I suppose I could tell you that you will enjoy Visual Latin, Word Up, or the live online language classes… but, why not let others do it for me?
When you are finished reading, you are welcome to join a class. If you would like to see what the classes on my site are like, check out examples here: https://dwanethomas.com/could-i-see-an-example-class-3/
(As always, all subscriptions are FAMILY subscriptions. Everyone in the family is welcome to enroll at one low price.)
Here’s what others are saying…
“I feel as if I’ve been though every Latin curriculum out there. (I also took Latin in high school.) When younger moms ask me what to use, the best advice I have is to wait till their student is old enough for Visual Latin and then have them switch over to your live classes when they’re old enough. There’s nothing that even holds a candle to those classes. We appreciate you so much.”
– Esther
“You have been such a blessing to me and my family and to many others in my CC Community! I always point people in your direction!!!”
– Tara
Dwane, where do I even begin?! THIS IS SO MUCH BETTER! Oh my gosh! My kids are really, genuinely enjoying Latin!
They have possibly learned and retained more in 10 days than the whole year of struggle with Henle last year! We even save it for the end of the day because it’s their favorite subject now!
They take notes, listen along and really enjoy being able to put it into action and not just learn rules! They’re also trying to use it more in daily life, trying to figure out how to say things based on the previous lesson. They LOVE it!
They don’t tolerate it, they are curious and excited to do more everyday! I mean…just thank you. How do I say that strongly enough!? I realize it’s just the beginning, but the change has been huge for us!
All the applause! Your gifts for communication and teaching are being used in such a beautiful way! For that, such gratitude!
– Holly
“You did an amazing job! My daughter can read Spanish well & can have a conversation with someone.”
– Heather
“My girls have been using your Visual Latin curriculum for two years now. Thank you for all that work. My youngest, after only 6 months, took the National Latin Exam (Intro to Latin level) after learning only through Visual Latin and earned a Magna Cum Laude result! My older daughter passed both the Into and Beginning Latin exams two years running, after switching from Henle to VL.”
– Rebekah
My family has thoroughly enjoyed your teaching style. We have been a part of Classical Conversations for 9 years. Since our introduction to your dry sense of humor in Visual Latin, we have used your website as the primary go-to for Latin help. I’ve graduated one student and my second is loving Latin largely because of you. Thank you! We do joke, however, that although I homeschool the kids, you are their Latin teacher. (Even Dad logs in and uses your Greek lessons).
– Sarah
“You don’t know this, but through our homeschool journey with Classical Conversations, I relied heavily on Visual Latin and your subscription site to prepare myself for class and to teach my kids at home. Your instruction was/is so much better than Henle and you make concepts clear and understandable! I’ve thoroughly enjoyed your website and lessons, and am looking forward to studying other languages for myself! I appreciate your efforts and commitment to grammar, languages, and learning!”
– Shari
“And another note on how grateful we are for your classes: We are taking the month of December off this year, but I told the kids we needed to keep up with the morning Spanish courses so they could stay in the live course rather than missing out on that because of such a long break; they readily agreed. My 11, 13, 14, & 15-year-olds eagerly agreeing to getting up at 7 AM on Winter Break- THAT says something!) 🙂”
– Stephanie
Hi Mr. Dwane. I just wanted to thank you for something.
Before I started your live Spanish class, I tried many times to set good habits by getting up earlier. I could never bring myself to get up and start my day so I just turned off my alarm and went back to bed. Then, I started your live classes.
Now, I get up just before class every day and once it’s over I start my day. Also, I went from barely knowing any Spanish to making it a part of my daily speech. My mom knows Spanish so we can communicate in a language other than English which is awesome.
This is to say thank you so much because I would not have gotten nearly this far without your help/classes.
– Maddie
“Your gift of teaching and style has sparked and instilled in her a LOVE for languages. I’m so grateful that I came across your programs at the perfect time. You have been a huge blessing to us!”
– Cassie
This year, I am helping with Henle 2 in Challenge 2. I had been part of Henle 1 for about 9 years, and every Spring, I was DEPENDENT on help from your site for those final lessons!
Building on to Henle 1 with Henle 2 was not very difficult this year, and certainly not daunting BECAUSE I could get on your site and walk through whatever wasn’t making good sense. THANK YOU!!!
My entire class approaches the board with a red marker first, and the approach you use toward sentences, and it has helped us immensely!
Thank you for the helps you make available! Most of my community, I believe, is subscribed and tell me what a help you are to them. and your help is because we LOVE Latin, not because we are trying to get out of the learning.
You are helping us to learn well. We are grateful.
– Debbie
Lingua Latina is truly a game changer! My oldest was in CC for a short bit & hated Latin. I let her swap to LL on her own and she loved it! She actually would be seen reading the book in her personal reading time. She’s now out of the house and it’s one of the only “school books” she had taken with her. In fact, she asked me to buy another book for my other kiddos so she can keep that one!
