The Controversial Macron

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?

Reaping a "Total Latin Harvest"

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.)"

New Issue of "Teaching Classical Languages" Now Online

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."

Joyful Latin Learning!

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

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.

Latin for Children

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.)

Colonial American Latin Curriculum

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.

Methodological Considerations for Learning Latin

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.

Teaching Latin Efficiently

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.

Classis, Autumn 2009, Volume XVI, No. 3 on the Teaching of Latin

Thanks to Karen Moore's Latin Alive! blog for pointing this journal out!

The Autumn 2009 issue of Classis, the quarterly journal of the Association of Classical Christian Schools, Volume XVI, No. 3, is a special edition featuring articles focusing on the teaching of Latin.

The issue opens with an excerpt from Dorothy Sayer's "Lost Tools of Learning" followed by six articles on Latin pedagogy:

1) Latin: Training Skilled Communicators (Patch Blakey, ACCS)
2) Latin: Beyond the SAT Score (Peter H. Vande Brake, North Hills Classical Academy)
3) The Best Way to Improve Any Latin Class (Timothy L. Griffith, New St. Andrews College)
4) Latin III at Westminster Academy (Michael Johnson, Westminster Academy)
5) Interdisciplinary Measures: the Integration of Latin (Ginny Kent, Covenant Classical Christian School)
6) How 'Bout Them Apples (Eric Indgjerd, The Oaks: A Classical Christian Academy)

"The Best Way to Improve Any Latin Class" is particularly interesting: "The first and most important task of a Latin teacher is to learn Latin himself." Mr. Griffith gives suggestions for a program of study for Latin teachers which includes rigorous attention to grammar and vocabulary, daily reading, and attendance at a Conventiculum.

"How 'Bout Them Apples" sings the praises of Hans Oerberg's Lingua Latina Per Se Illustrata, as a text that enables teachers to teach and students to learn "Latin Latinly in the classroom." Mr. Indgjerd sympathizes with Dorothy Sayers, who grieved that classical Latin remained puzzling even after nearly two decades of study and suggests that if she had been able to use Oerberg's method, she would have found her studies more fruitful.

(Escondido Tutorial Service has the full text of Sayer's Lost Tools of Learning online.)

Latin 2.0 Personal Learning Networks

As part of Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers' Summer Webinar Series for Latin Teachers, Laura Gibbs will be presenting "Latin 2.0: Personal Learning Networks" on Thursday, July 30, 6:00-8:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

Wondering what all the Web2.0 fuss is about? Curious about blogs, tweets, wikis, widgets and nings? This webinar will provide a hands-on introduction to the world of Web2.0 as it is changing the face of Classics, Latin, and Greek online. Participants will look at the the free, easy-to-use tools that allow educators to put content online without any specialized training: create a blog, build a wiki, share your photos and Powerpoints online - instantly, for free. Visit WebClassics.pbwiki.com to find out more, and help plan this webinar to make it more useful for you!

To register, please visit http://www.bolchazy.com/webinars.html. Tuition is $99.00 for the live, interactive session. If you have any questions about how webinars work, technical specs, and the like, please email Andrew Reinhard, Director of eLearning, Bolchazy Carducci.

Who Should Study Latin?

There are those who still believe that Latin is an incredibly difficult subject and only suitable for the academically talented.

However, many students with disabilities want to study Latin too and should be encouraged to try and given the tools to succeed! (Remember, everyone spoke Latin in ancient Rome, not just the intellectuals!) In the United States, everyone is entitled to a free and appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment (which is a placement made by a multidisciplinary team and could be a self-contained or mainstream classroom.) If you are a public school teacher and have a student with an individualized education plan, you have an important role that you must carry out and you are obligated to follow the provisions in that document.

Many students with learning disabilities are quite capable of learning a foreign language. Teachers may need to expand their repertoire of teaching strategies as well as learn about different types of accommodations and modifications, but of course, the result of this is a better-informed professional and a higher quality of teaching for every student.

"While beginning Latin teachers are not trained to diagnose learning disabilities, they should begin to find and use strategies that help students with common learning differences to succeed in their classes. When confronted with a particularly puzzling or unfamiliar case, the beginning Latin teacher should know where to turn (both at school and in the larger community) for assistance. Beginning teachers also need to be aware that some students' learning differences may manifest themselves for the first time when they begin to study another language. Like all teachers, they must be proficient at applying mandated accommodations for students with learning disabilities or differences." (Standards for Classical Teaching, Draft 1, page 13)

Here are some resources for teachers who want to learn more about teaching inclusively:

Latin for Students with Learning Disabilities, a detailed brochure from the Classical Association of the Middle West and South.

