending homeschool. The contest is intended for students with at least three years of Latin, but superior second-year students are also eligible to participate.

Students must show an affiliation to CAMWS in one of three ways:

Their teachers must be individual members of CAMWS
OR their schools must be institutional members of CAMWS
OR their school libraries must subscribe to The Classical Journal.

Teachers should note that the examination must be administered by a school official other than the Latin teacher during the week of November 29-December 3, 2010. Deadline for registration is November 5, 2010.

The Translation Contest consists of a one-hour examination with an annual alternation of Prose and Poetry. This year's contest consists of a Latin Prose selection, as exemplified by Caesar, Cicero, et al. According to the contest rules, students should translate as literally as possible without violating English idiom and they should know the relevant vocabulary presented in Colby's Latin Word Lists. (A copy of the list is available to all contestants FREE upon request when registering!)

Writers of the ten most outstanding papers written will receive a $250 cash prize. An additional twenty outstanding contestants will receive a book prize relevant to classical antiquity. Meritorious examinations will receive letters of commendation.

There is a $2 non-refundable fee for each contestant entered.

To view copies of the most recent prose exams, you may visit CAMWS. You may also view a list of previous winners.

For more information, please contact: Robert White c/o Shaker Heights High School, 15811 Aldersyde Drive, Shaker Heights OH, 44120-2505, Tel. (216) 295-4200.

New Advanced Placement Latin Resource for Caesar

2010-09-06T09:51:00.006-04:00

Christopher Francese, a professor in the Department of Classical Studies, Dickinson College, and a student helper have created a wiki-based commentary on the AP Caesar Latin selections. Based on older school editions, it also includes some digital enhancements (some vocabulary and mp3 audio, maps and tools).

Calling All Latin Poets!

2010-09-06T09:45:00.003-04:00

VATES, the occasional journal of contemporary Latin poetry, is looking for contributions of original Latin verse. Electronically published and available free to anyone with an interest in new Latin poetry, VATES needs your submissions in order to continue its mission of promoting the reading and writing of new Latin verse.

Labor Vincit Omnia!

2010-09-05T23:44:00.002-04:00

Check Out Laura Gibbs' compilation of Latin Labor Day proverbs!

Get out that papyrus and sharpen those quills!

2010-08-24T23:38:00.005-04:00

It's time for the 201o Golden Sponge on a Stick Competition! If you are a student, fancy yourself the next Caroline Lawrence, Lindsey Davis or Stephen Saylor, and think that you can write a great story set in Ancient Rome, then get busy and get writing! Of course, you should probably read the rules first, so surf on over to the Roman Mysteries blog where you can get all the official details necessary to win that sought after sponge!!!

Give Yourself a Competitive Edge with Latin!

2010-08-24T20:18:00.005-04:00

Aiming to attend an Ivy League school? Selective colleges and universities take notice of high school Latin scholars, according to Bloomberg News in Lingua Latina Introitum in. Vniversitatem Harvard Multo Faciliorem Reddit ("The Latin language renders an easier entrance into Harvard University"). Though study of the Classics is no guarantee of admission, it can give some candidates an edge.

Reaping a "Total Latin Harvest"

2010-08-18T20:32:00.004-04:00

Lou Bolchazy on reconciling viewpoints regarding the perceived conflicts between literature/culture/history; grammar-oriented pedagogy method; oral/conversational method; and reading method in our Latin curricula:

"I believe that all four themes are desiderata in our teaching method. There is no conflict among them. Living in an increasingly global and multi-cultural community, we must know each other's history of ideas, beliefs, and culture to have the respect, empathy, and sympathy for other people. By reading an original passage, we learn all these things to a degree, and that is the humanistic value. When we come across an unknown word or an unknown syntactical-grammatical point in a reading, that is the time to teach the grammar and vocabulary, and to reinforce the vocabulary and grammar by means of transpositional exercises. Teachers and students can indulge in oral Latin drills and exercises to understand the word and its connotation, and using the materials in the original reading itself. (So far we have not deviated from good pedagogy-because we are learning grammar and culture, and reading passages, all in the original language.) The question is: how best to learn this grammar and vocabulary? By talking about it and doing drills in it, which are not connected to the original reading? That I do not recommend. Oral exercises based on the original reading allow students to review vocabulary and to practice the grammar they just learned. You can call it fusion or amalgamation of all these four desiderata, to be learned almost simultaneously.

Let's not forget to get beyond the borders of antique Latin language, culture, or conversational ability; we should move towards including post-classical Latin as well. Thus we will expand our horizons, increase our literacy, enjoy a total Latin harvest, be exposed to more forms of Latin communication, and project higher perceived value of Latin curriculum.)"

Free Latin Fable Books for Everyone!

2010-08-18T15:10:00.004-04:00

Euge! Laura Gibbs has just released her new book Mille Fabulae et Una: 1001 Aesop's Fables in Latin. You can get your very own copy in Adobe Acrobat PDF format right now -- for free -- by visiting Millefabulae, where you will also find online indexes and other useful ancillary materials. The typography of the book is clean and simple, and looks great on the iPhone, iPad and Android. If you have a smartphone or handheld device that is capable of reading PDF files, download a copy, go grab yourself a cup of coffee or tea, and start reading!

For those of you who prefer reading a book the old-fashioned way, and love the idea of a brimming bookshelf, but don't feel like splurging on printer ink (the book is 440 pages long!) Mille Fabulae et Una is available in paperback on Lulu.com for only $19.95. However, Laura encourages you to download as many gratis copies as you like and to let your friends know where to get their own free copy too!

Read Laura's Overview on her blog for more information.

New Issue of "Teaching Classical Languages" Now Online

2010-08-16T13:49:00.006-04:00

The Classical Association of the Middle West and South (CAMWS) has just announced that the new issue of their online journal Teaching Classical Languages has been published for immediate download at their official website.

Articles in this issue include:

"From Literal to Literary: A Translation Project for Latin Poetry Classes" by Marcia Lindgren, Life Blumberg, and Joshua Langseth
"Building Ties Between College and High School Latin Programs" by Ariana Traill, Francesca Tataranni, Laurie Jolicoeur, and Krisanna Zusman
and a Special Section, "Perspectives on the new Standards for Latin Teacher PreparationPerspectives" by Ronnie Ancona, Erik Collins, Cathy Daugherty, Cory Holec, Ken Kitchell, Robert Patrick, and Lee Pearcy.

The editors of TCL are currently welcoming articles "offering innovative practice and methods, new theoretical approaches, or reporting on empirical research in teaching and learning Latin and Greek."

Back After a Hiatus

2010-08-04T02:07:00.012-04:00

It's August and time to get back to blogging!

Professor Terence Tunberg has just written to announce a wonderful new documentary, presented entirely in Latin and available on Youtube, which chronicles the highlights of Conventiculum 2010. This is must-see TV for everyone who loves Latin!

