Blog
Where do I start?
I received this question: Dear Dwane, I'm looking to learn Latin. What is the best way to satart? which course i need to take. And,as I dont live in USA can I have my lesson any time that suit to me? Here is my reply: I am so embarrassed. Last week, I discovered that...
Greek?
I received this question: My boys will be entering 9th grade next year. They really want to learn Greek, as we attend a Greek Orthodox Church. However, I saw your posting about learning Latin first. How many years of Latin would they need to take for you to feel...
A stack of Q&A cards…
A few days ago, I received an email full of questions. I suspect many of you have the same questions. Here they are: 1. How much time should we expect to have to devote to Latin 1 daily? Typically, students spend about an hour a day studying. I suggest they do...
Why am I charged during the summer?
When you join one of my online class, you have two payment options. You could pay for the entire year up front. This option comes with a discount. If you hire me to grade your children's work, you will pay $50 a month, or $600 a year. Or, you could opt for a $100...
Good question.
I received this question: If we choose the "no grading" option for your Latin class do I just buy a Lingua Latina answer book to correct myself? Here is my reply: The answer book is really not that helpful. It is also completely in Latin. At the beginning of August,...
Before you join an online class, read this.
There is a little confusion about the online classes that I offer on my site. The classes that I offer on my site are not classes for the faint. They are tough. Very tough. If you are a true beginner to Latin, or if you are younger than 13, begin with Visual...
How will I check my children’s work?
I received this question: Is there an answer key in the back of the lingua latina book? I am trying to figure out what we need for your class and I would prefer to grade my son's assignments myself and save where I can but without an answer key I would be lost....
The breakdown
I received the following question: If I sign up now does the class start in August? When do the charges start? Now or in August? Here is my reply: Most of my students stay with me for three years. Students will typically take Latin 1, 2 and 3 before moving on. At $25...
Abundance
Every year, I teach Latin to hundreds of students using video conferencing technology. It costs about $2,000 a year. In the 1980's I would have paid around $250,000 to purchase a video conferencing system from Compression Labs. Since I would have only been about 10...
No State Vendors.
Every now and then, someone asks me to fill out state vendor paperwork. Sorry. Will not do it. I refuse to deal with any government offices unless I am required to by law (taxes, citizenship, etc.) I am British and American. I am always stunned by the small amount...
How long does the subscription last?
Monthly users have access to everything for one year. Yearly subscribers are charged once annually. However, if you only want to subscribe for one year, and if you want the annual discount, subscribe and contact me. I will cancel annual recurring payments after...
Can adults join the Greek class (and any other class)?
I received this question: I am a homeschooling mom who is interested in taking your Greek class. Do you accept adults in your class? My desire is to go deep into the NT's original language. Thank you! Here is my reply: Hi, Lori! Just discovered that my site was hiding...
Ah… ignorance.
Soooo... I just found out that there is a section on my site called "feedback". Users can ask questions, but Wordpress, in their wisdom, will not allow me to respond. I humbly bow my head in submission. Thank you, Wordpress. Fortunately, I have found a round about...
Latin 3?
I received this email:: Hello, Dwayne. I am curious to know more about your online classes and/or suggestions for my son, who is about to enter his senior year. Through Classical Conversations, he has had Henle Latin I and II; d/t certain circumstances, his class did...
What is the difference between Visual Latin and online classes?
I received this question: One more question for you regarding Visual Latin. Are the DVDs the same as what we would get on the website? Since I am looking at Visual Latin for my oldest and have 4 children, would it be wise to purchase the Visual Latin DVDs? Or is it...
After Visual Latin.
I received this question: After my son completes both Visual Latin 1 and 2, would he be able to successfully switch to Henle 2-4 to continue his Latin if he wishes to go further? Do you have plans to make higher levels of Visual Latin in the next couple of years, or...
The reading box.
One of my daughters reads a lot. She has a problem. The more she reads, the more she wants to read. Sometimes she has a hard time deciding which book to read next. Last week she told me that she had solved her problem. Whenever she comes across a book she wants to...
Go forth and have no fear.
I didn't send a tip of the week last Saturday because... reasons. After four months away, my family and I are home now. I went to see if I could teach online from overseas. The experiment worked. Before leaving I was warned by many. Don't do it. It's too dangerous....
The real reason.
Ah. Now it all makes sense. https://youtu.be/EkpS-yBj7gY
Errata: Quiz 33
I received the following email regarding Visual Latin, quiz 33: I have 2 questions. On question 4 of Test 33 I feel like the question wasn’t specified enough. Latin numbers spelled use latin endings but the actual numbers are just letters. I got the question wrong...
The Two Parthenon’s and You.
There are only two full-sized Parthenon's in the world. One is in Athens. It's the original. Perhaps you have heard of it. The other Parthenon is located in Nashville, Tennessee. It's close to my home. Greece has taught me much over the last three months. One...
Why I’ll Never Feel Bad About My Vacation Spending
Came across this article this morning. I had a similar experience. After watching my father and my father-in-law die, both in their 60's, I decided that time really was more important than money. I can earn, or figure out how to earn, more money. I have never been...
Kit.com
I am not personally a big fan of buying stuff. Especially stuff I don't need. But, to do a job well, sometimes you need certain tools. I don't mind buying the tools necessary to get the job done. The problem is, sometimes I am not exactly sure what tools are best...
Can I finish Visual Latin in one summer?
I received this question: How many hours a day will my son need to spend to get Latin I and possibly Latin II done this summer before high school entrance? Here is my reply: If you are using Visual Latin, here is what I recommend. At 60 lessons, your son could finish...
The Pledge
For seven years, or so, I spent evenings and Saturdays behind one of these: This outdoor leaf vacuum was part of one of the odd jobs I took. I took on many odd jobs to rescue my family from financial ruin. You see, for years, I had a bad financial habit. I taught in...