When Dead Tongues Speak: Teaching Beginning Greek and Latin See especially Chapter 3, "Latin For Students With Severe Learning Disabilities." However, the entire book is invaluable and well worth reading! (This book is readily obtainable from the publisher as well as Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, and other large bookstores)

Here's a powerful story about the example of high standards set by a Latin teacher, Garry LeGates, who happens to be blind. When he first started looking for a teaching job, he initially had a difficult time obtaining a position. He recently retired after thirty years.

Althea Ashe wrote a chapter for Latin in the 21st Century (editor, Richard A. LaFleur) entitled "Latin for Special Needs Students: Meeting the Challenge of Students with Learning Disabilities." Read an archived story about Dr. Ashe in the Athens Online from Athens Daily News. (Order Latin in the 21st Century directly from the publisher; for some reason, online bookstore prices are significantly inflated for this title. It lists for about $35 from the publisher.)

Ginny Lindzey reveals a secret about teaching Latin on her blog: "Don't believe lines like this, that it's the easiest job and all the students are highly motivated." According to Ginny, "It's a lot of work." (At the same time, she also notes "there are rewards...there are definitely rewards...")

Read this blog entry by a dad whose wife is teaching their learning disabled son Latin. He has some interesting things to say about the power of motivation. Pretty informative blog too!

Also see Ronnie Ancona's article “Latin and a Dyslexic Student: An Experience in Teaching,”Classical World 76 (1982), 33-36. (Not available online.)

Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic has accessible audiobooks for students with documented visual impairment, dyslexia or learning disabilities, including a number of Latin textbooks: Ecce Romani Vols I-III (2005 and 2009 editions available); Latin for Americans, Vols 1-3; More Greek and Latin Roots: Teaching Vocabulary to Improve Reading Comprehension; Oxford Latin Course, Parts 1-3; Wheelocks Latin, 6th Ed., Revised; A Song of War Readings from Vergil's Aeneid; Cambridge Latin Course, Units 1-4; Wheelock's Latin Reader Selections from Latin Literature, 2nd Ed. There are also a number of books on Ancient Greek and Roman culture.

An excellent resource for audio books that are in the public domain (and free, with no restrictions) is Librivox, where you can find many Classically-themed materials: for example, Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome by E.M. Berens; Famous Men of Rome and Famous Men of Greece by John H. Haaren; Gibbon's History of the Decine and Fall of the Roman Empire; Bulfinch's Mythology. Plutarch's Lives and other titles of interest to Classics teachers are currently in production.

Hilary McColl maintains a comprehensive website devoted to modern foreign language learning and inclusion. Latin teachers are still likely to find much of value at her website, which explores the benefits of learning a second language and offers a number of suggestions for improving learning and teaching practices.

"Children with Autism: Strategies for Accessing the Curriculum, Modern Foreign Languages" is a document prepared by the Northwest Regional Special Education Needs Partnership in the United Kingdom.

Mobility International USA offers ideas on helping disabled students access foreign languages and also has a number of inclusive travel tips for going on overseas trips.

Latin, It's Not Just for the Romans Anymore!

Most people would be surprised to know that more Latin literature was written by Europeans in the millennium after the fall of Rome (circa 476 AD) than during the preceding thousand years of Roman might! (I was!) A compelling case for The Importance of Post-Antique Latin, the Latin of Western Europe after the fall of Rome in 476 AD, is made on the Latin for the New Millennium site. (Click on "Why Learn Antique Latin?" on the splash page.) According to this article, by learning the Latin language, students not only have an insight into the ancient world, but the Middle Ages, Renaissance and Enlightenment as well!

Some Advice on Teaching Caesar

Professor William Harris, late of Middlebury College, wrote a short essay Gaius Julius Caesar that is well worth spending some time reading. Professor Harris provides some background relating how he believes Caesar's Gallic Wars came to be the "sine qua non" upon which Latin studies were based in the U.S. in the 19th century. He also gives some advice regarding teaching the content of De Bello Gallico, as well as the technicalities of Caesarian grammar.

At the same site, also see A Note on Caesar as Stylist.

Objections to Caesar from the Past

Some may question whether Caesar is too easy for the AP Latin Literature course.

Throughout the 2oth century, many second year Latin books based their content upon Caesar's Gallic Wars. It is clear that for over a century, Latin teachers and professors have dealt with the question of the place of Caesar's writings in the Latin curriculum.

As early as 1916, Josiah Bethea Game wrote in Teaching High School Latin: "Classes are often not ready for Caesar at the opening of the second year...Caesar is more difficult Latin than its place in the course of study would indicate...It really ought to be given in the third year, for it is the rock on which unnumbered thousands of faithful pupils have gone to pieces utterly." (p. 76)

Moving Caesar to Advanced Placement status may at least allow teachers to finally admit that Caesar is actually quite difficult for second year students.

Another criticism of Caesar is that his material is actually fairly dry and dull.

Game spends most of his time in the chapter discussing second year Latin on how to teach Caesar effectively, admitting that "if you work under a course of study which absolutely fixes the work in Caesar, you will of course be forced to do the best you can." He notes that students don't usually learn much about Roman civilization in a Caesar course and that it is imperative that they spend time reading something other than Caesar or they may end up "feeling that Latin is of limited value." He strongly suggests that students prepare contextual themes to present to the class in order to provide coherence to the course.

Charles Bennett (perhaps the greatest champion of the grammar-based philosophy of teaching Latin) even conceded the weaknesses of Caesar while continuing to support his placement in the curriculum.

He enumerates several objections to Caesar (and especially De Bello Gallico) in The Teaching of Latin and Greek in the Secondary School (1911): "a) Caesar is undeniably difficult...b) Caesar is not interesting," and "c) the bearing of Caesar's narrative is not obvious," (pp. 112-113) summing it all up thus: "Caesar...is regarded by many as unique in its combination of difficulty, its dullness and its dearth of information." However, Bennett ultimately concludes that there is value in reading Caesar's Latin for his "purity of diction" and "accuracy of style" (p. 114.)

Bolchazy Summer Webinar Series 2009

Bolchazy-Carducci is presenting a series of eleven Webinars by and for Latin teachers this summer. Click below to see details on how to sign up.

Cambridge Latin Summer Workshop 2009

The theme for this summer's Cambridge Summer Workshop (July 13-16) is "Training for a Championship Season in the Latin Classroom."  The workshop will take place at the Wyndham Hotel, University Place, Pittsburgh, PA, near the University of Pittsburgh. 

Session topics include: Reading Strategies at All Levels; The Planning and Teaching of Particular Stages; Varied Assessments; Vocabulary Acquisition and Derivatives, Culture; Language Activities; and Technology in the Classroom.  There will also be optional sessions on Powerpoint and audiovisual supplements to the course.  

For more information, tuition costs, registration forms, and more visit the North American Cambridge Classics Project.

Recreate Caesar's Legion in Your Classroom!

T.J. Howell has some imaginative suggestions for teaching Caesar, including setting up seating charts to resemble Roman battle lines! There are also suggestions for bulletin boards and props, as well as a bibliography. T.J. has also written two lesson plans, based upon Caesar's Gallic Wars: Decision at Alesia, which explores Caesar's perspectives of the motivations of the Gauls; and Roman Heroics, which is based upon Caesar's only campaign in Gaul that fails.

Remember, the Ides of March are approaching! See past blog entries keyed to Caesar for some interesting resources.

Cambridge Latin As Viewed from Space!

Latin teachers who would like to teach across the curriculum and make connections between science and the ancient world during this International Year of Astronomy 2009 may wish to take a look at David Parson's compilation of NASA Photos for Classics Lessons. David has listed links to a number of space shuttle photographs of particular interest to Cambridge Latin Course students.

Be sure to check out the rest of Classics Teaching Resources, as you'll find a treasure trove of teaching aids here, plus excerpts from the still relevant writings of W.H.D. Rouse, founder of the Association foR Latin Teaching (including sample chapters from Latin on the Direct Method and a terrific collection of Latin Chanties to sing in your classroom!)

Felicem natalem diem, Dr. Seuss!

Susan Larson, a columnist in the Gwinnett Daily Post, writes a birthday tribute to the creator of the Cat in the Hat (March 1, 2009, There's No Excuse Not to Know Dr. Seuss) which leads her into the classroom of Latin teacher, Robert Patrick, who teaches the ancient language as a living, spoken tongue.