Support

If you have multiple children and want each one to have an account on the site to keep track of their progress separately, here’s how:

• After signing in to your account, click on the Members menu and go to Account Info.
• On the resulting screen, click on the Subscriptions link.
• On that page, you should see an orange button that says “Sub-Accounts.” Click it.
• Add each child’s info and make sure you enter a unique email address for each child. Don’t use your own.
• Each child will receive a welcome email at the email address you entered for them that will allow them to choose their password.
• To log out one student and switch to your account or another student’s account, just click the Member Login button on the home page (with the door on it). This will automatically log out the current user and allow you to enter the login info for the new user.

• Go to the Members menu and choose Account Info. After that, click on the Subscriptions link on the resulting page, and you’ll see a screen like this…
• 
• Click the Update link circled in yellow above, and you’ll end up a screen like the one below where you can input new information.
• 

Yes. For a limited time, you should be able to restart an old subscription on the new website. To do so, click the Member Login link on the home page and put in your old username and password. This will allow the site to “recognize” you, but you won’t have access to the Member areas yet. Next, just click “Join” in the main menu, and scroll down to the “Join Now” button on the resulting page. Enter your credit card information, and your membership subscription will start again.

Keep in mind, if you cancel in the future, the new site will erase your account completely, and you won’t be able to rejoin like above. We’re just doing this during the new site transition period. The good news is that all you have to do to get lifetime access is keep your paid subscription running for 36 consecutive months. After that, your payments end, but your access continues.

Yes!

All the classes are recorded.  So you could skip class and still “attend.”  

You would miss the live interaction between myself and the students, but, honestly, this is a distraction for many students. Many students may do better without the live interaction.  

If you need a grade for this class, she would simply need to take the tests available for each chapter.

I received this inquiry:

“Which of the two “Latin 1” courses you teach would you recommend for a high school credit for a young man?  HenleLatin or Lingua Latina.”

Here is my reply:

The short answer: Lingua Latina.

The long answer:

Two of my girls just finished a local astronomy class.

I don’t think I ever saw them more eager to start a class.  In the fall, they were super excited.  They could not wait to begin.

By the Spring, they were frustrated, tired, and ready to pull out.  I don’t think I ever saw them more eager to get out of a class.

So… what happened?

It wasn’t the instructor.  He didn’t change over the course. Throughout the class, he maintained high energy levels.  Each week, he was eager to teach astronomy.

It was the book.

In the beginning, the instructor created the class from his own knowledge of astronomy, from his own notes, and from his own experience.

At the beginning of the Spring semester, he shifted gears.  He based the second semester on a textbook.

Almost immediately, my girls lost interest in astronomy.  In order to find out what went wrong, I spent some time in the book.  It did not take long to find out why their interest tanked.

The high school textbook killed their love of learning.  Their interest in astronomy died.

Have you ever noticed this?  I call it the “textbook effect.”

Take any fascinating subject.   Hand that subject to a bunch of tenured bureaucratic university professors.  Ask them to create a textbook.  Once they have created the book, send it to a committee for review.  The committee will likely consist of tenured bureaucratic university professors.

(As one author says, “Never forget that a camel is a horse designed by a committee.”)

By the time the “textbook” reaches the students, anything interesting will have been successfully removed.  And, just like the previous sentence, the book will be in the passive voice.  This makes everything a bit more boring.

Okay, now we are ready.  Hand the book to students.  Watch their love of learning plummet.

Another success for the tax-funded bureaucratic school system.

I don’t know if First Year Latin by Robert Henle went through this process, but it sure looks like it did.

I am finishing up another year teaching Henle Latin, and I have to say… I can’t wait for summer!

Henle Latin will likely have the “textbook effect” on your kids.  Unless you must read it, don’t read it.  The book is boring.  Much of the instruction is in the passive voice.

There is an alternative.

If you want to learn Latin, go with Lingua Latina.

I am finishing up another year teaching Lingua Latina, and I have to say… I am dreading summer!

I taught two Latin classes yesterday.  One was filled with passive voice grammar instruction, dry facts, and complicated terms describing simple Latin concepts.  Henle.

In the other class, a ship in the Mediterranean was running as fast as possible from pirates.  The Captain was studying the sky, hoping the wind would shift so that he could rely on the strength of his rowers instead of relying on the wind.  You see, in a previous chapter, a storm had damaged the ship’s rigging.  The sails on the pirate ship worked just fine.  They were closing the gap.  On the running ship was a fugitive slave, fearful of crucifixion, a merchant who had lost it all, and a Christian girl calling on the name of Christ.  She hoped He could deliver them from evil.  Yep.  You guessed it.  That chapter is in Lingua Latina.

Henle Latin and Lingua Latina will both teach you Latin.  Lingua Latina, however, will not bore you to death.

Even better, it will not kill your interest in Latin.

Do you want to endure Latin?  Or, do you want to enjoy Latin?