She now dabbles in foreign languages for fun…. Spanish, French, German! She’s going in the medical field & finding it useful there, too. Thank you for sharing your wisdom & love of Latin with us all. Henle caused just about every emotion for Latin besides love. Lingua Latina really sparked her interest and has produced much fruit. Even years after ever assigning readings.
Many blessings,
– Amber
Thank you thank you thank you! We are back to Classical Conversations after 2 years off.I hadn’t expected to come back and your videos are a total life saver!I have a student in Henle 2 and Henle 4, and although it is too late for my Henle 4 student to get your help on the Aeneid, I have shared your site with all the students in Challenge II that are doing Henle 2 and its like a lifesaver in the stormy, lonely, overwhelming ocean of Latin for them!
Most of their parents have checked out long ago, but because of your work, they will be able to get some guidance and continue to learn!
Thank you thank you for all your work!I am having a GREAT time and enjoying my learning so much more now!
– Elisa
“How are we at lesson 17 of
Visual Latin and I look at each of my children and they’re STILL smiling?! Seriously, thank you so much for this layout and teaching style. We had been using two other Latin curriculums and were dreading each day when “Mom” made us do Latin. I felt so convicted that I wanted my children to have a basis of this language and am SO thankful that we’ve found the perfect fit for all of us in
VL.”
– Jill
I wanted to thank you for teaching Latin. I’ve learned more in three months than in three years. And now Latin is my favorite subject! Thank you for all the time and effort you have put in to make this so much fun.
– Elizabeth
I just wanted to drop you a note and let you know how much I appreciate the way membership works. I had my kids 7 yrs apart. One finished Latin years ago and another will start this school year. I SO appreciate the money that I will save using your website! I recommend you to everyone that brings up Latin! Again, THANK YOU!!
– Gina
“I have participated in Visual Latin I with my kids and have learned more, as a 44-year-old man, about language than in all my years of schooling and four years of studying the German language. I write extensively for my career in marketing and communications, and while I intuitively understand grammatical content and structure, I never had the formal understanding behind the “why” of language.”
– Jeff
Your videos are fantastic. So many times my family will translate a sentence and it differs from the answer key and then, we don’t always know why. Watching your videos always seems to tell us either where we went off track or that our way was just another option.
Thanks for making Latin accessible for us,
– Heidi
“Thank you again, for all of the time and effort, and passion that you pour into this site. It is just wonderful! I also appreciate the way that your site is managed. It allows me to view whatever I need to view when it’s convenient for my schedule. That is the best gift ever!”
– Kathy
I know that CC families contact you frequently. So I want to share how we used your program to redeem Latin for my son after Challenge 1 (9th grade). He absolutely despised Henle and we were about to give up on learning Latin altogether.
After pouring over your site and contacting you via email, we decided to try VL 1 paired with LL. This was actually against your advice. You thought he might be discouraged by basically starting over. You felt like LL alone would be the best choice. I get that. But I had no way to determine what he actually knew. And I felt like it might build his confidence by filling in gaps.
That proved to be true in his case. We did a lesson per day (A/B/C video and worksheets) until he reached the point where his test score dropped. He reviewed 23 weeks of Latin in a little over a month and he did have significant gaps in both English and Latin grammar. For the first time, he felt like a success. And Latin has become a subject he actually likes.
This quick review method worked very well and I suspect many CC kids could benefit from it. They would be able to make the switch to VL/LL and not lag behind the other students. It wasn’t any more cumbersome than the ridiculous number of problems assigned in Henle Latin.
Just thought I would share what we view as a total win. Besides, if we had only done LL, we wouldn’t have had the pleasure of watching you in action! And the bizarre feeling that we know you despite not actually knowing you…
Thanks again for making Latin accessible and entertaining.
– Jill
Actual laugh out loud moments have resulted from the watching of Word up 2!, as well as legitimate learning of course. We really appreciate all the hard work you put into making the new series.
Thanks for the info and the laughs!
– Heather
Thank you for all your hard work teaching Latin. I went from being the worst Latin student in my class to being one of the best thanks to you. Also in lesson 9 (I think it was lesson 9) of Henle 1st year Latin, you were loosing your voice, and you quoted Lego Batman: “I can only look you in the eyes right now” HAHAHA I laughed aloud– I love that movie! Your jokes and practical advice make Latin so much more enjoyable.
– Toby
My students are really enjoying this Latin. I am grateful for your website and classes to help them along. I have told many other moms about your website and they are excited for the resource!
– Michelle
“Dwane, your site offers SOOO much. It’s not that I’m not THRILLED with your prices and costs — everything you offer to members – for the price is truly— well…. I just wanted to say that I would GLADLY pay more for the family membership!”
