Latin I

Latin I Courses Available for the 2010-2011 School Year

Latin was the universal language of western civilization for nearly two thousand years. Many of the greatest books of literature, history, science, philosophy, and theology were written in it; until less than a hundred years ago, educated people in every country knew Latin, and through it classical Greek and Roman culture, and this knowledge influenced everything they wrote. A student who learns to read Latin can engage directly with this immense part of our western heritage without relying solely on translations. Latin has supplied more than 60% of the vocabulary of modern English, so a student who learns Latin will be better equipped to read and write English. Studying any new language requires rigor and precision of thought, so a student who learns Latin will be better able to think carefully and logically; as Latin begins to regain its old standing in the schools, more studies show that learning Latin improves SAT and other achievement test scores. Finally, since such languages as Spanish, Italian, and French, are direct descendants of Latin, a student who learns Latin will have an excellent groundwork for studying those modern tongues.

- Wes Callihan, Schola Classical Tutorials

The Latin I Tutorial covers most of basic grammar and syntax and includes readings in Latin, beginning with short passages about ancient history and mythology and progressing to short selections from many ancient authors, including the Vulgate (Latin Bible). The course will include some cultural and historical study about the Roman and medieval world. The class takes the students through the first 24 chapters of Wheelock's Latin.

This online class will include weekly answer keys to the homework, quarterly tests, memorizing the Lord's Prayer and the Apostle's Creed, and the students will be provided with help in preparing for the National Latin Exam in March, if they wish to take it (the NLE is an optional event, in addition to the regular Latin class, which covers some basic Roman History, dress, customs, conversational Latin, common Latin Sayings, ancient Roman geography, etc.).

The course will require about 45 minutes to an hour of study time per day (apart from class time) for most students.

Prerequisite: This course is for students 14 years old and older.

This is a two-hour class which meets once a week (the tutors are always available throughout the week via email, phone, and online message boards set up to give the students an opportunity to discuss the work together and with the tutors). There are two sections of the class (exactly the same) to choose from:

Section A: Mondays 8-9:50 am PST

Section B: Tuesdays 10-11:50 am PST

To register for the class, please email Emily Wells (registrar) at emily at artesian-wells.com