Standards for Latin Teacher Preparation

2010-04-05T09:04:00.008-04:00

The American Classical League has just announced that the newly published ACL-APA Standards for Latin Teacher Preparation document is now available for free on its website.

Professor Ronnie Ancona, Vice President of the American Philological Association comments, "This is a valuable document for anyone teaching, planning to teach, or training those to teach Latin. It was written by a joint task force from ACL and APA. There will be a Plenary Session on the Standards at the ACL Institute this summer. We hope to also have a session on them at APA in San Antonio."

The Standards describes "the knowledge, skills, and understanding" of the beginning Latin teacher (a professional with 2 years or less experience in the classroom) in the areas of Content Knowledge, Pedagogical Knowledge and Skill, as well as Professional Development. The document is 22 pages, including a table of contents, and is quite readable.

The American Classical League has other reports available on its website, including the Standards for Classical Language Learning (referenced in the Standards for Latin Teacher Preparation) and the Report for State Certification Requirements for Teachers of Latin from the Joint Committee on Classics in American Education, a committee of the American Philological Association and the American Classical Association.

Bestiaria Latina: Zoo

2010-03-23T15:16:00.003-04:00

Take a virtual field trip to a Latin language zoo! Laura Gibbs has done it again, creating an online bestiary of animals. Each entry in this menagerie includes the Latin name of the animal, alternative terminology, a photo, plus links to Latin language stories and proverbs! You can even add a Latin Zoo widget to your blog or website!

London Mayor Wants More Latin in State Schools in England

2010-03-17T13:46:00.005-04:00

A couple more articles about Boris Johnson's call for a resurgence of Latin in English state schools:

"Call for Latin Lessons At Schools"

BBC News, March 17, 2010

"Teach More Latin in Schools, says London Mayor"

Yahoo News/Reuters, March 17, 2010

"More State Schools Should Teach Latin"

Daily Telegraph, March 17, 2010

"Boris Johnson Lobbies Tories to Add Latin to State-School Curriculum"

The Guardian (UK), March 17, 2010

"Boris Johnson Hits Out at 'Absurd Decline of Latin in State Schools'"

London Evening Standard, March 17, 2010

Mr. Johnson studied Latin and the Classics as a student and is a graduate of Eton College secondary school and Balliol College, University of Oxford. A product of private education, he is a critic of Latin being reserved for tuition-based schools only.

Latin in the News

2010-03-16T19:28:00.002-04:00

It's March and so it's not surprising to see a lot of stories about the Latin language in the news. We have just commemorated the Ides of March (which took place on March 15) and we're gearing up for Rome's birthday on April 21st.

Here's a round-up of recent news stories:

"PLC students battle against Roman empire"

Australian students compete in European CICERO Latin Competition
North Shore Times

March 16, 2010

"BEWARE THE IDES: THS Latin Club recreates Caesar’s funeral march"

Taunton Daily Gazette
March 15, 2010

"Latin Keeps Class Enrapt: Boonville teacher mixes culture, history with language study"

Latin teacher Pamela Koleszar takes proactive measures to keep her Latin program active.
Evansville Courier and Press

March 16, 2010

"Student Spotlight"

Interview with the Colorado Intermediate Level Latin Speaker Film Contest Winner

The Daily Camera
March 13, 2010

Hadrian's Wall Illuminated in a "Line of Light"

2010-03-16T12:20:00.002-04:00

Over 1000 volunteers lit beacons along Hadrian's Wall to celebrate British Tourism Week. You can see a video and read the story at the BBC News website: "Volunteers Illuminate Hadrian's Wall 'Line of Light."

The Mayor of London Defends the Teaching of Latin in England

2010-03-15T18:46:00.004-04:00

Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, wants to "weep with rage" over the disparagement of Latin and Classics education by Edward Michael Balls, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families in Britain.

Pompeiiana, a Rich Resource for All Latin Teachers and Students

2010-03-14T13:14:00.003-04:00

Andrew Reinhard, Director of eLearning for Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers, recently announced the completion of the Pompeiiana Newsletter blog project. The Pompeiiana Newsletter was a publication for Latin students which enjoyed a nearly twenty year press run, with 229 issues released betwee the years 1974 to 2003. Material published in the newsletter included both Latin and English language comics, stories, games, and articles. As a gift to the Classics community, Bolchazy-Carducci has digitized all the extant issues of Pompeiiana Newsletter and made them available for all to enjoy in Adobe Acrobat format (.pdf) at the Pompeiiana Newsletter Blog.

Classics and Careers

2010-03-13T20:06:00.003-05:00

Three timely articles for aspiring students of the Classicson the Psychology Today Career Transitions blog!

"Classics Majors Find their Future in the Past"

"Branding and Marketing the Classics Major"

"Careers in Education for Classics Majors"

National Latin Teacher Recruitment Week

2010-02-28T00:36:00.004-05:00

It's that time of year again! National Latin Teacher Recruitment Week is here! NLTRW runs from March 1-5. The National Committee for Latin and Greek has created an eight-minute video that you may wish to share with your students. You can click on the link below to watch it via YouTube or you can download it from the Promote Latin website to show offline.

In Memoriam, Hans Oerberg 1920-2010

2010-02-20T00:33:00.004-05:00

Sad news from Focus Publishing:

Dear all friends and customers of Hans Orberg

I am very sad to announce the death of my beloved father, Hans Henning Orberg. He passed away peacefully, without pains and surrounded by his children on the 17th of February.

Although very weak and disabled in his last month, he was very happy that he managed to finish his "Ars Amatoria" and see it published. He also leaves this world with peace in his mind, confident that his children will carry on his publishing firm, Domus Latina.

The funeral will take place Wednesday the 24th of February at 2 pm in the church of Grenaa: Grenaa Kirke, Torvet 12, 8500 Grenaa, Denmark.

We would be grateful if you would pass on the sad news to friends and customers that you know of and who are not in the mailing list above.

Yours sincerely

Anders Orberg

Latin Vs. English, the Liveliness Factor

2010-02-09T13:17:00.003-05:00

By popular demand, Claude Pavur has posted his chart De Linguae Latinae Vivacitate, demonstrating the continuing relevance and vitality of the ancient language, on the St. Louis Latin Teaching Materials website.

Also noted, his version (singable!) of the Star Spangled Banner in Latin!

Latinum Has a New Home

2010-01-25T12:31:00.004-05:00

Evan Millner has set up a new website for his Latinum project, which was previously somewhat difficult to navigate. The new website organizes the various parts of the course by difficulty level, making it easier for learners to follow the sequence of the lessons.

Prepping for the National Latin Exam

2010-01-22T01:25:00.002-05:00

Karen Moore at the Latin Alive! blog just posted a link to a new online prep test program to help students prepare for the Level 1 National Latin Exam.

Carpe Diem! Seize the Day!

