ThinkOutsideTheBorder: Tip of the Week #5 – February 7, 2015
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My students know that I am constantly reminding them to listen to the language they are studying.
But, what should you listen to?
This is an easy question to answer for modern languages. There is more than enough available. In fact, so much is available, it’s easy to become overwhelmed.
Check out language tapes, CD’s or DVD’s from the library. Your local library should have enough to get you started. They will at least have the basics.
Download podcasts in your target language. For modern languages, there is so much available. Thanks to podcasts, you can actually imitate immersion these days. In some languages, like French and Spanish, you could study without spending a dime.
This is not the case for Latin. An abundance of written Latin is available, more than you could ever read in fact, but until recently, there was almost no audio content available in Latin.
This changed in 2011.
In 2011, Faith Comes By Hearing.com released Biblium.is.
Here you will find the entire New Testament, fully dramatized as an audio book, in Latin, for free! Thanks to Biblium.is, you now have access to a massive Latin audio book. This is significant. Such an audio book has never been available in Latin before.
For Christian students, this is fantastic news. You should be reading the Bible daily anyway, Now you are able to read the Bible and learn Latin at the same time.
But, what if you are not a Christian?
You should listen to the New Testament anyway.
Why?
The New Testament has influenced our world profoundly. It is impossible to estimate the impact this book has had in our world. To be ignorant of the New Testament is to be ignorant of the most influential book on the planet.
Just as you cannot fully understand the history of the Middle East without reading the Koran, you simply cannot fully understand the history of our world without some knowledge of the New Testament. It’s impact is undeniable.
There are other practical reasons to listen to the New Testament in Latin.
First of all, the free audio version is the most audio content you will find in Latin. I have personally scoured the internet looking for audio content in Latin. Until the release of Biblium.is, I was only able to find snippets. Nothing comprehensive was available.
Second, the New Testament is written at, roughly, a 6th grade reading level. This makes it a perfect first book in Latin.
Finally, the New Testament is easily comparable to so many other languages. Do you already speak French? Read the New Testament in Latin and French simultaneously. You will improve your understanding of French and learn Latin.
Have a Great Saturday!
Dwane