– Winona
‘He makes it fun and easy to learn!’ (He also makes the boring stuff fun, and the hard stuff easier.)’
– Cassidy (a student)
“Thank you so much! I really enjoy your program. You are good at explaining concepts!!!”
– Emma Grace (a student)
“We tried French on our own with Rosetta Stone and my son was NOT a fan. He missed you. Lol! So I reinstated our membership and he is jumping in to your recorded French classes today- I ordered the book and we should have it this week. I am confident he will get much more out of your recordings than what he was getting on his own. Thanks for being here and being the fun, smart guy that you are! We are thankful for your talents that God has blessed you with and thankful that you are following your calling and passion!”
– Kim
I am a CC Director working through our first year of Henle, and I’ve been so grateful for your Watch Anytime options. I am *enjoying* learning Latin myself, and for all that we love/hate about Henle, I’m grateful for the orderly approach, and the way that you disarm and unpack the concepts along the way. Visual Latin has been awesome, and we are about to embark on Lingua Latina.
With your encouragement, I’ve started using Latin in my Bible study, and it has been so rich and added so much depth to my understanding (and more questions to bring into my time with God…). I’m excited to start reading the gospels in Latin with my kids, word by word, with our morning time. I love to see their confidence grow as they realize how much they actually know, and are capable of figuring out! (File this under “people actually do what you suggest and it works….”)
I also extend my respect and appreciation for how hard to are working as an entrepreneur, voice in the education community, and creative thinker as you deliver a great resource and experience online. As a parent/teacher, I am trying to do fewer things but very well, and Latin is on the “we’re going to do this well” list. In that endeavor, I am grateful for your space in our toolbox. Cheers and thanks!
“You have been an invaluable resource to us!”
– Heather
“We finally made the switch to Visual Latin after struggling through Henle for two years. My only regret is that we didn’t switch sooner. My kids 14,13 and 11 are LOVING it! They can finally understand what they are doing and my 11 year old is already translating sentences. I can tell when they are doing Latin because of the spontaneous laughter coming from the school room. Thanks for making a language program that is FUN!”
Thanks again,
Christina
“My son just came out of his room and told me how much fun he was having doing his Latin translations. He’s not what I would consider a language-gifted kid. But your Visual Latin has made it easy for him.
Thank you!
Tina
“We tried online high school classes for one year, and it was a miserable failure, and our sons now have an immediate aversion for any type of online class that requires videos. When I checked in with our son after he started your Henle 1 class, his response was the highest possible praise from a teen: “He’s great. He’s like a streamer I’d follow.”
Job well done!!”
– Leah
“Just want to say thank you for being a part of our Latin journey. My daughter graduated out of Challenge IV this year and without you giving Latin a “new twist” in Challenge I and II, there is no telling where we’d be.”
– Dawn
“I would like to thank you for providing a wonderful resource for homeschool students studying Latin.
Prior to finding out about your website, my son, who was a ninth grader in Classical Conversations, struggled daily with getting through his Latin, both with understanding and desire to finish.
There were missing pieces to the puzzle that were beyond me, and I felt so guilty that I could not provide him better assistance.
He mostly struggled alone. It was an answer to prayer that we found out about you. From that point on he “got it”. He didn’t love it, but he didn’t dread it either, and best of all, I knew I had a resource for him when we didn’t understand.
Thank you so much!”
– Danielle
Thank you so much for your classes.
My boys loved them. My son would tell me the best part of his day was word up. He was sad when the year ended. You make learning fun and engaging and they think your sense of humor is hilarious.
I would highly (and I have) recommend the membership to anyone.
Because of you, we made it through Henle Latin.”
– Peggy
“Thank you Dwane for a wonderful year of Orberg Latin! A first for me.
Even though there were a couple of days I had to miss, the online access will be of great help to rewatch.
As well the online recordings will help me finish all the parts of the lessons I never did and also to review the lessons and cement the Latin can never be overlooked.
Thanks for your wonderful approach to learning, as a 60 yr old I have to rewatch and hear things a few times:) thank you for planting the seed that will grow as I nurture it.
God’s blessings to you and your family,”
– Bernadine
I just wanted to drop you a note….I had to cancel our subscription through your site today and am very sad to do so. Both of my girls have had to change their curriculum needs a bit due to adding more science classes, test prep, and other school situations. I am so very grateful for all that you have done to make Latin come to life for them and how you have helped ME by grading their homework and offering encouraging words along the way. Thank you, thank you.
I will continue to recommend you to everyone I know who is needing help with Latin. You have been a blessing to our family!!
– Julie
“We love and greatly appreciate your site! Thank you for the all the effort you clearly put into it!! We use your previous LL class videos to clear up unclear concepts. The LL book is great but your lessons make for a much fuller learning experience. We also have VL—a great starting point… Your explanations are incredibly helpful.”