If you have a choice… go with Lingua Latina.

Fortunately, on my site, you do not have to choose.  You can take both classes.  You can come to the Henle classes as well as the Lingua Latina classes.

This is because, I only charge per family… not per student, and not per class.   A subscription grants access to every  live class I teach. It also grants access to all of the previous class on my site.  

Typically, students spend about an hour a day studying.   I suggest they do this six days a week.   I suggest they take Sundays off.

“Level of maturity needed for course? Age range? I have a group of 3 boys interested in possibly taking the course together (ages 11- 13). Would you suggest this course for them? If not, what is your opinion of a curriculum called Latin for Children – Primer A (Classical & Ecclesiastical Pronunciation) by A. Larsen & C. Perrin? Have you heard of it?”    

I require students to be age 13 at the least.  

Through years of experience, I have discovered that it’s just way too much for anyone younger than 13.  

I will make exceptions to that rule so long as the parents are willing to vouch for the maturity of their children.   The parents also have to be willing to take responsibility if the course is just too much.  

I am familiar with Latin for children.   If you are going to teach your children Latin, I recommend it.  

Of course, I also recommend Visual Latin for younger children.  

However, I have to say that as I age I become increasingly convinced that the place to start with younger children is Spanish, Italian, or French.   Push Latin off until later.  

If a child learns Spanish at a young age, he will be able to use Spanish for the rest of his life.   If he never makes it to Latin, oh well.   It’s not going to kill him.   Millions of people have lived happy lives without Latin.   If the child does make it to Latin, Spanish will have paved the road. (Italian and French will do the same).  

 Two weeks off at Christmas. One week off for Thanksgiving.  And, that’s about it.   Sometimes, I will take a fall break.  Usually in October.

We end classes early in May.  For this reason, I do not usually take a spring break. 

We end early in May for several reasons.  

First, I live in Tennessee, and around the first of May, my allergies take me down.  Happens every year.  For this reason, I try to leave Tennessee every May.  

Second, most of my students stop coming to class after their own spring breaks anyway.  Attendance drops by 90%.  Every year.  And, I have been doing this for a long time.

Of course, the schedule may change from time to time.  If it does, I will make sure students are alerted well in advance.

I am still new to this world.  Someone else asked for a Kindle edition. I know nothing about publishing on Kindle.  Another mountain to climb.  I don’t mind.  I like climbing.  It makes me happy.

Still, I am not there yet.

Meanwhile, while you wait for me catch up with the digital revolution, here is the table of contents from the book, Via:

INTRODUCTION
Learning Latin is not a weekend job.  Rome was not built in a day.   This book is a map for you.  It is my hope that Via will be a guide, and that it will keep you on target.  In the introduction, you will find an overview.

Chapter 1: SET A GOAL
Latin is a tough language.  Do not assume that you can grab a book and go.  Before starting, I will point you in the right direction.  You are going to need a clear goal to hang on to.  I will show you how to set that goal.

Chapter 2: DETERMINE
Now that you have goal, you are going to need to hang on tight.  You are about to sail into uncharted waters.  You will be tempted to pull back, to retreat, to quit.  Do not give up.  In this short chapter, you learn why you must hold on… and why.

Chapter 3: ACT
It is time to move.  I am always surprised by how many of my students fail to take this critical step.  Some of them fail to act at all.  Some of them take action, but in the wrong way.  Avoid their mistakes.  In this chapter, you will discover the steps you must take.

Chapter 4: THE TOOLS
Time to get practical!  This chapter provides an overview of all you have available as a modern Latin learner.  This chapter is a reminder that you have it better than your parents did.  It is good to keep that in mind as you learn Latin.

Chapter 5: LISTEN
Most Latin programs overlook this step.  That is not good.  Listening to Latin may be the most important habit you develop as you learn this language.  But, what should you listen to?  More importantly, when are you going to find time to listen?  Find out in Chapter 5.

Chapter 6: READ
You may not be able to find much to listen to as you learn Latin, but, you will find more to read than you can handle.  In fact, you may find yourself overwhelmed.  What should you read?  In what order?  Get those questions answered in Chapter 6.

Chapter 7: WRITE
When you write in Latin, you re-learn everything you have forgotten.  When you write in Latin, you are learning to think in Latin.  How do you do it?  How do you start?  It may be easier than you think!

Chapter 8: SPEAK
Almost all Latin programs overlook this step, too! Why would they do that?  Perhaps it is because many Latin teachers do not actually speak the language themselves.  They can read it fluently but are often not able to speak it fluently.  That is probably caused by the confusion surrounding the “correct” pronunciation of Latin.  How do you get beyond this problem?  Find out in Chapter 8.

Chapter 9: ASK
You will need help as you learn Latin.  Whom do you ask?  In Chapter 9, you will find out where to go to get the help you need.

