You can learn Latin without the help of a teacher if you really put in the effort. You just need to get the right textbook, learn from the problems, and practice writing and reading Latin as much as you can. While friends or family members may not be good study partners, practicing speaking Latin will improve your fluency. If you are active, you can quickly become fluent in Latin.
Step
Step 1. Get a Latin textbook for beginners with lots of questions and answer keys
The answer key is very important because you don't have a teacher to check the answers.
- Wheelock's Latin is a popular textbook with an answer key on the back. This is the best book for solo study because it contains a lot of study material as well as group study on the internet.
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There are also several textbooks with answer keys available in the following public domains:
- B. L. D'Ooge, Latin for Beginners + answer key
- J. G. Adler, “A Practical Grammar of the Latin Language” + answer key (with audio and other sources)
- C. G. Gepp, “Henry's First Latin Book” + answer key
- AH. Monteith, Ahn's Method First Course + answer key, Ahn's Method Second Course + answer key.
Step 2. Read each lesson, work on each question, check the answers, and memorize them
It would take at least several months to finish this book, even years. At school, Wheelock's Latin was used in several classes over several semesters.
Step 3. Look at your textbook
There are two notions of learning that have different methods. The first method focuses on disciplined and orderly exposition of grammar and vocabulary, relying heavily on memorization. Wheelock's Latin and most other old textbooks such as D'Ooge's Latin for Beginners fall into this category. The second method focuses on reading, and relies heavily on the teacher, and does not rely too much on memorization. The Cambridge Latin Course are examples of textbooks that fall into this category, for example the Athenaze series in Greek and Lingua Latina per se Illustrata. This method is similar to the teaching methodology of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.
Step 4. Choose the method that works best for you
The advantage of the first method is that you can develop without a teacher, and textbooks available in the public domain use this method. The downside is the effort required to learn and the potential for you to lose interest is enormous. The second method is useful if you want to start reading right away, learning only the grammar and vocabulary needed to read a particular passage. Teacher assistance is highly recommended to guide students if certain grammatical principles have not been learned, and textbooks using this method are rarely found in the public domain.
Step 5. When you have finished your textbook, look for an easy read
Here are some suggestions from us:
- Jacob, Latin Reader Part I and Part II.
- Ritchie, Fabulae Faciles (simple story)
- Lhomond, De Viris Illustribus (used by elementary school equivalents to learn Latin).
- Latin Vulgate Bible
Step 6. Reach a certain level of fluency once you have built a basic vocabulary and mastered the principles of Latin grammar
This is the most important and most difficult step. You are no longer just translating sentences in your head to understand the contents of the reading. In other words, you have to learn to think in Latin. The way to achieve this is by immersion. Since Latin is a dead language, immersion can only be accomplished by reading and understanding large amounts of Latin text. There is an Assimil course for Latin that uses immersion and is great for self-taught. However, this book is out of print. You can buy used books or search the internet for the books and audio (available in French and Italian only).
Schola Latina Universalis (distance learning with translations in English and Spanish using the Assimil course)
Step 7. Be fluent in your Latin, even though not many people speak this language anymore
Pronouncing a language is the best language fluency practice.
Schola (follow the first link) (chat rooms and forums)
Step 8. Create your own personal Latin dictionary as you read
Only add words and phrases that are new to you. It is useful to make separate notes for words that have different meanings and phrases that have unique meanings.
Step 9. Read famous novels in Latin to keep your interest in learning
If you read all of these novels, your Latin fluency will improve.:
- Insula Thesauraria (Treasure Island); as well as here, and here.
- Rebilius Crusoe (Robinson Crusoe)
- Pericla Navarchi Magonis (Les Aventures du Capitaine Magon)
- Mysterium Arcae Boulé (The Mystery of the Boulé cabinet)
- Harrius Potter et Philosophi Lapis (Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone aka Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone)
- Harry Potter et Camera Secretorum (Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets aka Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets)
Step 10. You can switch to classical Latin readings when you feel comfortable reading them
Some authors' works are easier to read than others. Try starting with Caesar's De Bello Gallico and Cicero's Orations.
Tips
- When you're still studying a textbook, you have to memorize a lot of things: declination, conjugation, vocabulary. There are no shortcuts. This is where your motivation comes into play.
- Latin is a language that is poor in vocabulary. That is, one word can mean many things. It also means that Latin has many phrases that need to be learned in a vocabulary-like manner. You'll find discourses where you know what each word means, but the overall meaning doesn't make much sense. This is because you misunderstood one of the words, or you don't understand the phrase and only understand the words that make up the sentence. For example, hominem e medio tollere means to kill someone, but for those who don't know this phrase, they will read it as "removing someone from the middle."
- The dictionary is selected according to the reading to be read. If you're only interested in classical Latin, get Lewis' Elementary Latin Dictionary or the Oxford Latin Dictionary, if you can. However, if you are only interested in ancient, medieval, renaissance and neo-Latin Latin, you should get Lewis and Short's Latin Dictionary. Otherwise, you'll have to settle for Cassell's writing dictionary (which isn't very useful) or a pocket dictionary. Unfortunately, your choice is unclear due to the few good and cheap Lewis and Short substitute dictionaries. If you can speak French, Grand Gaffiot is quite affordable and more useful than other translated dictionaries.
- Don't underestimate the value of Latin script. Even if your goal is to learn to read, you shouldn't neglect the practice of translating sentences into Latin. Latin composition is a great way to learn the rules of syntax.
- Don't read poetry until you've mastered prose. You can't teach someone to read Shakespeare if you can't read an English newspaper. The same is true for Latin.
- Review vocabulary regularly. Read word lists or rote cards so you can review them on buses, toilets, places of worship, etc.
- Don't learn too fast. One lesson per day is enough. If you speed up the lesson, nothing will be memorized. On the other hand, do not be too slow so that there is progress and do not forget the previous lesson. Schedule one lesson per week, or whatever works for you.
- If your practice answers don't match the answer keys, it looks like you're missing something. Come back and review your lesson.