– Karen
“Thank you so much for you help. Your membership site and Visual Latin are a life line!”
– Jen
“Continued thanks for teaching a subject I’d have no prayer of teaching. I’m ever grateful for your service to our family!”
– Heather
“Thank you for being the teacher you are. Somehow you invest the non-entity of computerized instruction of scores if not hundreds of faceless students with the sense that you are interested in all of them and each of them and that the subject you teach, fascinating to you, is richness worthy of passing along to, well: to us, your students. It’s a gift which you’ve honed thoughtfully and become skillful with it. We appreciate it.”
– Madeline
Hi Dwane,
Hope you are well!
Just wanted to say that I completed Visual Latin 2 today. I started back in March and I am very happy with the result the course has given me.
I also want to say that I find you an excellent teacher Dwane. You make things so easy to understand and are very empathetic to students struggle learning Latin. I have never taken another Latin course before but after watching some other tutorial videos on YouTube I feel that those guys can act a bit condescending and just can’t understand why students find it hard to learn Latin.
I also have to say that I love your sense of humour! You are really funny and it is a great way to add fun to the lessons. 🙂
Finally you are more than helpful and attentive when it comes to answering queries via email.
– John
I just wanted to say thank you for your Latin classes. I started Latin in 7th grade with classical conversation and did well in everything except Latin( I mean I was failing) and i didn’t get any better for 3 years. At the beginning of the year someone recommended your website to my mom. Since I have started your classes I have started to understand Latin and enjoy it(which I never expected) and I have not only a passing grade but an A so far. So thank you! I just wanted you to realize that your classes help.
– Addison
Thank you so much for the Book Club, Caesar, this morning. Absolutely fabulous class!!
– Ruth
“Hey Mr Dwane, as one of your many students I’d like to to thank you again for all your help. I watched a latin lesson this morning and I remembered how you made it fun and enjoyable for me. Anytime any of my friends complain about how hard latin is I just tell them about your site and how much it helped me.”
– Brooks
One day, I responded on my blog to some complaints about my classes: https://dwanethomas.com/some-complaints-about-my-classes-and-my-reply/
I received this reply from one of my students (Brooks again):
“I saw your post about complaints. First of all, any complaints you have about Henle latin are perfectly justified! My Classical Conversations class is struggling through Henle II this year, and they often (even my teacher) look to me for help, even though I switched to Lingua Latina! Explaining things the way you’ve taught them to me has made me the “Latin guy”. Second, some of the grammatical points in the book are completely redundant, and just confuse people. Why not, instead of teaching people small nit-picky rules, teach them more useful vocabulary? Finally, I love all your classes, and they’re the perfect length even by school standards (a high school credit requires you to study a subject for an hour a day). I love the way you teach people Latin, and how you make it fun. I for one could never complain.”
– Brooks
My son is starting both Henle 2 and Lingua Latina this year! He loves Latin and truly enjoys your classes. You are a blessing to our homeschool day.
– Martha
“We don’t write to you much, knowing how busy you are, but would like to take this opportunity to let you know how grateful we are for your classes! We follow a rather intense classical education program. The Latin portion, by the time our oldest got to high school, was getting a bit too challenging to manage without some help. Your classes have been a godsend!
We’d also like to thank you (very much!) for your generosity in not charging after three years of paying for classes. Our family’s biggest homeschooling challenge, with one income and seven children, is being able to afford it. Your class, in fact, is the only online class we have ever included in our program.”
– Jan
Thank you so very much for teaching Latin! Although Lingua Latina is tough, I’m glad I can actually read Latin! I love the information and history you provide for me, as well as information on where our English words come from.
It’s so exciting to be able to read Latin comfortably, which I have never been able to do before, and this is my fifth year studying Latin! (The Latin background I’ve had is very helpful now, though, but I’m so glad I’m doing your course this year!) I especially love how I know all the words before I try translating, instead of having to look up a bunch of words in a glossary because they weren’t on the list for memorization. Your Latin classes make so much sense; you teach it very clearly. I just wanted you to know that I’m loving your Latin classes and can’t wait for more! I totally agree with you that Mr. Orberg’s book is the best way to learn Latin! It’s tough, but fun, especially with a great teacher like you! I really appreciate how much time you put into these classes.
Thank you again!!
We are so thankful for your Latin teaching! After going through another Latin program we thought we’d rather die than have to sit through another course of the fast-talking, no personality videos. We just need a little joke here or there, a little personality, a book that is easier to understand. After searching for a year, we found you! Thank you so much! We just ordered Visual Latin and are so excited because the book is so easily understandable that I don’t even need the videos and I am able to learn. We will be using the videos too, of course, but wanted to thank you for making a Latin program that is not only achievable but also enjoyable. We watched the intro. video yesterday and were laughing the whole time. After the last program and having to understand the dreaded Henle eventually (we do CC and I may be teaching next year), we are SO SO thankful for your programs. We plan on subscribing to your Henle class after we finish the Visual Latin. We also want to learn Spanish soon too. Do you have any aspirations to teach that in the future? If not, can you suggest a good program? I know there are tons of families that want their kids to learn Spanish – it might be a good draw for you to get more students. Just a suggestion:}
Thanks again and get some rest with your family this summer!