2010-01-03T12:27:00.002-05:00

Thanks to Rose Williams for pointing out the wonderful selection of English language poetry centered around the theme Carpe Diem or "Seize the Day!" at Poets.org.

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T00:33:00.002-05:00

Novum annum laetum omnibus exoptō!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T10:59:00.001-05:00

Gaudete! Hodie Christus natus est! (Rejoice! Today Christ is born!)

Felicem Diem Christi Natalem Omnibus Exopto! (Merry Christmas to All!)

Joyful Latin Learning!

2009-12-23T11:44:00.004-05:00

Are you reading Justin Schwamm's Joyful Latin Learning blog? If you aren't, you really ought to be! This is an interactive web project with the aim of building a collaborative and "joyful learning community" focused on Latin and the Roman Empire. Building on the principles of Paideia and the Trivium, as well as integrating the two main pedagogical approaches to Latin, Joyful Latin Learning aims to create and share content and stories with a wide online audience.

Teaching Classical Languages: A New Online Electronic Journal

2009-12-04T15:47:00.005-05:00

We have just received an exciting new announcement from John Gruber-Miller, professor of Classical and Modern Languages at Cornell College and the author of When Dead Tongues Speak: Teaching Beginning Greek and Latin.

Teaching Classical Languages is a peer-reviewed electronic journal dedicated to exploring how we teach (and how we learn) Latin and Greek. It is meant for all who teach Latin and Greek, graduate students, coordinators, and administrators. Teaching Classical Languages is the successor of CPL Online and is sponsored by the Classical Association of the Middle West and South.

The mission of Teaching Classical Languages is to provide accessible, high quality research that offers Latin and Greek teachers immediate classroom applicability and long-term theoretical approaches that can help them become better teachers. As an electronic journal, Teaching Classical Languages has a unique global outreach. It offers authors and readers a multimedia format that more fully illustrates the topics discussed, and provides hypermedia links to related information and websites.

The first issue offers innovative articles about social networking in the Latin classroom, using music in beginning Greek, and core vocabulary in beginning Greek textbooks. All three articles take advantage of online publication, offering screen shots, audio of the songs, handouts for the classroom, or appendices that list the common core vocabulary in two popular Greek textbooks.

Andrew Reinhard, "Social Networking in Latin Class: A How-To Guide"

Georgia L. Irby-Massie, "'That Ain't Workin'; That's the Way You Do It': Teaching Greek through Popular Music"

Rachael Clark, "Greek Vocabulary in Popular Textbooks"

Teaching Classical Languages welcomes articles offering innovative practice and methods, advocating new theoretical approaches, or reporting on empirical research in teaching and learning Latin and Greek. Please take a moment to take a tour through the new journal and spread the word.

Take a Trip to Pompeii Without Leaving Home

2009-12-04T00:20:00.003-05:00

BBC News reports "Ancient City of Pompeii Added to Google Street View."

Saint Nicholas and the Legenda Aurea

2009-11-30T15:18:00.008-05:00

Advent is upon us and it's time to start thinking toward Christmas!

Blessed Jacobus de Voragine, a medieval archbishop and biographer, chronicled a number of stories about the saints in a book entitled the Legenda Aurea ("The Golden Legend") , including the biography of a certain Sanctus Nicolaus, whose story you can read, in Latin, on the Latin Library website. The feast day of St. Nicholas is December 6th and in some European countries this is the day that children wake up to find gifts and sweets left in their shoes . De Voragine also recorded the story of Sancta Lucia, whose feast day is December 13th, another joyful holiday celebrated in many European countries with parties, angel costumes, candles and sweets.

If you'd prefer, you can read two English versions of the St. Nicholas story from the Legenda Aurea:

http://weber.ucsd.edu/~dkjordan/scriptorium/Nicholas.html

http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/goldenlegend/

First Sunday in Advent, Forty Years of Vernacular Language

2009-11-30T12:56:00.004-05:00

An interesting article in the New York Times this weekend, entitled "Latin Mass Appeal," commemorating the 40th anniversary of the reforms of Vatican II, which brought the vernacular to the Mass, replacing Latin. Since 1969, Roman Catholic churches have celebrated Mass in the languages of the people of the parish. This op-ed explains some of the history behind the transition from Latin to modern languages, as well as the desire of many, surprisingly young traditionalists and conservatives who wish to return to the use of Latin in the Mass.

Latin Centered Curriculum

2009-11-23T15:47:00.003-05:00

Memoria Press has set up a new Latin-Centered Curriculum online community for Classical homeschoolers who follow the dictum multum, non multa.

Conventiculum: Rusticatio Virginiana 2010

2009-11-15T14:16:00.002-05:00

Details are now available for Rusticatio Virginiana 2010! The Rusticatio is a week of total immersion in the Latin language, designed for participants at all levels of experience in conversational Latin. It will take place July 18-24, 2010.

Complete information and registration forms are available for download at SALVI (Septentrionale Americanum Latinitatis Vivae Institutum: The North American Institute for Living Latin Studies).

Classical Association of New England Newsletter: CANEns

2009-11-14T10:26:00.003-05:00

Visit the Classical Association of New England's website to download the most recent issue of their newsletter, CANEns! Just click on the 'canens' button!

Save Classics at Michigan State University!

2009-11-12T13:32:00.005-05:00

The Classics Department at Michigan State is under threat of closure!

Please see David Meadow's excellent commentary at Rogue Classicism, to find out what you can do to help save the Classics at this land-grant university. Then, please consider signing an on-line petition in support of MSU Classics. At the time of this blog posting, there are only 401 signatures.

More News About Latin From Across the Pond!

2009-11-09T11:41:00.004-05:00

More news today from the United Kingdom!

The Daily Mail is reporting, "Latin in Classroom Comeback As 60 Primary Schools Make Ancient Language Compulsory." According to the article, at one point, only 100 comprehensive schools (similar to American public high schools) offered Latin. Now, one in six of all secondary level schools in the UK provide for instruction in Latin.

It's obvious that the efforts of the Cambridge Schools Classics Project and the Iris Project are making a significant impact on Classics education in Britain!

Latin Inspires, Enthuses!

2009-11-09T09:21:00.007-05:00

See Dr. Lorna Robinson's commentary in today's Independent (UK): "Dr. Lorna Robinson: 'Latin Inspires and Enthuses Children." Dr. Robinson directs the Iris Project, a British charity promoting Classics in schools, especially government-funded schools and schools in urban areas.

Edited to add: A companion article, "Haud Mea Culpa, Domina," in the same paper reports on a new initiative to bring Latin into British state primary schools and offers some conversational Latin as well. (American teachers dealing with No Child Left Behind legislation will certainly be able to sympathize with their British colleagues and find useful the translation for "Where does my school come in the league tables?")