Chapter 10: TEACH
How did I learn Latin?  How am I learning Greek?  When I want to learn a new language, I teach it.  Find out why this is my biggest secret to success in Chapter 10!

CONCLUSION
Did you find this book helpful?  Have you got any feedback for me?   After a quick review of everything we learned, I will show you all the ways you can get in touch with me.  I would love to hear from you.

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 better to do something through your website? 

Here is my reply:

They are quite different.  Visual Latin is a comprehensive two-year DVD course.  It really should be all you need.

The classes on my site are “next level” reading courses for those who want to go further.  The classes on my site (www.dwanethomas.com) are, mostly, advanced reading classes.  Or, they are Henle Latin classes for those students in Classical Conversations.   Henle Latin is a Latin series from the 1950’s.  

If you go with Visual Latin, you will have the series for all of your kids.  Go with Visual Latin.  Later, if one of your kids wants more, you can then check out the classes on my site.

If you finish all of Lingua Latina, you will have completed the equivalent of two years of high-school Latin.

Yes.  There are online automated tests that you can take on my site.   

Some courses are still in development.  If there are no tests available, students may submit work in the forums.  I will check their work in the forums and give them a grade.   Please do not email the work to me.  Post the work in the forums.

 Yes.  There are tests available on my site for most of the courses, and I am constantly adding more.    

When you take a test on my site, it will automatically provide you with a grade for your work.

Some courses are still in development.  If there are no tests available, students may submit work in the forums.  I will check their work in the forums and give them a grade.   Please do not email the work to me.  Post the work in the forums.

When you join, my site is going to charge you $25 per month.

Of course, this means that you are going to send payment during June, July, and August.

I do not teach live classes during those months, but you will still have access to the classes, the tests, the forums, etc.   You will also still be able to contact me.

If you think about it, everyone charges during  the summer.  Most other providers simply charge it all up front.

I have done the research for you.  Most online Latin providers are going to charge you quite a bit more.  Also, pay very close attention to how long the process takes.   I have broken the payments down to Annual and Monthly prices.

You do not need to learn Latin to live a happy life.  You know that.  I know that.  It is likely that someone else decided that your children needed to learn Latin.   It is likely that you are simply trying to satisfy some educational requirement in order to get your kids through high school.

I can help you, and I can do it at the best price.

Because my site charges monthly, you may feel you are paying during the summer for something you are not using.

Look at the cost of the other programs.  You are paying for those programs during the summer, too.  You are simply paying up front.

Oh, and one more thing.  Most of my students stick around for three years.  If you stick around for three years, the payments end.  You, and your family, will have a lifetime subscription.

Warning! If you cancel your subscription, my site will delete your information.  All grades and all progress will be deleted.  

If you decide to return later, you will need to start a new subscription.

Also… remember this.  Most of my students stick around for three years.  After three continuous, uninterrupted years, your monthly payments will end and you will have a lifetime subscription.

If you cancel your subscription, and decided to return later, you will have to start a new subscription.

If you still want to cancel, just go to the Members menu and choose “Account Info.” On the resulting page, click the “Subscriptions” link.

You should see choices on that page to update your subscription.

• Just go to the Members menu and choose Account info. You’ll see a screen like this…
• 
• Click the “Update” link circled in yellow above, and you’ll end up a screen like the one below where you can input new information.
• 

What does the homework tend to entail? Is it intensive? How demanding is the course?   

The course is demanding.   Whether you go through First Year Latin by Robert Henle or Lingua Latina, students are expected to be able to read the New Testament in Latin by the end of the course.   There is no way to accomplish this goal without a demanding course.

Students should spend about an hour a day studying, watching classes, or taking the tests.  I recommend they do this six days a week.

 Short answer.  $25 a month.  If you stick around for three years, you are automatically granted a lifetime subscription.

Long answer:

Years ago, my family was foreclosed on.  We ended up living with my wife’s parents for some time. 

I was a school teacher, earning a teacher’s salary.  This is not such a bad thing if you work for the government, but I was a teacher in a private school.  

We had a growing family.  We had four children at the time.  Several were in diapers.  My wife stayed home with the little ones.  It was out of the question to look at my wife and say, “Get thee also a paycheck.”

A growing family, and a teacher’s salary, it turns out, is a bad combination.   

We were not going to make it.  

Not to put too fine a point on it, we needed more money.  

I took an after-school job at an apartment complex.  It was a routine maintenance job.  I took a job cleaning pools on the weekends.  And, during the evenings, I delivered pizzas.

To spend time with my kids, I sometimes brought them along as I delivered pizzas. 

While working at the apartments, cleaning pools, and delivering pizzas, I would listen to audio books, and audio language podcasts.  

Much of what I write about in my ebook, Via, I discovered during this time. 

Over the years, as my children have grown, I have discovered that I cannot not afford Christian education for them.   The irony is not lost on me.  Since I work in Christian education, my kids don’t get to attend a private Christian school.