We have thoroughly enjoyed the video classes and have recommended it to many others. As a parent/teacher I have learned much along with my students, so thank you!
– Donna
“Thanks again for all your help and for the work you put into teaching!! You’ve made learning Latin for our family a great experience.”
“You. Have. No. Idea.
You are the BIGGEST answer to prayer!
You’re such a gifted teacher!! Please keep up the work you’re doing, Dwane! We are now excited about Latin!?”
“We are so appreciative of the service you provide for the homeschooling community! I work in a small local homeschool bookstore, and it is hard for people to find a quality way to teach their children Latin (& Greek!). What you have provided is such an excellent value and comprehensive resource, and I pray that your business will continue to expand and prosper. I have happily spread the word about your site to people who ask about Latin products, and will continue to do so!”
“I’m so grateful for your help and love your videos. You are such a talented teacher and have helped me and my kids tremendously!”
– Helen
“Thanks so much, and thanks for all your help in Latin, couldn’t have done it without you!”
“We have finished with lingual Latina 1 & 2. My kids have loved your programs and we will all miss your teaching. You make learning fun and interesting and we very much appreciate it. We will definitely be using your products for the grandkids eventually!”
“As I’ve told you many times, you made Latin possible for this homeschooled family! When my daughter requested to study Latin, I was so against it. I made her study Spanish. With no interest, it didn’t go well. Eventually, I had to give in.
I began disastrously with Wheelock..and then found you. We did VL together. After a while, we came to feel “A day without Dwayne, is like a day without sunshine!”
“My daughter loves your classes. Thanks for keeping her interested and motivated!”
“So far we have worked through Lesson 6. I cannot tell you thank you enough! Today she was on Google translate to hear the pronunciation so she could not only translate it but speak it! And she did it well and translated her sentences perfectly. She has never liked Latin one tiny little bit. She hated it last year. It was absolutely awful. I sure wish I had known about you last year. I would love it if the CC curriculum would include you in it. It would alleviate so much heartache.
I don’t know how you do it, but thank you so much. I can’t thank you enough!!!”
– Monica
“We just made the decision (rather reluctantly ) last weekend to be done with Latin. Our son is entering his junior year and is beginning some college courses for dual credit. You have had a positive powerful influence on our son’s education from Visual Latin to Roma Aeterna, and I greatly appreciate all your hard work. For awhile you were his only other teacher besides me! He tested for honors English at our local community college and I know your Latin teachings contributed to his excelling in English.”
– Kim
“I just wanted to let you know that I am loving your classes! I say that in the plural form because even though I am really taking the Lingua Latina class, I am also watching Henle 2 videos as well. I love reading through the Gallic Wars and find your maps and your explanations so helpful and interesting. Oh yes, I am also taking your Matthew class. This is all possible because of you! I thank you so much. Your classes and knitting are my favorite things to do. Thank you so much. You are a Godsend to me.”
– Patty
“Thank you so much for leading us through Henle 2 this past year. I didn’t attend your live online class very much, because I was directing Challenge 2 and juggling many balls at once. Sigh.
Now, my son is moving on to Challenge 3 and trying to talk me out of having him study Latin this fall. Sigh again.
I have learned to LOVE Latin, and owe much of that to you. Studying Latin has taught me a LOT about English grammar. I see Latin everywhere!
You are a gifted writer, and I have greatly enjoyed your blog posts. I just signed up to continue receiving them, even though we are finished with Henle 2.
Thank you for helping out all of us desperate CC Latin learners!!”
A letter from a student…
“Salve Mr. Thomas,
This is the last homework for Lingua Latina! I don’t know if I am sad or happy. I know you’re probably happy you don’t have to grade anymore:)
One thought while reading this chapter: Hostes means enemy, add an “s” and you get the name of some pretty delicious but terrible-for-you snack cakes… ironic right?
Also, you may find it funny that for my other classes, when I take notes, I sometimes use Latin words because they are faster to write;) For instance: se instead of himself.
Thanks for everything you do! You are the best Latin teacher EVER! You have not only taught me Latin words, but you also taught me how the words connect with English (some of my favorites are “genus” and “candidus” and “mortus/mortgage”), you taught Latin grammar so well that it helped with English grammar concepts, and finally you taught me how to insult someone in Latin. All of these things go above and beyond a normal teacher’s duty and that’s why you’re the best Latin teacher ever! Thank you so much!”