Remembering the Veterans,

2009-11-08T16:35:00.009-05:00

Read "Back From War, But Not Really Home" (New York Times, November 8, 2009) by Caroline Alexander for a wonderful op-ed reflecting this week on the sacrifice of veterans which also weaves in the ancient story of Odysseus. According to Ms. Alexander, from the songs of the ancients, we learn that it is the duty of civilians to pass on the stories of the deaths of soldiers in battle and of their returns home. It's not so difficult (though, of course, quite painful) to memorialize those who fall, but she also show how we can learn from Homer how to commemorate those who return.

Also, see previous blog entries relevant to Veteran's Day (US) and Remembrance Sunday (UK):

"Soap Operas and Sophocles: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Healing"

"What the Ancient Greeks Have to Teach Us About Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder"

Conventiculum Dickinsoniense July 5 -10, 2010!

2009-11-04T21:16:00.006-05:00

From Christopher Francese
Associate Professor of Classical Studies
Dickinson College (Carlisle, PA)

Hear ye, hear ye, all of ye looking for a great summer experience in active Latin . . . .

Conventiculum Dickinsoniense July 5 -10, 2010!

The Conventiculum Dickinsoniense is a new total immersion seminar in active Latin. It is specifically designed for all cultivators of Latin who wish to gain some ability to express themselves ex-tempore in correct Latin.

A wide range of people can benefit from the seminar: professors in universities, teachers in secondary schools, graduate students, undergraduates and other lovers of Latin, provided that anyone who considers applying has a solid understanding of the grammatical essentials of the Latin language. A minimum requirement is knowledge of Latin grammar and the ability to read a Latin text of average complexity, even if using a dictionary often. No previous experience in speaking Latin is necessary.

Sessions will be aimed exclusively at developing ability in speaking, understanding others speaking, reading and discussing texts in the target language. After the first evening, Latin will be the exclusive language used in the seminar. Participants will be involved in intensive activity each day from morning until early evening (with breaks for lunch, etc., of course), and will discuss themes ranging from topics in books, literature and art to the routines and activities of daily life. The seminar will illustrate not only how active Latin can be useful for teachers, but also how cultivating an active facility in Latin can benefit any cultivator of Latin who wishes to acquire a more instinctive command of the language and a more intimate relationship with Latin writings.

Moderators:
Prof. Milena Minkova, University of Kentucky
Prof. Terence Tunberg, University of Kentucky

Conventiculum Dickinsoniense can accept a maximum number of 40 participants. Deadline for applications in May 1, 2010. The participation fee for each participant will $300. The fee includes lodging in a single room in campus housing, and two meals (breakfast and lunch) per day, as well as the opening dinner, and a special cookout at the Dickinson farm for one night. That also covers the facilities fee, which allows access to the gym, fitness center, and the library, as well as internet access. The $300 fee does not include the cost of dinners (except for the opening dinner and the cookout at the Dickinson farm), and does not include the cost of travel to and from the seminar. Dinners can easily be had at restaurants within walking distance from campus.

For more information and application instructions write to:
Professor Terence Tunberg
email: terence.tunberg@gmail.com

Edited to Add...The Dickinson Latin Camp and The Conventiculum Dickinsoniense will be held back to back, which makes it even easier for those of you who would like to attend both!!!

Two Classics Programs, Different Outlooks

2009-11-03T13:23:00.006-05:00

The Chicago Flame, which serves the University of Illinois at Chicago campus, asks in its current edition, "Will the Classics Department Survive?" According to the article, the department is in a period of "transition" and faces the loss of both the Greek and Latin major courses.

Meanwhile, The Hawk, the student newspaper of St. Joseph's University, a Catholic Jesuit school in Philadelphia, today sings the praises of their Classics department in "Keeping it Classy: Classics Majors Experience a Unique, Intimate Program."

Post-Bulletin Teacher of the Month

2009-11-03T12:46:00.001-05:00

Ellen Sassenberg, who teaches Latin at Mayo High School in Rochester, Minnesota, has been named the Post-Bulletin teacher of the month.

Belated Halloween

2009-11-02T11:32:00.005-05:00

Unfortunately, this comes a bit late for this year's holiday, but for those of you who are still in the Halloween spirit, or for those of you who are hyperorganized and already planning for next year, Archaeology magazine recently ran a series of online feature articles centered around "the archaeology of Halloween, witches and witchcraft, creatures of the night, and ancient curses and magic." Archaeology is an official publication of the Archaeological Institute of America.

Look Up Latin Words and Make the World a Better Place!

2009-11-01T20:27:00.015-05:00

It used to be that Latin students and teachers could only dream of owning a copy of A Latin Dictionary: Founded on Andrews' Edition of Freund's Latin Dictionary: Revised, Enlarged, and in Great Part Rewritten by Charlton T. Lewis, Ph.D. and Charles Short, LL.D. Retailing at $240, this authoritative reference has been out of reach for most poor but proud Classicists, who have had to make do with a school or departmental copy.

Now, Latin students and teachers can consult Lewis and Short whenever they want! And they don't have to carry around a five pound book either!

Latin teacher and entrepreneur Clint Hagen of A Third Way Technologies (a3w) has created a wonderful new version of this Latin dictionary, Glossa, which has both web-based and desktop capabilities! And it's free (thanks to a Creative Commons license), though the author does ask that you consider making a charitable donation to one of his favorite worthy causes, if you find the software useful.

The content of the dictionary is in the public domain, having been published in 1879, but until recently only available as a rather unwieldy tome! Web 2.0 has led to the creation of Glossa, as well as other virtual versions of this venerable reference (notably Lexidium for the iPhone/iPod Touch).

According to A3W's homepage, "Glossa combines a unique interface with a commitment to full exploration of a Latin word's possible meanings. The type-ahead suggest feature allows words to be found easily as you type, and the database gives you full definitions of words, including examples from Latin literature and etymologies. The sidebar shows you where you are in the dictionary, giving you the ten words before the current entry and the ten words after." This is a wonderful feature, building in the look and feel of a traditional dictionary, while adapting it to modern technology!

You can even hyperlink to dictionary entries, which I think will definitely also prove quite useful!

magnĭfĭcē! (the adverbial form of magnĭfĭcus, courtesy of Glossa!) Well done, A3W! (Glossa even supplies macrons and breves!)

Visit A Third Way Technologies and try it out for yourself!

Latin Teacher Named WGN Teacher of the Month October 2009

2009-10-30T15:15:00.002-04:00

Erin Flynn of Lincoln Way Centeral High School is the WGN Television Teacher of the Month for October 2009!

Cambridge School Classics Project Update

2009-10-30T11:21:00.003-04:00

The Cambridge School Classics Project Stage Activities continue to be unavailable, but it sounds as if they will be back in mid-November, albeit with a small fee for schools and home users who wish to use the online resources. Schools will be charged a modest per annum fee ($30 per school) plus a small user fee ($2) for each student, enabling students and staff to access the Cambridge activities from home and school. Homeschooling families will pay a $10 charge per user per year. For full details see the Stage Activities site.