I attended the American public school at Camp New Amsterdam in Holland (the Netherlands).  I still remember it.  To put it mildly, it was a negative experience.  I have no interest in putting my kids into any American public school.  Just another government welfare program.  Slaves are made in such ways.

This leaves my wife and I with only one option.  We homeschool our children.

Perhaps it is different for you, but, my wife and I have faced nothing as difficult and as challenging as the daily task of homeschooling our children.  Homeschooling is hard. 

I am a Latin teacher.  Naturally, I decided to teach my kids Latin.  We took homeschooling, which is difficult, and added Latin, which is wicked difficult.  Oh, yeah.  That was smart.

But, here’s the thing.  I do not have to pay  for Latin.  I mean, I did pay, with all that time listening and learning while cleaning pools, painting houses, maintaining apartments, and delivering pizzas.  But I do not have to write a check every year for Latin.

So, where is all of this going?  What does any of this have to do with you? 

 I have been thinking of you.  You have decided to homeschool your children.  You have decided to teach them Latin.  And, unlike me, you do have to write a check for it.

That stings.  That hurts.  I know how hard it is to write checks.

But, you… you still want your kids to learn Latin.  I can help.

I cannot remove the pain completely.  You are still going to have to write a check (or pull out your credit card).

I can make it easier for you, though. 

In the old world (the brick and mortar world) tuition was expensive.  It had to be.  Someone had to pay for the heat, the water, and the maintenance.  Someone had to pay the administrators, the principal, the janitor, and the teachers. 

In the new world, it is different.  I run an online school.  I do not pay for the heat, the water, or the maintenance of a building.  I do not pay an administrator, a principal, a janitor, or teachers.

I do, of course, have some costs.  I have to pay for hosting, internet, and electricity.  But, those costs are nothing compared to the costs of a brick and mortar school. 

In the new world, the rules have changed. 

Yet, many online schools are still charging brick and mortar prices.

That is just not necessary. 

Perhaps you see where this is going.

The online Latin and Greek classes I teach are officially, the most affordable Latin and Greek classes online.

Not only are they  the most affordable of  Latin and Greek classes online, I also insist that my students learn Latin in the shortest amount of time possible.

I believe it should take about two years to learn the complicated Latin grammar.  That is it.

After that, students read.

Given those two variables, you can learn Latin (or Greek) on my site, Think Outside the Border, for around $600 (over two years).

No other online academy even comes close. 

Here is the breakdown:

Not only are my classes the lowest priced, you will also pay no registration fees, no application fees, and no hidden fees.

 You do not have to pay for multiple children.  I have multiple children.  I know what it is like to sign five kids up for a class.  It’s expensive.  I don’t like it. 

You are also entitled to your money back for two months
(60-day money-back guarantee).  My classes move at a rapid pace.  If you, or your children, find you have bitten off more than you can chew, simply contact me.  I will refund your money (within 60 days).  No questions.  I am that confident you are going to enjoy my classes.

You also have the option to repeat a class.  I record everything I teach.  If you, or your children, fell behind during the year, you can simply repeat the class at any time.   Just go back and watch class later.  Or, you could join class again the following year.  I have been teaching online since 2011 and do not intend to stop anytime soon.

It all comes down to this.  Raising children is expensive.  I would like to help.  If your children are learning Latin and Greek this year… why pay more?

 P.S. I just found another expensive option.  For only $716 dollars a year, you can learn Latin.  It looks like you have a four year, or a five-year option.  That’s $2,864 if you choose the four-year option.  Or, if you choose the five-year option, you can pay $3,580.  More information here: http://landryacademy.com/index.php

(Update.  Landry Academy has closed.  After taking $5,000 from my sister, who is a single mom, and after taking thousands of dollars from other families, they closed.) .

The point is…  Latin does not have to be expensive, guys.  Already, it is a major time commitment.  That’s it’s own problem, and it’s own opportunity cost.   

Does it really need to be a major financial commitment, too?

Believe it or not, you can learn Latin without going broke.

atin is the door to another world.  After learning the complicated Latin grammar, students will slowly begin to realize that they have already learned much of the grammar of Greek, German, Russian, English, Spanish, Italian, and who knows how many other languages.  In other words, they will have learned how languages work.  

J. R. R. Tolkein once said that Latin was his favorite language, for from this solid foundation (Latin) he could stand firmly as he learned other languages.  He eventually spoke seventeen languages, three of which he created himself.

You could go back in time.  You could go from Latin into more Latin.  You could join my Latin 3 and 4 classes.  If you choose to do this, you will end up reading classic Latin books such as Caesar’s Gallic wars.  You could also learn Greek.  Greek is Latin with a different alphabet.  The grammars are so similar.  In fact, I refuse to teach Greek to a student who knows no Latin.  If a student knows Latin already, half of my job is done.  