– Mallory
“I just want to thank you again for all the help you have given me over the past 2 years. I would not have progressed in Latin as rapidly as I have if I had not taken your courses, and I have enjoyed learning under you. I am looking forward to taking more classes from you in the future, and I hope one day to meet you in person!”
“I GREATLY admire you and what appears to me a very different way of looking at things than most. I And as another Mama of many, I am so grateful for the way I see the Lord being faithful to us through people like yourself, so thank you!!”
– Julie
“We subscribed to your classes in January because my son needed some extra help with the class he was taking locally. He never got to participate in an online class because your class was much farther ahead in the book. But he loved watching the online videos. You explained everything so clearly and made things much simpler to understand than Mr. Henle did. He appreciated being able to go back and re-watch videos with concepts that were harder.
I want to thank you so much for giving him the help he needed this spring!”
– Hillary
“I just wanted to add that we have loved Visual Latin, my daughter has laughed at something every single lesson…and you can’t say that about any other curriculum (not that we’ve discovered yet anyway). Thank you for your work, it is much appreciated!”
– Alyssa
“Your Latin teaching has been so, so good for my kids and me this school year. I am so glad I found you!!”
– Anita
“Thank you so much! As someone who is part of my “educational team” for my kids, you should know my daughter received a Gold Summa Cum Laude award this evening for her NLE this year. She missed 3 on the Latin 1 test, and her younger sister by 2 years missed 5 on the Intro. What a surprise to mom! Thanks for making a difference!
This is our first online class, and I have to say that I am beyond impressed that our teacher who is somewhere out in the Internet world actually knows who we are! I have always figured that you had so so many students….never would I have dreamed that you would know us the way you do. Thanks for being personal, even if we never meet face to face!
You made her year of Latin so much better than if we had attempted it alone! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!”
– Julie
“You have Superpowers, I know this because you can transform kids from haters of Latin to lovers of Latin!”
– Kimberly
“Thanks again for taking the time to offer these classes at such a good price and doing it so well!!”
– Anthony
“Your site has been a tremendous help and I really appreciate all of your videos etc. Your style and perspective are needed in the CC community with Henle!”
– Erica
“I wanted to pass on that my twins that are taking your Visual Latin class are LLLLOOOOVING it!! They are 8 and have had Prima Latina and part of Latina Christiana before making the jump. Latin has now gone from another subject to just get through to THEIR FAVORITE!! Thanks so much for all of your effort and your jokes that keep us engaged! :)”
– Maura
“Once again, thank you so, so much for reading and grading these. It’s such an awesome experience learning Latin, and being immersed in the language. Couldn’t have asked for a better class!”
– Sonya
“Let me start by telling you how happy I am to have found your website!! You have totally revolutionized the way we study Latin in my home. 🙂 This will be my 4thyear being a Challenge director for Classical Conversations, therefore 4 years of trying to diligently learn Latin in order to teach both my students in class and my 4 children at home. Even though I actually enjoy learning Latin, it has been an uphill battle using Henle Latin. But now that I have been watching (and re-watching) your videos I feel like it’s finally starting to truly make sense. You have a remarkable teaching style…and it just clicks!! Thank you!! :)”
– Anita
“Your classes have been wonderful, and for the first time Latin is actually making since to me and both my children. I am so thankful for you and your resources.
Thank you, again, for all that you do because you are helping so many people. On our CC campus people are continually saying how much you have helped them through Visual Latin and your other resources. I just wanted you to know that you are a blessing!”
– Kami
“Thanks to taking your Latin courses our son has a 104% average in his Latin class and was invited to join the Latin team next year!
We truly believe in you and your program and want as many people as possible to benefit from it.”
– Alma-Marie
“Thank you!! As a Latin tutor help for CC, I love watching the Visual Latin videos…..it helps the medicine go down easier. :)”
– Stephanie
“You’re an AMAZING teacher!!!! I’m learning Latin alongside my son…”
– Karen
“I cannot tell you how much I appreciate your encouraging comments that you send along with my son’s corrected homework. He has worked very hard over the past couple weeks. Since this is his first year of high school, the workload has dramatically increased and he is learning how to manage his time. We have had many talks about putting in the effort the first time for better results. Latin has been a tremendous boost to his self-confidence partly because he receives feedback from someone other than his mom! You have a real gift.”
– Kim
“Your course is really fun I’ve never really enjoyed Latin before. Now I’m excited to go to Latin class!”
– Catherine
“By the way ~ we immensely enjoy your Visual Latin videos which are a huge help in our Latin studies. My son is in the Classical Conversations Challenge A (7th grade) program which uses Henle Latin, and CC has some of your video clips in their website. You do a superb job of explaining the ins and outs of grammar and parsing (and oh yes, the different pronunciations!). My son enjoys your style. Thank you very much for all you are doing to make Latin (and other languages) accessible to the general population.”