Martha Stewart as Medusa!

2009-10-29T16:16:00.008-04:00

Today's Martha Stewart show features the domestic goddess as Medusa, surrounded by living "marble" statues, costumed as mythological gods and goddesses! Lots of Classical references, colonnades and statuary! Actress Blake Lively appears as Egyptian empress Cleopatra.

Also check out the very cool "Hippocrates Bust Candle" craft.

Thanks to Linda F for the alert!

The Canadian Opposition Party Leader Does Not Speak Latin

2009-10-29T14:23:00.003-04:00

Just in case you were wondering...

From The Canadian Press via Yahoo:

"Mea Culpa: Latin Press Release from Liberals No Magnum Opus"

Second Annual Terence Awards Announcement

2009-10-29T12:47:00.012-04:00

Details of the Second Annual Terence Award competition have been released. The Terence Award bestows cash awards and book vouchers to those junior high, high school, and university students whose videos are deemed to most convey Classics in a way that is informative, entertaining, or both. Last year the contest was open only to those living in the U.S., but this year a category of "Foreign Film" has been added for non-US citizens living outside of the US and its Territories.

Prizes are awarded in the following categories:

Best Picture, Junior Prize (junior high, high school, or homeschool student(s) ages 11–18 at the time the film was created)
Best Picture, Senior Prize (college or university students aged 18+ at the time the film was created)
Best Foreign Film Prize (all levels, students who are non-US citizens living outside of the United States and its Territories at the time the film was created)

The Best Picture and Best Foreign Film prizes recognize excellence in student filmmaking which include exceptional creativity, superb writing, acting, and production of a movie with Classical themes including, but not limited to history, mythology, and/or culture. Movies may be set in any time period (past, present, future, or a combination thereof) and can be live-action, animated (including machinima), or a mix of live action and animation. The use of Latin and/or Greek is encouraged, but not required. Subtitles may be used.

Best Use of Latin in a Film Prize (all levels, Classical, Medieval, Vulgate, etc.)
Best Use of Greek in a Film Prize (all levels, Homeric, Classical, or Koine)

The Best Use of Latin/Greek prizes celebrate excellence and creativity in the integration of Latin and/or Greek into a student-created film. To be eligible for these prizes, the films must contain Latin/Greek subtitles and/or Latin/Greek spoken dialogue or narration.

A single film can win both a Best Picture prize and a Best Use of Latin/Greek prize. The Best Foreign Film prize-winner is also eligible to win Best Picture (Junior) or Best Picture (Senior).

Winners will also have their videos featured on the eClassics homepage for one month, and will be designated as a Terence Award-winner for all time.

The grant to fund cash prizes for the Best Picture winners (Junior and Senior) and Best Foreign Film is made through Excellence Through Classics (ETC, a standing committee of the American Classical League for the promotion and support of Elementary, Middle School and Introductory Classics Programs). Winners of Best Use of Latin/Greek will receive vouchers for free books from Bolchazy-Carducci.

Winners will be announced at the American Classical League Summer Institute on June 27, 2010, and will be simultaneously posted on eClassics and on various Classics discussion lists.

To obtain full details on the contest rules and how how to enter please contact Andrew Reinhard, Director of eLearning at Bolchazy-Carducci, at areinhard@bolchazy.com.

The deadline for submissions is May 30, 2010. Videos may be entered either electronically or by postal mail. Late submissions will not be considered. Submissions cannot be returned.

There is no entry submission fee.

Legible Latin

2009-10-28T17:42:00.006-04:00

Legible Latin is a Latin dictionary and text reader software package written by Thomas McCarthy and available from Perlingua Language Tools. With it, you can analyze text for reading. Seven well-known texts come with Legible Latin (Caesar, Cicero, Sallust, Vergil, Livy, the Gospels and the Gesta Romanorum) or you can paste in your own text or retrieve it from an online source. The program also includes a "macronizer" for adding macrons to Latin text. The dictionary utilized by Legible Latin is based upon Whitaker's Words, but you can also look up words through the program's interface with dictionaries on the internet (via the Perseus Project or a dictionary of your own choosing). Legible Latin is free and comes in all three flavors, Windows/Mac/Linux. Legible Latin is produced by the same company that brought you SightWords.

C.I.C.E.R.O.

2009-10-28T13:31:00.008-04:00

C.I.C.E.R.O. is an acronym that used to stand for for Certamen in Concordiam Europam Regionum Omnium ("A Competition to Promote Harmony in All Areas of Europe") but due to the expansion beyond Europe into Tunisia and Australia (see the breaking news regarding this development on the ARLT Weblog), C.I.C.E.R.O has now gone international and the acronym now stands for Certamen in Concordiam Europam Regionumque Orbis ("A Competition to Promote Harmony in All Areas of Europe and the World".) The C.I.C.E.R.O. competition is a challenging translation competition for "Sixth Form Classicists." (To translate this for Americans, students in the European "Sixth Form" would be high school juniors and seniors stateside.)

Visit the official C.I.C.E.R.O. site to find out more about this competition, which has the patronage of of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe. Do be aware that the site hasn't been updated to reflect the international status of the competition yet. For the latest breaking news, you will want to visit the CiceroCertamen Channel on Youtube.

Learning Latin Lasts a Long Time

2009-10-28T12:13:00.003-04:00

A retiree reminisces about what he learned in Latin class over sixty years ago in "Storytelling: Learning from Year of Latin Lasted a Lifetime" (The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, October 28, 2009)

One More Deadline! Coming Soon!

2009-10-27T21:04:00.005-04:00

Applications for the The Classical Association of the Middle West and South's 2009 Translation Contest are due this Friday, October 30, 2009.

(The unofficial word is that they will likely forgive you if you get your registration in a day or two late...)

View a list of other Classical contests!

Make that Deadline This Year!

2009-10-26T14:11:00.016-04:00

APPROACHING DEADLINES
There's Still Time!

Association foR Latin Teaching

Latin Reading Contest
(United Kingdom-only, I assume. I didn't notice a deadline.)
http://arltblog.wordpress.com/2009/10/24/arlt-reading-competition-2010/

Edited to Add another Contest... Applications for the The Classical Association of the Middle West and South's 2009 Translation Contest are due this Friday, October 30, 2009. (The unofficial word is that they will likely forgive you if you get your registration in a day or two late...)

Golden Sponge Stick Mystery Story Writing Contest
http://flavias.blogspot.com/2009/08/golden-sponge-stick-comp-09.html
Open internationally this year, still open for entries, but the December 10, 2010 entry deadline is approaching.

Phaedrus Latin Contest
http://www.phaedruslatincontest.org/index.php
Entries due March 1, 2010, but you need to sign your students up before the end of 2009 calendar year.

