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Visual Latin and the Latin Endings

From time to time I get questions about the complicated Latin endings.  Students want to know if there is a place to find them all.  Turns out, there is. If you go here, and scroll down, you will find some Latin charts I made some time ago.  The charts are free.  Here...

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Could I see an example class?

People are often confused by all that I offer.  I get that.  It's confusing.Here's what's going on.Visual Latin is a professionally filmed series.  I do not personally sell it.  It is available here from Compass Classroom.Once they have completed Visual Latin many of...

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Spring Break: April 1-5

I still can't send out mass emails, so I am just letting everyone know here. If you are in any of the live classes on my site, we will be out next week for Spring Break. Spring Break: April 1-5.  No classes. Back to classes on April 8. Classes officially end May 10,...

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What happened to the Tip of the Week?

For about a decade, I sent out a "Tip of the Week". Sometimes the "Tip of the Week" was something I found helpful for language study.   Often, it was just something I found helpful.  It could be about any topic, really. About a month ago,  Google and Mail Chimp, the...

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Jumping ahead

A local student is interested in jumping ahead in French.  It's possible.  This is how to do it. https://vimeo.com/918742672?share=copy

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Goals: Latin to the Rescue

Last year I wrote a book on goal setting.  I am now in the process of editing that book.  As I edit, I will post excerpts here on my blog.  This is from chapter four: _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Latin...

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Word of the Day #117: Oubliette

In a French class this morning, my students and I learned the French word for forget: oublier. We spent a few minutes talking about the word.  Oublier, the French verb, comes from the Latin verb meaning the same thing, obliviscor.  Forgetful, in Latin, is oblitus....

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Word of the Day #116: Apanthropy

Raining hard in Tennessee today.  On days like this my apanthropy usually kicks in. Apanthropy is the desire to be alone, a love of solitude.  Apanthropy comes from two Greek words.  The preposition ἀπό (apo) means “away from”.   Ἄνφροπος (anthropos), which you may...

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Word of the Day #115: Fiancée

Someone once said, "English is a German language with a Latin vocabulary." We can see the truth of that statement in the word fiancée.  This word came up this morning in a French class I teach. In French, a fiancée is a woman who has promised to marry.  The masculine...

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Goals: One Meal a Day

Last year I wrote a book on goal setting.  I am now in the process of editing that book.  As I edit, I will post excerpts here on my blog.  This is from chapter four: _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Why...

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Word of the Day #114: Exhaust

Exhaust: to drain; to deplete. This morning, in a Latin class, we came across the Latin verb exhaurire.  Exhaurire is Latin for drawing out, emptying, or draining.  Exhaurire itself is a combination of the preposition ex, meaning 'out of' and haurire, meaning to draw...

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Word of the Day #112: Snow

Snow: small, soft, white flakes of ice falling from the sky. This word has been in our language since the beginning.  In Old English, snow was snaw. English is a Germanic language.  Finding similar words in the Germanic languages, then, comes as no surprise. German:...

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Word of the Day #111: Santa Claus

Santa Claus: the legendary patron saint of children The name Santa Claus first shows up in American English in 1773.  Before then, Santa Claus was known as Sante Klaas, which itself comes from the old Dutch name for the saint: Sinter Niklaas.  Today, in Holland, he is...

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Word of the Day #110: Calendar

Calendar: a system for measuring the days and months of the year. Calendar comes from the only word in Latin that uses the letter K, Kalendae.  The Kalendae, to the Romas, was the first day of the month.  It was also the day debts were due and accounts were reckoned....

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Word of the Day #109: December

December: the twelfth and final month of the year December comes from the same root word that gives us the English decade (a period of ten years), decennial (occurring every ten years), decimal (to the tenth place), and dime (ten cents). December means: the tenth...

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Tip of the Week #284: Dreaming Spanish

Like never before, I am attempting to level up in Spanish.  Compass classroom and I want to produce some thing like Visual Latin, for Spanish. It's been a dream for sometime. Unfortunately, my Spanish skills are the hold up.  I still have a much to learn. One site I...

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Word of the Day #108: Noel

Noel: the period from December 24 to January 6. I have to admit, I did not know this was the definition of Noel until I did some research for this word. Noel came up the other day in a French class I am taking.  The teacher was telling us about the French 'Santa...

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Tip of the Week #283: No Degree? No Problem!

In my never-ending quest for alternatives to college, I recently discovered the No Degree podcast. In the podcast, the host interviews people who opted out of college, and found success.   If you decide to check it out, I recommend this episode...

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Word of the Day #107: Advent

Advent An awaited arrival; an important arrival. The season or period of the Christian calendar between Advent Sunday and Christmas. The word advent comes from the Latin word adventus.  Adventus, in Latin, is an arrival, an approach, a visit, or an appearance....

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Goals: a lifestyle move

Last year I wrote a book on goal setting.  I am now in the process of editing that book.  As I edit, I will post excerpts here on my blog.  This is from chapter four: _______________________________________________________________________________________________...

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Word of the Day #106: Cookie

This week, in a French class I attend, another student wanted to know how to say "cookie" in French. I expected the teacher to respond with le biscuit.  Instead, he responded with le petit gateau.  In French, the word for cake is gateau.  A cookie, then, is a little...

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Goals: What to Eat

Last year I wrote a book on goal setting.  I am now in the process of editing that book.  As I edit, I will post excerpts here on my blog.  This is from chapter four: _______________________________________________________________________________________________ What...

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Word of the Day #105: Eisenhower

Not long ago, in a German class, we learned the German word for iron, Eisen. Railroad, for example, in German is Eisenbahn.  Eisenbahn, a combination of Eisen (iron) and Bahn (road, or way) is the iron road. I thought of the name of one of our former presidents,...

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Word of the Day #104: Confetti

Confetti: small pieces of paper thrown into the air during celebrations. This word came up in a Latin class this morning.  A student wanted to know if confetti came from confitieri, the Latin word for confession.  It does not. Instead, confetti comes from the Italian...

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