Going back in time is the narrow and difficult road.  Going deeper into Latin, and going into Greek is brutal.  These are tough languages.  Of course, if you can plow through, nothing will ever again intimidate you mentally.  After you have pumped heavy metal, lifting a salad fork is easy.  After Latin and Greek, everything looks easy.  But, I am warning you.  This is the hard road.

There is another way.  Once you learn Latin well, you could tackle any of the Romance languages.  This is the easier path.  This is easier seen than explained.  Look at the first few lines of the Lord’s prayer:

English: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 

Latin: Pater noster, qui es in caelis, sanctificetur nomen tuum, adveniat regnum tuum, fiat voluntas tua, sicut in caelo, et in terra. 

Italian: Padre nostro che sei nei cieli, sia santificato il tuo nome; venga il tuo regno; sia fatta la tua volontà anche in terra com’è fatta nel cielo.

Spanish: Padre nuestro que estás en los cielos, santificado sea tu nombre. Venga tu reino. Sea hecha tu voluntad, como en el cielo, así también en la tierra.

French: Notre Père qui es aux cieux! Que ton nom soit sanctifié; que ton règne vienne; que ta volonté soit faite sur la terre comme au ciel.

Pay particular attention to the similarities between Latin, Italian, Spanish and French.

 By learning Latin, you have learned already learned much of the modern Romance vocabulary.  As much as 90% of the vocabulary in any given Romance language comes directly from Latin.  After Latin, Italian is the easiest to learn, then Spanish, then French.  

I don’t speak Spanish perfectly, but, I was able to read in Spanish with no problems six months after I started.  I am currently teaching myself Italian and French.

The point is, after Latin, the Romance languages are almost easy.  There is no easy language to learn (at least, I have not found it).  But, after Latin, other languages are easier.

Honestly, after Latin, I recommend Spanish.  I think everyone in America should learn Spanish.  You could learn it in less than a year if you worked at it.  

Really, it comes down to your goals.  What do you want?  Where do you want to go?  

At least once a month, someone will contact me with this question:

“What do I order if I want to start reading Lingua Latina by Hans Ørberg?”

This is a good question.

After all, Lingua Latina is completely in Latin.  If you try to order it, there is a very good chance you are going to get confused.

That said, here is what I recommend, in list form:

First, order Lingua Latina.  Just click this link.   You could stop here.  Hans Ørberg designed the perfect self-taught Latin manual.  Just start reading.  Read it again, and again, and again.  Read it until you master it.  This is the cheapest way to teach yourself Latin.  You do not have to possess everything else that I am about to recommend.

Second, many of my students complain that no English explanation exists in Lingua Latina.  This is, in part, why I created Visual Latin. Visual Latin explains, in English, the grammar behind Lingua Latina.  If you want video explanations of Latin grammar, order Visual Latin.  It is the most comprehensive Latin video course available today.  There are 60 lessons.  Since each lesson contains 3 videos, that’s 180 videos!  You can order Visual Latin here. 

Third, If you want a written explanation of Lingua Latina, order the explanation that Hans Ørberg wrote himself.  Order Latine Disco, by Hans Ørberg.  Unfortunately, the print is small, making the book difficult to read at points, but, the benefits outweigh the drawbacks.  You are basically reading the author’s notes, in English.

Fourth, I recommend the exercise book with hesitation.  If you are a novice, this book will overwhelm you.  Not only that, you really do not need it.  At the end of every chapter in Lingua Latina, you will find a homework section.  You will find three homework assignments: Pensum A, Pensum B, and Pensum C.  (Pensum is a Latin word.  It means task or homework.)  Complete these.  The exercise book is just more of the same.  It is like adding Pensum D, C, E, F, and G.  Helpful, for sure.  But, not necessary.

Fifth, Since Lingua Latina is an international book, for international audiences, there is no Latin to English glossary.  Personally, I think that is a good thing.  It forces you to begin thinking in the language.  You could order a Latin to English dictionary, but you really do not need to.  There are several free ways to learn the vocabulary.  You could just go to Quizlet and enter Lingua Latina.  You will end up with flash cards for the entire book.  Go here: https://quizlet.com/subject/lingua-latina/.  You could also learn to use the site Whitaker’s Words.  Plug in any Latin word and you will get the definition right away.  Try it.  You will love it.

Sixth, if you just do not want to go it alone, I offer Lingua Latina classes every year.  You will find the schedule of my online classes here: https://dwanethomas.com/class-schedule/.  Tuition for these classes is $300 a year, which is the lowest price I have been able to find for online Latin courses.  If you I move too quickly for you, you may simply repeat the class as often as you need to.

Lingua Latina is the best Latin book out there.  I have read them all. There is nothing like this book.  You can learn Latin.  You can read this book.  If you get stuck, I am happy to help!

Everything is recorded. So, students can miss any class they like.   My site currently has thousands videos all carefully organized with students in mind.