National Mythology Exam
http://www.etclassics.org/nme.html
Deadline: January 15, 2010

Classical Literacy Exam
No Latin required, but will include some memorized phrases and mottoes.
http://abqlatin.com/classical-literacy-exam
Deadline: January 15, 2010

National Latin Exam

http://www.nle.org
Deadline: January 16, 2010

National Greek Exam

http://nge.aclclassics.org

Deadline: January 19, 2010

Medusa Myth Exam
http://www.medusaexam.cjb.net/
Deadline: February 13, 2010

Exploratory Latin Exam
http://www.etclassics.org/ele.html
Exams may be administered at any point between October 1, 2009 and April 1, 2010. Teachers must return completed exams within one week after each administration. Results from all exams, regardless of administration date, will be sent in May 2010.

LINKS TO LAST YEAR'S CONTESTS

Already awarded in 2009

Awaiting New Announcements for 2010

ACL Poster Contest
http://www.aclclassics.org/Institute/2009/Poster.aspx

Bernice Fox Writing Contest
http://department.monm.edu/classics/Department/FoxContest

Updated to Add the C.I.C.E.R.O. competition
http://www.ciceroeuropa.eu/
http://www.youtube.com/user/cicerocertamen

and the Terence Awards sponsored by Bolchazy-Carducci
http://eclassics.ning.com/profiles/blogs/first-annual-terence-awards

The Death of Language

2009-10-21T11:55:00.003-04:00

Interesting feature story on the BBC4 Radio website entitled "The Death of Language?" I was fascinated to read about the rebirth of the Hebrew language in this article.

Peregrinatio and Tarheel Reader

2009-10-15T13:15:00.004-04:00

Visit Peregrinatio, Anna Peregrina's new blog where she is currently providing details and links about the online books that she has created using Tarheel Reader. Her books review vocabulary from the Cambridge Latin Course. She'll continue to update her blog as she creates more mini-book reviews and activities. (Latin currently leads all languages, except English in the foreign languages section with over 300 online books!)

I'm sure Anna Peregrina will think of other things to add to her blog too!

All Those Latin Endings!

2009-10-14T16:29:00.004-04:00

Many people are aware of Paul Diederich's Word Frequency count and the Whitaker's Words dictionary web applet that has been built upon it. Diederich also did an Ending Frequency, which includes a list of Eighteen Common Endings as well as a set of Rules Governing Variable Endings, plus The Twenty Two Rare Endings and some Penultimate Signs. If you are having trouble getting all those inflections straight in your head, you might want to take a look at The Frquency of Latin Words and Their Endings.

The Saturnalia Solution

2009-10-13T13:46:00.003-04:00

A columnist for the Bangor Daily News advises recent graduates and other job seekers to keep a positive attitude during their search for employment, explaining how "[getting] a grip on a little ancient history" can help them feel less alone and more upbeat about their plight. Read "Jobless? Party in the Spirit of Rome" (10 October 2009) by Rosemary Herbert.

Practice Your Declensions!

2009-10-13T12:35:00.002-04:00

The Latin Library has a simple online quizlet for practicing the five Latin declensions.

North American Institute for Living Latin Studies Online

2009-10-12T19:41:00.002-04:00

SALVI, the website for the Septentrionale Americanum Latinitatis Vivae Institutum, otherwise known as the North American Institute for Living Latin Studies, is back online again. The new website includes added features, including a resources page, information about the annual Rusticatio, and a community page.

Appreciating Ecclesiastical Latin!

2009-10-12T12:51:00.003-04:00

If you have an interest in Ecclesiastical or Church Latin and Latin grammar, you'll enjoy visiting the Latin Appreciation Workshop blog. There are many links to Latin prayers, chants and music. This a great example of a small group of interested people getting together to learn some Latin for fun and enrichment.

Message from Reginald Foster

2009-10-12T12:21:00.004-04:00

Those of you who have taken Latin courses from Fr. Reginald Foster in Rome will be happy to hear from him. For many years, Fr. Foster served as the Pope's Latinist and also conducted summer courses for Latin teachers and graduate students in Rome. He sends his greetings in both Latin and English via YouTube!

Twenty Years of Pompeiiana! Nine Years to Go!

2009-10-12T10:36:00.002-04:00

Andrew Reinhard has just announced that 20 volumes of Pompeiiana Newsletter have been placed online so far! Nine volumes remain to be placed online!

For those of you who are too young to remember, the Pompeiiana Newsletter was published for Latin students by Bernard Barcio from 1974 through 2003. Much of the material in the newsletter was contributed by its readers. All 229 issues of these treasured Latin comics, stories, games, and articles are being made freely available to all on the Pompeiiana Blog.

Andrew has been adding one issue per day, so keep checking back to enjoy Pompeiiana once again or for the first time!

Useful Conversational Greek for the Classroom!

2009-10-08T20:26:00.005-04:00

Many Latin teachers have found that introducing conversational Latin into their classrooms is not only fun and motivational for their students, but also helps them learn the language faster and better. Now Ancient Greek teachers and students can get in on the conversation too with some simple classroom expressions in Attic Greek from the University of New Mexico.

Math, Science, History and Latin connection

2009-10-07T10:20:00.004-04:00

Science Daily is reporting that "buried coins may hold key to solving mystery of ancient Roman population." (6 October 2009) In a fascinating story, a biologist and a historian have concluded that ancient Rome was not as populated as previously believed. Read the article at Science Daily to see this fascinating connection between mathematics, science, numismatic history and Latin.

Latin for Children

2009-10-05T12:03:00.006-04:00

Evan Millner has added a new component to the Latinum course, entitled Latin for Children, which offers short lessons (typically one minute maximum) introducing Latin through the Direct method , which is also sometimes called the Natural method or Immersion method. These lessons utilize flash animation and audio language.

(Find out more about Latin language teaching methodologies.)

Another Cool Classics Tool!

2009-09-30T13:00:00.003-04:00

Poeta Ex Machina is a cool tool that allows you to listen to Latin poetry chanted, creating mp3s from any text in any meter. Not surprisingly, it was created by Lee Butterman, who also designed NoDictionaries, a wonderful online vocabulary engine which helps users increase their reading fluency! You'll need to provide the scanned meter (directions here). You can toggle macrons and elisions in the passage if you'd like to view them as the Poeta recites.

For those of you just beginning Latin, it is possible to enter just one word in order to hear its proper pronunciation.

Nero's Rotating Dining Hall Uncovered!

2009-09-29T15:00:00.002-04:00

The New York Times AP news wire is reporting "Nero's Rotating Banquet Hall Unveiled in Rome." (29 September 2009). Archaeologists believe that this is the rotating dining room described by Suetonius in his Life of Nero.

Vast Hoard of Anglo Saxon Gold Treasure Unearthed in England

2009-09-26T22:30:00.007-04:00

An unemployed treasure hunter with a used metal detector has discovered an incredible trove of gold and silver treasure buried in a field in central England.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

You can see more pictures of this unbelievable discovery at the BBC News site as well as the National Geographic, as well as on the photo-sharing site Flickr. (Thanks to Terrence Lockyer for pointing out the Flickr set!)