Midterms and Finals.
Recently, someone asked if there were midterm exams, or final exams for Visual Latin. Here is my reply: Here is my reply: Currently, there are no “official” midterm exams or final exams. However, I recommend taking quiz/test 30 as a midterm exam, and quiz/test 60...
Don’t dither.
In many ways, I left America to cut myself off from daily unproductive habits. Ran across this quote the other day. Sort of sums up what I have been thinking. "Time in the wild reminds me of how much of what I ordinarily do is mere dithering, how much of what I own...
A friend in Athens…
My family and I have been in Athens, Greece now for a little over a week. We have never lived in a city this large (over 4 million people) and we have much to learn. So far, we have adapted well and are really enjoying our time here. A friend of mine, David Durham...
Large-scale education
"Our current system of teaching kids to sit in straight rows and obey instructions isn’t a coincidence—it was an investment in our economic future. The plan: trade short-term child-labor wages for longer-term productivity by giving kids a head start in doing what...
Caesar’s Gallic Bore
The other day, this comment popped up on my YouTube account: "I'm currently in my second year of Latin and so far I know a lot about the Romans slaughtering the Gauls...annnd beautiful words such as caedis and occiderunt :)" In case you are wondering, caedis means...
In Athens
I have quite a bit of catching up to do. If you are waiting for an email from me, you will hear from me soon. You have not been forgotten. 🙂 Turns out, I am not a very good travel writer. I always thought I could do it. Now, I am not so sure. Before leaving...
On the road.
If you are waiting for a response from me... it may be a few days. My family and I are moving to a new place in Athens and we are in transition for a few days. Back soon.
What other choice do you have?
https://youtu.be/T24DPU-hkJM
What if we told students the truth?
Once again, I am reading Seth Godin's book, Stop Stealing Dreams. Once again, I am kicking myself for not reading it every month. Here is chapter 26. It's short. It's worth your time. Any emphasis is mine. ===================================================...
Final Grades
My online classes officially ended last Thursday morning at 2 a.m. Five years ago, I started teaching online. Because I was in the classroom all day long, I could only teach in the afternoons and evenings. When I moved my family to Greece, those "afternoon"...
Grading?
I received this question: What exactly is "grading"? Is it automated? What is graded? Or is it an end of class grade? Here's my reply: I have added dozens of quizzes to my site, and will soon be adding more. These quizzes are automatically graded by my site. ...
An American in Paros
I have not written much about our time over here in Greece. There are several reasons for this. First of all, I am still working over here. I still spend 25 to 30 hours a week answering emails. I am also still teaching. And, quite honestly, teaching has...
Caesar’s Gallic Snore
I received this question: I might have contacted you last year about Latin, I cannot recall. At any rate, my goal is to have my children be able to read ancient Latin texts and translate them into English. They have had a bit of Henle I and I think it is safe to say...
Greek 2016
I am drastically altering my Greek course for the upcoming year. I am glad you did not get involved with the last one. The book was, in my opinion, awful. I will recommend it as a reader in the future, but will never teach from it again. That said, here is what I...
While you are waiting…
Today I received this question: "What would you suggest my children until the are ready for Visual Latin in a year or so?" That's easy. Spanish, French or Italian. You can do it all for free right here: https://www.duolingo.com/courses I doubt Latin would even be...
How to pronounce the Latin alphabet.
Someone emailed me recently. She wanted to know how to pronounce the Latin alphabet. I should have sent her this: https://youtu.be/FpWvB6lX1sw Yep. You read that correctly. That is how you pronounce the Italian alphabet. Correct. And, that is also how the...
Logging into my site via phone.
I spent about two hours the other day trying to figure this out. Seriously. Thanks for making this so easy WordPress. (Add your own sarcastic tone.) Then, a user emailed me. She told me about the easiest solution ever. It's easy. Simply click this...
From Henle Latin to Lingua Latina?
I received this question: While we have used Henle, I do not feel the need to stick with it just because that is where we started. Would there be a benefit to taking the Lingua Latina class instead of Henle 2? And if so, is it available for grading..since you...
Flash Cards
Instead of standing aimlessly in line at the bank, the checkout line, or the department of motor vehicles, you could learn. You could learn a lot. Especially if you are at the DMV. https://youtu.be/k3A_pzCUwRA I use the Quizlet app to learn new vocabulary while...
I like helping people
I received this question: My son is currently taking your Lingua Latina online class. This fall I will add two more kids and son #1 will move on to LL 20+ . Did I read correctly that there is a$500 family fee? Does this change if you grade all three? Thanks for your...
How many hours per week?
I received this email: To make a long story short, I found Visual Latin online and my daughter and I both loved the samples we viewed. While asking questions on The Well Trained Mind forums about the program, I was referred here to your blog where I found your live...
Could I see an example class?
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 my students want to further their Latin studies. That's where the site comes in. Every year I...
Happy Mother’s Day!
Every Saturday I send out a "Tip of the Week". Unless, I don't. Yesterday was a long day. I was exhausted and mentally foggy. At the end of the day, I crashed, forgetting to send a "Tip of the Week." So, I'm sending one out this morning, on Mother's Day. I realize...
Schedule update
Schedule update: I have decided not to teach Henle Latin 3 next year. Henle Latin 1 and Henle Latin 2 are torture enough. I can't even imagine the thought of adding Henle Latin 3. Just typing the paragraph above released truckloads of endorphins into my system and...
Every day now…
I received this question: Hi, My son took a Henle Latin class last year. He really struggled with Henle. If I purchase the monthly subscription for $25 will that give me access to the videos for Henle for my oldest son and the Lingua Latina videos for my 2nd and 3rd...