In theory, students never have to show up to the live class and could still reach the goal of reading the New Testament in Latin by the end of the course.

I received this question a few days ago:

I got the Bible.is app. I’ve memorized part of John 1 with Classical Conversations. The version you like has a few differences in pronunciation. We say ‘prin-kip-io”. The app says “prin-chip-io”

We say “lu-ket” and the app says “lu-chet”.

Is that the difference between classical and eccliastical pronunciation? Can you recommend a version with the type of pronunciation I’ve been learning? I am starting your Visual latin 1 soon…

Thank you!

Here is my reply:

I recommend Ecclesiastical pronunciation for sure.  But, honestly, there is little difference between the two pronunciations.  I created a video on this topic some time ago.  Here it is: https://youtu.be/Wh-QorH3Fi4

I’ve also written extensively about this topic in my ebook, Via: Latin for the Lost.

I learned the restored “classical” pronunciation when I was teaching myself Latin.  As soon as I discovered the audio Bible in Latin  I switched to Ecclesiastical pronunciation and have never looked back.  

As for a version of the Bible in the restored “classical” pronunciation, I’ve not been able to find one.  In fact, I can find almost no free recordings of any books in the restored pronunciation.  Another wonderful reason to abandon that pronunciation, in my opinion. 

I received a question you are probably all asking:

I am wondering which things (lists/endings/etc) need to be memorized in Visual Latin I for High School? I do not want to kill the joy my daughter is experiencing with your program by memorizing every list; however, she is also very excited about learning Latin and has recently found the translations a little more challenging, so I want to be sure she has the tools she needs. To put it plainly, we are not trying to be overachievers, we just want to learn Latin ?.

Just to let you know where we are: We are about to start Ln 16, and so far, we have not incorporated Lingva Latina, Quizlet, or listening to the Bible in Latin, but plan to begin that as soon as I figure out how to schedule that into the program?

Thank you for your program and willingness to answer your customers’ questions!

Here is my reply:

There is nothing at all wrong with memorizing all of the Latin endings.  Some of my best students are from the Classical Conversation world.  They have most of the Latin endings memorized.  

However, it is a bit strange to meet students with all of the Latin endings memorized who cannot read in Latin.  I run into that often.  It’s odd.  If you memorized the technical manual to your car, it would be impressive.  But, it would be strange if you had memorized the manual, and could rattle off the names of every gadget under the hood, but still did not know how to drive.  

In all of my classes, I flip the order.  I have students start reading in Latin.  We learn the endings as we go.  Some students memorize the endings, some don’t.  As we read, they all end up learning the endings in the end.

Instead of memorizing the endings, I would recommend more reading.  

Read Lingua Latina.  Read Cornelia.  Here is a reading list from my book, Via:

For Beginners:

1.  Cornelia by Mima Maxey

2.  Carolus et Maria by Marjorie Fay

3.  Julia by Maud Reed

4. Lingua Latina by Hans Ørberg

For intermediates:

1. Ora Maritima by E. A. Sonnenschein

2. Fabilae Faciles by Francis Ritchie

3. De America, by Herbert Nutting

4. Lingua Latina by Hans Ørberg

5. Viri Romae by Charles Llomond

For more advanced students:

1. Gospel of Matthew by St. Matthew

2. Roma Aeterna by Hans Orberg

When you have finished this list, visit the Latin Library.com.  There you will find more Latin than you will ever read… and it’s all free.

If you do decide to memorize the endings (and it does not hurt to do so), I have a series on YouTube that may help: https://dwanethomas.com/memorize-latin/

And finally, I think the easiest thing you can do is simply keep the endings nearby as you read.  I have compiled all the Latin endings in one location.  Originally, this was going to be a Folder for my students, but, it never made it.  Since it was going to be a folder, I condensed all of the endings into four pages.  Print it out and keep it nearby as you work.  When you get stuck, simply refer to the charts.  Find the ending you need and compare it to what you are reading.  It will take time and practice, but it will come.   

Here are the charts: https://dwanethomas.com/resources-latin/

Every now and then I get a question about the content of Visual Latin.

Here is what the course covers:

32. Adjectives | Irregular Comparison
33. 1 to 100 | Cardinals, Ordinals, and Fractions
34. Pronouns | Reflexive
35. Adjectives | Indefinite & Irregular
36. Conjugations and Macrons
37. Verbs | Present Tense
38. Verbs | Imperfect Tense
39. Verbs | Future Tense
40. Verbs | Four Principle Parts Review
41. Present Participles
42. The Rest of the Participles
43. Supine
44. More Infinitives
45. Perfect Tense
46. Pluperfect Tense
47. Future Perfect Tense
48. Volo, Nolo, Marco Polo
49. Deponent Verbs
50. Impersonal Verbs
51. Gerunds
52. Adverbs
53. Introduction to Subjunctive
54. Ut and Ne
55. Imperfect Subjunctive
56. Gerundives
57. Perfect, Fear and Cum
58. Pluperfect, Indirect Discourse
59. Verbs | Ablative Absolute
60. Verbs | Fio, Comparative Subjunctive

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. Thanks!