One piece bears a Latin inscription reading "Rise up O Lord, and may thy enemies be dispersed and those who hate thee.")

More stories on this find, which reference the inscription:

"A New Angle on the Saxons" (TimesOnline, 27 September 2009)

"Staffordshire Hoard: Experts Wept at Sight of Anglo-Saxon Gold" (TimesOnline, 25 September 2009)

followed by this wonderful letter in response: "Why Education Must Be a National Treasure: The Danger Posed by Poor Latinity Was Recognized by King Alfred...so why not our Government?" from Paul Gazzoli, of the Department of Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic at the University of Cambridge.

North Carolina is For Classicists in the Summer of 2010!

2009-09-26T09:38:00.009-04:00

North Carolina is for Classicists in the Summer of 2010!

The American Classical League (ACL) has announced the details for the ACL Institute 2010. The 63rd Annual Institute and 87th Annual Meeting will be held at Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina from Saturday, June 26th, 2010, to Monday, June 28, 2010. The theme is "Peace and War: Tu regere imperio populos, Romane, memento (Hae tibi erunt artes.), pacique imponere morem, parcere subiectis et debellare superbos."

(from Vergil's Aeneid, Book VI, lines 851-3).

There will be pre-institute workshops on Friday June 25th and Saturday, June 26th.

To get more information about the ACL Institute 2010, please see the Call for Pre-Institute Workshops and Call for Institute Papers and Workshops at the American Classical League website.

For Classical Christian school teachers, the Association of Classical and Christian Schools (ACCS) will hold their 2010 ACCS Annual Conference from June 17 through June 18th in Durham, North Carolina at the Sheraton Imperial Hotel and Convention Center.

Iris Magazine September 2009 Issue Available

2009-09-25T14:05:00.006-04:00

Lorna Robinson, director of The Iris Project, based in Oxford, UK, announces that the Autumn 2009 issue of Iris magazine is now available. This issue examines the influences and interpretations of epic and includes the following features:

Iris chat: Margaret George, author of Helen of Troy
Home Thoughts from Abroad: Virgil's Aeneid
1000 Years Before Homer: The epic of Gilgamesh
Masters of War: Epic battles on film
A Marriage of Minds: Arabic and Classical epic
News feature: A Mosaic for the London Olympics 2012
Travelogue: Ephesus

Additional articles focus on outreach, news, reviews, quizzes, puzzles, translation, fiction, and advice. To find out how to order a copy of Iris magazine, visit The Iris Project website. The Iris Project is a registered charity in the United Kingdom that promotes Classical education for students in state-funded schools and in urban settings.

Hadrian's Wall Country in England

2009-09-23T15:09:00.005-04:00

There's a wonderful article, accompanied by a visual interactive feature, in the October 2009 Smithsonian Magazine, "Trekking Hadrian's Wall." Follow Andrew Curry's east-to-west adventure along the 84 mile long trail.

If you haven't been fortunate enough to visit northern England, along the border with Scotland, you'll certainly be tempted to book a visit after reading Curry's article.

Be sure to visit the official Hadrian's Wall Country website as well, where you can read about the history of Hadrian's Wall and browse the incredible photographic and video libraries, as well as plan a visit.

Spoken Latin Webinars Quickly Approaching

2009-09-21T16:30:00.008-04:00

Bolchazy-Carducci will be presenting two Webinars featuring Milena Minkova and Terence Tunberg in September 2009.

The first webinar is "Training Techniques for Spoken Latin Expression," webcasting September 23, 2009 from 6-8 PM Eastern. Tunberg and Minkova maintain that active use of Latin can help all students and teachers, whether the teacher prefers a more inductive, reading-oriented approach to teaching Latin, or a more analytical and grammatical approach. Participants in this webinar will explore a range of activities involving spoken Latin designed for learners at various levels ranging from beginners to the advanced.

The second webinar is “Virtual Conventiculum," to be held September 30th, 2009, 6-8PM Eastern. This webinar is designed for people who have had some previous experience in spoken Latin and have acquired at least a moderate ability to express themselves orally in the language. Activities will be focused on enhancing vocabulary relating to various spheres of daily life, as well as discussion of short Latin texts in Latin. The Virtual Conventiculum will be conducted entirely in Latin.

Tuition for each webinar is $99.00. RSVP to 847.526.4344 or online at http://www.bolchazy.com/webinars.html.

Class-size is limited to 20 participants on a first-come, first-served basis.

Latin in the News!

2009-09-19T19:43:00.003-04:00

A few recent newspaper articles about the Latin language and Roman culture:

"Why Learn Latin? To Better Understand Harry Potter," The Herald-Mail, September 18, 2009

"Latin on the Increase at Winchester School," Hampshire Chronicle, September 18, 2009

"Ben Hur Spectacular Premiers in London," Yahoo News, September 16, 2009

Ancient Rome and America Exhibit, Philadelphia Spring 2010

2009-09-15T13:43:00.002-04:00

If you will be anywhere near Philadelphia in Spring 2010, make plans to visit the National Constitution Center. As part of its focus upon "important moments and iconic figures that changed history," the National Constitution Center will be presenting an exhibit entitled Ancient Rome and America in Spring 2010. According to the Center's press release, this will be a 6,000 square foot exhibition and will include a large number of artifacts from the Republican and Imperial periods. Connections will be made between the founding fathers of the American government and the Roman Republic, as well as the continuing influence of the Romans upon our modern world.

Connect the Classics with Science!

2009-09-14T15:48:00.004-04:00

Here's a great project for those of you who would like to show the connection between the study of Latin, Greek, and the Classics with the modern world of science! Check out this fabulous printable star wheel project from Sky and Telescope magazine!

Dickinson Summer 2010 Workshop

2009-09-09T15:22:00.004-04:00

Summer 2009 is over and it's time to think about what you'll be doing in Summer 2010!

The Dickinson Summer 2010 Workshop

Participants will read selections from De orbe novo by the Italian humanist Peter Martyr of Angleria (1457-1526), the most important early account of Columbus' voyages to the new world. This work was originally written in Latin, and was complete by 1501. Martyr did not travel to the new world himself, but did interview Columbus and his shipmates, as well as other players in the events. His Latin is not difficult, and the spare and straightforward style of this work could best be compared among classical works to Caesar's commentaries.

Given the topic this year, a special invitation is extended to teachers and scholars interested in early contacts between Europe and the Americas who would like to read De Orbe Novo in the original.

INSTRUCTORS: Prof. Christopher Francese and Prof. Meghan Reedy, both of the Dickinson College Department of Classical Studies

TO APPLY: please contact Mrs. Barbara McDonald (see contact information at http://latincamp.wetpaint.com/) by the application deadline May 1, 2010.

FEE: The fee for 2010 is $300, due in a check made out to Dickinson College, by the fee deadline June 1, 2010. Please send it to Mrs. Barbara McDonald, Department of Classical Studies, Dickinson College, Carlisle, PA 17013. (The full cost is about twice that, but the workshop is subsidized by the Roberts Fund for Classical Studies.)

MORE INFORMATION: http://latincamp.wetpaint.com/

Colonial American Latin Curriculum

2009-09-09T13:05:00.007-04:00

Cheever's Accidence was an elementary Latin grammar, studied by students at Boston Latin School in the early colonial period. According to John A. Nietz, in his book The Evolution of American Secondary School Textbooks, students also studied forms and syntax in more depth in Lily's Latin Grammar, practiced spoken Latin from Corderius' Colloquies and read Aesop's Fables in Latin. You can find a copy of Cheever's Accidence at the Stepping Heavenward blog.

View some sample curricula from the early American period.

The Classics Department at Holy Cross College has an extensive website, Latin in Early America, describing how the Classics were taught in the 17th and 18th centuries in America.

Free Latin for the New Millennium Webinar Coming Soon

2009-09-09T11:06:00.004-04:00

Bolchazy-Carducci will be presenting a free Latin for the New Millennium Webinar on September 17, 6-8 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, with information about both volumes of their new Latin curriculum,. which combines both a grammar-based and reading-based approach.

Memoria Press First Form Latin

2009-09-09T10:54:00.004-04:00

Memoria Press has just published a new Latin curriculum, First Form Latin. Known for their adherence to "grammar-first" principles, this program will eventually add a DVD component as well. A follow-up volume, Second Form Latin, is planned as well. See sample pages from their student textbook and workbook as well as the teacher's manual, plus examine a sample First Form Recitation at Memoria Press.

Golden Sponge Stick Competition 2009

2009-09-08T08:57:00.005-04:00

The prestigious Golden Sponge Stick competition, inspired by the Caroline Lawrence Roman Mysteries series, is a fiction-writing contest for primary and secondary level students (with three age categories). Each student who enters writes a short story or a mystery/detective story/thriller of 1500 words or less, set in Rome or during Roman times, which displays some historical research or knowledge of Roman daily life in the story. Previously this competition was only open to students in the United Kingdom, where the Roman Mysteries novels were originally published, but this year the contest has been opened internationally. The winning entry will receive, of course, a golden sponge-stick!

Full details about this contest, as well as writing tips, are available at Flavia Gemina's (aka Caroline Lawrence) Roman Mysteries Blog. Get those pencils sharpened!

Methodological Considerations for Learning Latin

2009-09-06T15:52:00.003-04:00

Evan Millner, creator of the Latinum Course, a complete multi-level audio course for Classical Latin, based upon the 19th century textbook "A Practical Grammar of the Latin Language for Speaking and Writing Latin," has a few tips for those of you who wish to learn this ancient language. He's outlined some of the considerations that you need to keep in mind when studying a new language in his brief article "A Learning Methodology for Latin." He also has written a couple articles about an interesting technique, based upon an ancient Roman method, the Method of Loci, for remembering and internalizing the declensions and conjugations, important concepts of Latin grammar.

Classical Literacy Exam

2009-09-06T14:55:00.012-04:00

News of a new competition, the Classical Literacy Exam, sponsored by the Albuquerque Academy Latin Honor Society, was recently carried in Torch, the official quarterly magazine of the National Junior Classical League. The Classical Literacy Exam is open to students everywhere and will require no specialized knowledge of the Latin language. Exam topics include Classical mythology, history, culture, some vocabulary derivatives, Latin phrases and abbreviations, and literature. The main emphasis is on Roman civilization, but there will be a few questions about Greek civilization and culture (eg. terms such as agora, Parthenon, and Acropolis on Level I and some brief philosophical references on Level II and III.)

According to Hugh Himwich, who is directing this new initiative, the guiding principle is "to include everything that an educated person should know about the Classical world, even if they unfortunately have never had a Latin class." Of course, if they have studied Latin, "the CLE will be a reward and a delight." There are three levels to the examination.

Contact the exam sponsor to be put on the mailing list to receive an application and study guide. The target for administering the exam is the first week in February (but there is some flexibility for schools that need an alternative date.) Award certificates will be sent in March as well as school book awards for outstanding participation and achievement.

Teachers will grade their own tests and send the results to the CLE headquarters.

According to the advertisement in the Torch, the cost for the exam is fifty cents per student. The format is fill-in-the-blank with the term that matches the definition. The application deadline is January 15, 2010.

The Classical Literacy Exam website is currently under construction and more information is forthcoming soon, so keep checking back for complete details to be posted in the next few weeks.

Dual Source Vocabulary Tool

2009-09-04T11:54:00.001-04:00

For those of you interested in Latin word frequency, Laura Gibbs points out that James Dee of the University of Illinois at Chicago has created A Dual-Source Database of Word Frequencies in Latin. Many of you are aware of Gonzalez Lodge's The Vocabulary of High School Latin and Paul. B. Diederich's The Frequency of Latin Words and their Endings, two often-consulted statistical counts of Latin vocabulary and morphological end forms. Professor Dee's database combines the two and provides the result in Excel spreadsheet form and plain text.

Teaching Latin Efficiently

2009-09-04T11:27:00.003-04:00

Thomas M. Hayes shares a fascinating article on his wiki, Ut Discamus Omnes, entitled "Skinning the Latin Cat." This is a fascinating discussion regarding the two concepts of "disambiguation" and "economy" in teaching Latin morphology, which is a very fancy way of saying "Which endings do we concentrate most of our energy teaching to our students so that they can read and understand Latin efficiently and quickly?" Hayes compares the huge collection of grammatical endings in Latin to a big hardware store full of tools, some that are more likely to be used than others. It's a fascinating article and he discusses some experimentation he has done in the classroom as well as the ramifications of an approach that considers the "bottom line" when teaching forms.

Nicole Curry Named Philadelphia Magazine's 2009 Best of Philly Schools Teacher!

2009-09-03T16:15:00.013-04:00

Philadelphia magazine has named Phoenixville Latin Teacher Nicole Curry as its 2009 Best of Philly Schools teacher! Nicole combines a wacky sense of humor with some serious curriculum, Macte virtute esto! ("Well done! Bless you for your excellence!")

Read more about Nicole at Phillymag.com and see a picture of her dressed in a toga!

Winged Sandals Returns!

2009-08-30T21:04:00.004-04:00

Winged Sandals, which was on hiatus for some time, appears to have returned! Winged Sandals is an educational Greek mythology website produced by ABC, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, in partnership with The University of Melbourne's Centre for Classics and Archaeology. Greatly missed by many Latin and Classics teachers, Winged Sandals features stories about the ancient Greek deities, online games, ideas and templates for offline activities, a "who's-who" database, historical background, animations, and downloadable "goodies" like wallpapers, e-cards, and screensavers.