– Maria
“I highly recommend Dwane Thomas for Latin. One of my children had him for several years and has done exceedingly well as have all her classmates. Another child also studies with him and is on her 3rd year with him.
He is a phenomenal teacher and has an amazing sense of humor which makes Latin fun for the student. I can’t say enough about him.”
– Candace
“I’ve meant to send this message for several weeks now. Our son is taking both your Latin 3 class and Greek I class. He loves both!
His favorite subjects are these ancient languages. He talks about Latin or Greek all the time. He thinks you are a great teacher and enjoys learning so much! Thank you! Thank you!”
“Thank you for utilizing your gifts to teach Latin. I know my daughter emailed you this morning to express her gratitude and I must say it’s huge for her to have anything but dread and feelings of inadequacy with Latin! There is something special about your style, and that has drawn her in.
I tutor Challenge B and this is my first year to tutor the Latin strand, so I too am grateful for your entertaining and effective method of teaching. I hope to be like you when I grow up!”
When my mom read me something on your website, it said that it makes Latin fun… I could not imagine Latin being fun at the time! I have taken two years of Henle Latin, let’s just say it has not be on my favorite subjects list! To be honest, some tears have been shed over not understanding ANYTHING! A couple days ago, I was talking to my mom and said ” I can’t believe I am about to say this, but I LOVE Latin!!”
All this to say, THANK YOU!!
“I just wanted to let you know that my daughter is loving your class and that is a huge relief to me! The last few years she has hated Latin and in all honesty I hated doing it with her. You have saved me so much frustration from grading and correcting and trying to figure out whether she’s doing it right and for that I am truly grateful! And that now she actually is enjoying it…AMAZING!”
– Stephanie (mother of an online student)
“I just wanted to thank you for being probably the best conceivable Latin teacher ever! You made a dead language come alive and helped me to really enjoy it. And I just love the witty way you put things- it makes me look forward every week to getting my homework back! Hope you get a good *week* of summer and see you next week starting a new year!”
– an online student
“Here is a testimonial to the power of your Visual Latin combined with the pure enjoyment of Lingua Latina: My 11yo son started Visual Latin 1 with us mid-May. The only Latin he had taken before then was the CC Foundations memory work (M/F noun endings, 1st Conj verb endings, and John 1:1-7). We watched your videos together and took your quizzes at a rate of one per day, then we read about half a chapter a day from Lingua Latina — and HE KEPT UP! He really didn’t stumble until pronouns (Lesson 15-16)! After we reached Lesson 20 at that pace we started over again and have completed through Lesson 26. We’ll finish Visual Latin 1 this week or next — a whole year of high school Latin in ONE SUMMER — and he’s just turned 12!”
– Julie
Thanks again for all you did to encourage enthusiasm for Latin this year. It was her happiest Latin year yet!
– Angel
“If you want your child to make a good start in Latin we recommend this curriculum. Dwane is a fantastic teacher, with a great sense of humor, my son enjoys the Visual Latin lessons and finds them easy and entertaining. As a language teacher, I know how difficult can be motivating the students, Dwane has a gift. The lessons are interesting and seeing the proud face of your child after his first independent translation is invaluable!”
– A.Z.
“It’s been a great class! Thanks again for teaching so well. I took 1 year of Latin before ever taking any of your classes with a book called Latin’s Not So Tough and that nearly scarred me for life. Your classes have really made me love the language.”
– Abigail
“Count us among some of your biggest fans! My boys love Visual Latin! They love Word Up!, too!
Your teaching style and sense of humor reaches my boys, grabs their attention, and keeps them riveted. Great job!!“
– Jen
“Of course, your winning personality and humor won me over immediately when I first found your VL program online. The bite-size portions and the start-reading-now approach is brilliant in making the learning so interesting and accessible, right from the get-go. But the kicker is the Vulgate. God’s word is His primary source of communication with us as believers and to begin pouring His word (and His Word) into the hearts and minds of young people (not me – I already told you I’m old) is beyond commendable. The countless hours you have spent bending your will to learn these languages and then turn around and share them through the word makes your life a well-spent life, brother. (Proverbs 25:28)”
– Craig
“Thank you again for teaching Latin! It’s been such a relief and pleasure to see how much my daughter loves Latin and languages now. And I didn’t have to teach it!! Seriously, your class and teaching style has been a huge gift to me and to her. Thank you!”
– Sandy
“Thank you so much for class and for your dedicated, patient, yet fun teaching style. I have really thrived in this class. I also really enjoy it, sometimes my mother walks by wondering what I could possibly be laughing at in a Latin class.
Thank you lots. I appreciate your hard work to teach students one of the most interesting languages on the planet, even though it may be dead.”