Here is my reply:

No.  There isn’t.   However, I have created hundreds of videos on my site that you can able to use to check work.   In the videos I demonstrate the exact process I use.  

There is an answer key available. But the answer key is also in Latin. That’s the trick with Lingua Latina by Hans Ørberg…   You really have to know Latin well to be able to check the work.   With the answer videos that am working on, parents should be able to check their children’s work just fine.

I received two very common questions:

1. Do you have a recommendation for a good Latin-English Lexicon that the kids can use? Mine are Latin-German so not as helpful.

2. Will you give some info on your pronunciation on the “c”. I hear it has the “k” sound at times but the other one as well.

Here is my reply:

My favorite dictionaries are online dictionaries.  I find them faster than books:

William Whitaker’s Words: http://archives.nd.edu/words.html

The Latin Dictionary: http://latindictionary.wikidot.com/verb:vocare  and, 

Latin-Dictionary:http://latin-dictionary.net/

If you want a physical copy, almost any edition from Amazon will do.  I generally go with cheap.  Here’s one: http://amzn.to/2ajBC9q

As for the Latin “c”?

The restored classical Latin pronunciation insists that “c” always be pronounced as a “k”.  

I prefer the “Italian”, or “Ecclesiastical” pronunciation (same thing).  In the Italian pronunciation, “c” is sometimes “k”.  

Here is the key:

C coming before e, ae, oe, i, y is pronounced like ch in Church

This chart may help: https://www.ewtn.com/expert/answers/ecclesiastical_latin.htm

This video may also help: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wh-QorH3Fi4

We start at the beginning of September and finish at the beginning of May.

We will take two weeks off for Christmas and one week off for Thanksgiving.   Sometimes we take a fall break in October.

We usually do not take a spring break.

Of course, all the classes remain on my site year round.  If you were ambitious, you could start anytime and finish in about 6 months.

I received this question:

Do the kids take Lingua Latina  2 the next year for Latin 2?  With you – of course!

Here is my reply:

To get into Lingua Latina  2, students must first be able to read the first 19 chapters.  Basically, it is a vocabulary game.  Visual Latin teaches students the grammar needed to get through Lingua Latina.  

Vocabulary is the problem.  Here is why:

First Year Latin by Robert Henle teaches students about 400 words.  Most of them are war words.  He is preparing students to read Caesar’s Gallic Wars.

Visual Latin (by me) teaches students about 1,200 words.  I try to use frequently used Latin words, but many of the words are biblical words.   I am trying to get students ready to read the New Testament in Latin.

Lingua Latina by Hans Ørberg teaches students almost 2,000 words.  He is preparing students to read almost everything.  

Students who jump from Visual Latin to Lingua Latina will find that they know the grammar needed for Visual Latin.  But, they may find themselves overwhelmed by the vocabulary of Lingua Latina.  For this reason, I require students to read the first 19 chapters of Lingua Latina, before I can allow them into the second class.  They can read the first 19 chapters on their own, or they can use old classes on my site if they need help.

Your monthly subscription will automatically continue billing for 3 years and then stop. At that point, you will have lifetime access to the site. The only way to get lifetime access is to subscribe for 3 uninterrupted years. If you cancel your subscription and later restart it, the 3-year requirement starts over.

A reader asks:

Do you think you would ever consider doing some sort of summer intensive for students learning Latin? Or even a supplemental online class during the summer break?

Here is my reply:

Hi!

You are the fourth person this week to ask this question.  

No.  I don’t.  But, I have in the past.  And, I am considering it again.

I am not exactly sure what this would look like online. 

At this point, I would simply recommend you go through Visual Latin.  There are 120 lessons in the course.  You could divide the course in half and complete it in 60 days.  Given that summer contains roughly 90 days, you should be able to complete the course in one summer. This would definitely qualify as an intensive summer course.

I received this inquiry:

Comment: Hi. I have a son needing to prepare for AP Latin exam next year. Do you offer a Virgil class that helps with that?

Here is my reply:

Hi!

I currently do not offer classes that would help your son with the AP Latin exam.  I am considering such classes, but, currently, the demand for such a class is you.  No one else has inquired.

For now, I am going to push off any AP Latin classes.  

I know Memoria Press offers such a class. Here it is: http://www.memoriapress.com/onlineschool/classes?f%5B0%5D=field_class_subject%3A24

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 take students through several Latin books.  Lingua Latina, or First Year Latin, Second Year Latin by Robert Henle.

I try to keep the classes fun, and rigorous. But, these classes are not professionally filmed.  They are LIVE classes.  For the most part, students are simply watching the screen while I explained the difficult concepts in the books.

