FAQ: Upcoming Latin Camps and Courses

We've already been getting some questions about Latin Summer Camp. Here a few along with the answers. If you have a question, please feel free to leave it here or email me.

Q: I'm wondering if any of the instruction will be in Latin – if there will be any attempt to discuss readings in Latin – as opposed to speaking in English about the Latin reading. Christendom's Latin immersion summer camp and Wyoming Catholic's Latin program are two examples of schools using this approach.

A: At least this summer, there will not be a strong focus on conversational Latin in the form of class discussions. There will be classroom commands in Latin that the students will have to get used to and be able to respond to. There will be a focus on composition in Levels 2 and 3, which will greatly aid the student who wishes to do conversational Latin as this forces the student to come out of "Translation Mode" and into active production of the language. As with all languages, the passive modes are learned first (naturally): understanding and reading. The active: speaking and writing follow respectively.

For more conversational Latin, I recommend Level 2 or 3 in the fall as there will be question/answer sessions about readings held in Latin. I do plan to offer a conversational Latin course in the spring, but I still have to work out how that approach will work well over the internet as opposed to the classroom. STAY TUNED!

Q: Do you know what books will be used for Latin in the fall? I'm especially interested in Latin III. And when you talk about three levels, would the assumption be that you cover a year's worth of Latin in two 12-week sessions?

A: There will be no books required for Latin in the fall beyond a dictionary. Latin III will be using primary texts for translation, for which I will either upload pdfs or offer weblinks. The composition element will involve the student's production of Latin verse and prose, so again, no book needed.

Yes, a year's worth of Latin will be held in 2 -12 week sessions. Latin I will AT LEAST bring the student through 1-3 noun and adjective declensions and the 1-4 verb conjugations in the present and future tenses. The student will be able to write and translate simple stories in Latin.

Latin II will AT LEAST bring the student through all noun and adjective declensions and all verb tenses/conjugations (active and passive). The student will be able to write and translate histories, stories, poems, and dialogues. The student will understand the grammar presented.

Q: And, one final question, which pronunciation (classical or ecclesiastical) will they be using?

A: Ecclesiastical!!! Ecclesiastical!!! I was trained in a German pronunciation of the Latin, but I am thrilled to teach the ecclesiastical pronunciation of Latin and am preparing for it with vigor!