“Your Latin teaching videos are fabulous and I have fallen in love your teaching!
I was able to have a look at the enormous list of videos.
I’m impressed indeed! How much energy and how many years must have gone into producing them all!!
I’ve finished viewing the first video and here again I’m astonished at the well-organized teaching method.
I’m thinking of joining Live Online Lingua Latina Class in the near future, but first of all I had better buy the textbook Lingua Latina. Your introduction and explanation of the structure of the textbook in the video 1 has convinced me that I should buy a copy.”
– Hideo
“I’m reading your book, Via, and I’m very impressed. It is a wonderful life-help book and not just for languages. I’ve never been a very disciplined person, so it will take lots of baby steps; however, your book gives me hope for change. I’m going to have my husband read it in addition to my daughter.”
– Dawn
“Today, as I finished reading your book, I realized a big part of what had been missing for me in my Latin study. Your book has assured me that I am doing a few things right – I have some good tools collected, but I need a more specific goal and a better plan. Your book IS a training plan for Latin, just like those marathon training plans I copied from experienced runners. What you have created is an important work! It has implications beyond language study.
I am excited about your book. I know how much it is going to help me and others like me. People who really want to become fluent, but who have become frustrated by a lack of direction. I can’t wait to recommend your book to friends.”
– Mary
(Praise for my book, Via.)
“Love it.
Challenged & inspired by it… For Latin, but definitely regarding other endeavors.
Can’t wait to have my teen boys read it.
Favorite humorous quote (from you) so far in the book: ‘As the Mayans taught us, if you don’t finish your work, it’s not the end of the world.’ Love it.”
– Alison
Dear Dwane,
“My kids and I absolutely love your Visual Latin course. We are 12 weeks into Visual Latin I and it is one of the kid’s favorite classes. I am quite certain that any foreign language course you make, my children will want to take. I am excited to see all of the resources you have available and to find this website of yours to learn even more. Thank you for being such a great teacher for my children and for me.”
– Ashley
Hi Dwane,
“I like to say that my daughter has done ‘school’ any way that you can do school, from a traditional classroom setting and modules to various online courses and she is very adamant that you are one of, if not her best teacher! She is challenged with the content but gains confidence from your energy and humor. When asked why she thinks you are such a good teacher, she will say that she can tell that you respect your students as individuals and that you really enjoy your subject.”
-Josephine
Hi Dwane,
“I want to thank you for a wonderful Latin class. My daughter enjoys it so much and looks forward to class time and to doing her Latin work each day. You have made her learning experience fun, challenging, and profitable.
So grateful!
Have a very Merry Christmas!”
Respectfully,
– Angel
“Wow! An email from THE Dwayne!
Thanks so much for your help! We love your Visual Latin program. I use it with my kids 14, 11 and 6. I love your humor and the kids think that makes me corny! The kids memorized and recited The Lord’s Prayer and the Apostles Creed on Christmas Day which totally impressed the relatives! Also, we will be starting the new Word Up series in two weeks at their request.
Thanks for creating programming that makes homeschooling a little more fun and a whole lot easier on me! It’s a huge blessing!
Keep up the good work!”
– Kendra
“Just a quick background, to let you know how much your program is appreciated: I have a 14yo who basically doesn’t want to do anything. Anything. Except eat. And do his Latin. I promise, this was not the case with First Form Latin, nor Latin’s Not So Tough. He enjoys your lessons and generally feels empowered to actually read Latin.
Again, I appreciate you for getting back so quickly, but mostly I appreciate your humor, depth, style & method of delivery that make this subject matter so engaging! It is the most enjoyable part of our homeschool day.”
– Patricia
“How many classes have your kids laughing out loud? Visual Latin with Dwane Thomas has made learning Latin fun for my family. My sons actually look forward to Latin class.
They often bring me their Latin papers giggling because of some funny question or answer choice. I really appreciate the joy that has been added to what could have been (and usually is) a dry curriculum.”
– anonymous
“G. enjoys it so much and looks forward to class time and to doing her Latin work each day. You have made her learning experience fun, challenging, and profitable.”
– Angel
“I’m really surprised at the way you teach Latin. Your magic wand makes the “dead” language so alive and approachable that I always feel as if I were learning present-day French or German. Your, and the textbook’s way, for that matter, of repeating indefatigably the basic and most essential parts of grammar is admirable, for I know, from my own life-long experience of learning and teaching English, that there is no shortcut for learning foreign languages other than repetition and memorization.
But, as everyone knows, repetition and memorization are usually tedious and tiresome, which you make miraculously enjoyable and relaxing. Your casual way of explanation has a great deal to do with that class atmosphere, no doubt.”
– Hideo
Thank you for the help. I appreciate your time and effort. We are down to homeschooling our last 3 (out of nine) kiddos and this is the first foreign language course we have enjoyed using.
– Chris