Students are free to ask us questions during class.  They are also free to contact me after class if they have further questions

To see what the classes are like, go here and scroll down a bit: https://dwanethomas.com/could-i-see-an-example-class-2-2-2/

Yesterday was a long day.  Just before I fell asleep, I posted a quick note about alternative Latin reading material.  Here it is: https://dwanethomas.com/instead-of-caesar/

A few days ago, I publicly declared that reading Caesar’s commentary on the Gallic Wars may not be the best use of your time. That post is here:  https://dwanethomas.com/are-we-all-penguins/

If you have read both posts, you now know that I care little for Caesar or his writings.  You know that I believe the Vulgate is a bit more important in the history of the world, than the geographical and political machinations of an isolated dictatorial maniac.

Read Caesar’s writings if you like.  I have.  I will read them again.  I actually do find them interesting.  But, that may very well be due to the fact that I grew up in Europe and due to the fact that I teach Latin.  Unless you are fascinated by European history, or unless you are a Latin teacher, you may be wasting a lot of time pouring over the ancient writings of an ancient dictator.

As an aside, no one questions Caesar’s authorship of the commentaries.  And, yet the earliest copy of the book shows up 900 years after his death!  There are only about a dozen copies in existence.  Meanwhile, the New Testament is under constant attack, and yet, there were hundreds of copies in existence before the Roman Empire collapsed.

Anyway, back to the point…

If you jettison Caesar’s Gallic Wars, what will you read instead?

I recommend you start in the shallow end of the pool.  Start with the easy stuff.

Here is an excerpt from my ebook, Via:

===================================================

Not sure what to read in Latin?  Here is a recommended reading list:

For Beginners:

1.  Cornelia by Mima Maxey

2.  Carolus et Maria by Marjorie Fay

3.  Julia by Maud Reed

4. Lingua Latina by Hans Orberg

For Intermediates:

1. Ora Maritima by E. A. Sonnenschein

2. Fabilae Faciles by Francis Ritchie

3. De America, by Herbert Nutting

4. Lingua Latina by Hans Ørberg

5. Viri Romae by Charles Llomond

For more advanced students:

1. Gospel of Matthew by St. Matthew

2. Roma Aeterna by Hans Orberg

When you have finished this list, visit the Latin Library.com.  There you will find more Latin than you will ever read… and it’s all free.

Read your favorite books in Latin. 

Once you have completed the list above, you may want to read something more fun.  One of my favorite things to do is read pleasure books in other languages.  I have read Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in Spanish, and The Hobbit in German. 

(WARNING: These are tough books to read.  This list is presented simply to demonstrate what is available.  Attempt this list only after you have read all of the books on the previous list.)

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone

The Hobbit

Winnie the Pooh

Alice in Wonderland

Charlotte’s Web

Often it is this kind of book that I will read as I fall asleep.  This is the fun stuff.  The material is light.  It’s a great way to fall asleep.

===================================================

The point of this post is simple.  There is plenty to read out there if you want to read in Latin.

Schools and teachers should stop acting as if there are only three Latin authors, Caesar, Cicero, and Virgil.  There are plenty of other authors who have written in Latin.  These three guys just happen to be the most difficult to read.

Yet, these are the three we thrust upon young students.

And we wonder why Latin has such a bad reputation.

Classes always begin after Labor Day (Early September) and end in early May.

The current schedule is here: https://dwanethomas.com/class-schedule/

As always, all subscriptions are FAMILY subscriptions.  EVERYONE in the family is welcome to enroll under ONE subscription.

I know.  It’s hard to believe.  But, it’s true.

I received this question:

Which of your fall classes would you recommend that our daughter take next?  Is she ready yet for Foundations & Fables?

Sorry, I am still confused—I think I need to back up and ask what Latin level she is completing when she is done with Henle 1 this summer– is that the equivalent of completing Latin 1 or Latin 2?  Is Henle 2 the equiv. of Latin level 2 or 3?  Would she need to complete Henle 2 before taking Foundations & Fables (level 3) or are they equivalent?

So grateful for all your help and awesome teaching!  You have made the study of Latin not only doable, but desirable for our student!

Here is my reply:

Almost all schools spread books likeFirst Year Latin by Robert Henle over two years.  This annoys me.  After all, the name of the book is First Year Latin.  It would be great for me financially to spread Mr. Henle’s First Year Latin book over two years, but that feels dishonest.  

That said, most programs would consider completion of the first half of the book Latin 1.  Completion of the second half would be Latin 2.  Of course, this means that your daughter has already completed Latin 1 and is about to complete Latin 2.

Second Year Latin by Robert Henle (Caesar’s Gallic Wars) is considered Latin 3.

It will be a challenging class, but, yes, she is ready.

Visual Latin lesson 5 has caused a lot of confusion.  Here’s help: