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Lingua Latina per se Illustrata
Lingua Latina per se illustrata. Pars I: Familia Romana, Grammatica Latina
A Latin morphology to be used with Lingua Latina: Part I: Familia Romana.
40 pages, Paperback
First published December 31, 2000
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
September 10, 2018
You need very little knowledge of Latin or the Romance Languages to comprehend the text in this volume. It starts off very simply and through intuition leads you onward to more complex material. The "natural method" used here is largely effective (I was skeptical at first) and invaluable for fluency in reading Classical Latin. Paired with hearing the language (e.g. at latinum.org.uk) and reading a thorough grammar (e.g. Wheelock's) this work will prove worthwhile in every respect.
September 1, 2012
The BEST textbook to learn Latin!
May 24, 2019
Tota linguae Latinae grammatica Latine scripta est!
June 25, 2022
Disclaimer: I am a high-school Latin teacher and have had the pleasure of teaching both introductory and advanced Latin classes (Vergil's Aeneid, Caesar's De Bello Gallico, and Catullus' Carmina) at both the high-school and university level.
I have taught from several Latin textbooks over the years and have learned from a wide variety as well. My first foray into reading Latin as an elementary student was Jones' and Sidwell's Reading Latin. While I understand the pedagogical reasons for using grammar-oriented traditional Latin textbooks like Wheelock's Latin and Jenny's Latin, there is no better book for learning to read Latin than Lingua Latina Per Se Illustrata (henceforth abbreviated as LLPSI). Through each of the aforementioned traditional textbooks, students learn Latin; through LLPSI, students actually acquire the language.
The goal of LLPSI is comprehensibility. The reader is graded with simple stories of a fictional Roman family during the 2nd Century AD and culminates with supplementary readings (purchased separately) from real Latin authors like Caesar and Vergil. Due to the progressive nature of the book’s vocabulary, grammar, and structure, it is the ideal starting point for students with no knowledge of Latin. Unlike other Latin textbooks, which deductively teach students elements of grammar, LLPSI takes a more inductive approach to learning Latin. Because of this inductive approach, LLPSI is composed entirely in Latin and provides an excellent introduction to Latin, including the essentials of Latin grammar and a vocabulary of nearly 2000 words. All new words are either defined in the target language or are represented with a visual. The goal of LLPSI is immersion: a completely unique approach to learning Latin that no other textbook in the target language has attempted to replicate.
The assumptions LLPSI makes about the students’ vocabulary, knowledge of the language, and general experiential backgrounds are all appropriate to the structure of the book. Like a children’s book, LLPSI attempts to be a true introduction for students of all ages. The primary assets of the book are the images used to teach vocabulary, the circumlocution of new words using known vocabulary, and the inductive resources for teaching elements of Latin grammar. Just like the graded nature of the vocabulary in the text, each chapter introduces a single element (or two) of Latin grammar. As such, students only need to focus on the importance of the new element of grammar and how it functions in the language. For instance, the second chapter introduces students to the “genitive case” in Latin, which is primarily used for showing the relationship between two nouns. In English, the genitive is translated with the preposition “of”. As such, the chapter introduces the Roman family with simple sentences that use the genitive case: “Julius is the father of Marcus. Marcus is the son of Julius.” The graduated approach to learning vocabulary and grammar is one of the strongest aspects of LLPSI that aids in the comprehensibility of the Latin stories.
Caveat emptor (May the buyer beware)!
The main benefit of LLPSI is its inference-based approach to language learning. Nevertheless, inference can be frustrating for some students, especially high school students, who are used to language textbooks that will gloss unfamiliar vocabulary in their native language(s). Admittedly, Latin is a difficult language that, even with years of practice, can seem impossible to master. While many words can easily be inferred from their similarities to English vocabulary (i.e. elephantus, animal, pater, mater, etc.), grammar is not as easily understood. The concepts of cases and declensions, two fundamental aspects of Latin nouns, no longer exist in most modern languages. As such, LLPSI assumes that a student will acquire these complicated components of grammar through repetition and practice. In reality, however, such features of grammar are more easily taught deductively through traditional approaches. Despite the unique inductive approach to learning Latin, which can be especially useful for the self-taught student of Latin, the book would be best aided with some resources in English to explain elements of grammar, which are entirely taught in the target language. As such, LLPSI benefits most for a student with the aid of a teacher or tutor, who can guide the student when their attempts at inference fail.
Other important warnings
Beyond the difficulties in the pedagogical approach of LLPSI, it also struggles with approachability in themes. Given that the book was first published in the mid-twentieth century, the style, pictures, and cultural aspects can be reprehensible to a modern reader. For instance, the third chapter describes Julius, the father of the family, hitting his son Marcus because of something wrong Marcus had done. In the Roman world, it was entirely appropriate for the father of the family (paterfamilias) to beat his children and slaves if he saw fit. Such realities are deplorable to modern readers, but things that the book does not shy away from introducing. In teaching this particular chapter, I have supplemented the vocabulary and grammar with an alternate story. Unfortunately, the most controversial chapters of the reader are the second and third chapters respectively. The ancient world was replete with challenging topics: slavery, torture, sexism, violence, xenophobia, imperialism, etc. Because this book is composed entirely in Latin, there are no cultural supplements to the chapter in the native language of the reader, which explain the beliefs of the Romans, similar to what might be found in Cambridge Latin. Consequently, LLPSI's introduction to such topics can appear to be an endorsement of their existence to untrained readers. For teachers planning to use LLPSI in their Latin classrooms, I would highly encourage pre-reading through the textbook, anticipating the difficult topics, and supplementing them with readings in the students' native language.
Conclusion
Using LLPSI, I have been able to help elementary students read excerpts from intermediate Latin literature within a year. The book has not just been helpful for my students, however. Having read through it from cover to cover, I feel more confident in my own ability to read Latin literature. After engaging with the "Nature Method" of LLPSI, I am now able to read through nearly any work of Latin literature with little to no need for a dictionary. The pedagogical approach of the book is the most natural method of language acquisition in Latin, which can be used both within the classroom and by an independent learner. It is not without its faults, but no other Latin textbook comes close to the efficacy of helping students acquire Latin like LLPSI.
I have taught from several Latin textbooks over the years and have learned from a wide variety as well. My first foray into reading Latin as an elementary student was Jones' and Sidwell's Reading Latin. While I understand the pedagogical reasons for using grammar-oriented traditional Latin textbooks like Wheelock's Latin and Jenny's Latin, there is no better book for learning to read Latin than Lingua Latina Per Se Illustrata (henceforth abbreviated as LLPSI). Through each of the aforementioned traditional textbooks, students learn Latin; through LLPSI, students actually acquire the language.
The goal of LLPSI is comprehensibility. The reader is graded with simple stories of a fictional Roman family during the 2nd Century AD and culminates with supplementary readings (purchased separately) from real Latin authors like Caesar and Vergil. Due to the progressive nature of the book’s vocabulary, grammar, and structure, it is the ideal starting point for students with no knowledge of Latin. Unlike other Latin textbooks, which deductively teach students elements of grammar, LLPSI takes a more inductive approach to learning Latin. Because of this inductive approach, LLPSI is composed entirely in Latin and provides an excellent introduction to Latin, including the essentials of Latin grammar and a vocabulary of nearly 2000 words. All new words are either defined in the target language or are represented with a visual. The goal of LLPSI is immersion: a completely unique approach to learning Latin that no other textbook in the target language has attempted to replicate.
The assumptions LLPSI makes about the students’ vocabulary, knowledge of the language, and general experiential backgrounds are all appropriate to the structure of the book. Like a children’s book, LLPSI attempts to be a true introduction for students of all ages. The primary assets of the book are the images used to teach vocabulary, the circumlocution of new words using known vocabulary, and the inductive resources for teaching elements of Latin grammar. Just like the graded nature of the vocabulary in the text, each chapter introduces a single element (or two) of Latin grammar. As such, students only need to focus on the importance of the new element of grammar and how it functions in the language. For instance, the second chapter introduces students to the “genitive case” in Latin, which is primarily used for showing the relationship between two nouns. In English, the genitive is translated with the preposition “of”. As such, the chapter introduces the Roman family with simple sentences that use the genitive case: “Julius is the father of Marcus. Marcus is the son of Julius.” The graduated approach to learning vocabulary and grammar is one of the strongest aspects of LLPSI that aids in the comprehensibility of the Latin stories.
Caveat emptor (May the buyer beware)!
The main benefit of LLPSI is its inference-based approach to language learning. Nevertheless, inference can be frustrating for some students, especially high school students, who are used to language textbooks that will gloss unfamiliar vocabulary in their native language(s). Admittedly, Latin is a difficult language that, even with years of practice, can seem impossible to master. While many words can easily be inferred from their similarities to English vocabulary (i.e. elephantus, animal, pater, mater, etc.), grammar is not as easily understood. The concepts of cases and declensions, two fundamental aspects of Latin nouns, no longer exist in most modern languages. As such, LLPSI assumes that a student will acquire these complicated components of grammar through repetition and practice. In reality, however, such features of grammar are more easily taught deductively through traditional approaches. Despite the unique inductive approach to learning Latin, which can be especially useful for the self-taught student of Latin, the book would be best aided with some resources in English to explain elements of grammar, which are entirely taught in the target language. As such, LLPSI benefits most for a student with the aid of a teacher or tutor, who can guide the student when their attempts at inference fail.
Other important warnings
Beyond the difficulties in the pedagogical approach of LLPSI, it also struggles with approachability in themes. Given that the book was first published in the mid-twentieth century, the style, pictures, and cultural aspects can be reprehensible to a modern reader. For instance, the third chapter describes Julius, the father of the family, hitting his son Marcus because of something wrong Marcus had done. In the Roman world, it was entirely appropriate for the father of the family (paterfamilias) to beat his children and slaves if he saw fit. Such realities are deplorable to modern readers, but things that the book does not shy away from introducing. In teaching this particular chapter, I have supplemented the vocabulary and grammar with an alternate story. Unfortunately, the most controversial chapters of the reader are the second and third chapters respectively. The ancient world was replete with challenging topics: slavery, torture, sexism, violence, xenophobia, imperialism, etc. Because this book is composed entirely in Latin, there are no cultural supplements to the chapter in the native language of the reader, which explain the beliefs of the Romans, similar to what might be found in Cambridge Latin. Consequently, LLPSI's introduction to such topics can appear to be an endorsement of their existence to untrained readers. For teachers planning to use LLPSI in their Latin classrooms, I would highly encourage pre-reading through the textbook, anticipating the difficult topics, and supplementing them with readings in the students' native language.
Conclusion
Using LLPSI, I have been able to help elementary students read excerpts from intermediate Latin literature within a year. The book has not just been helpful for my students, however. Having read through it from cover to cover, I feel more confident in my own ability to read Latin literature. After engaging with the "Nature Method" of LLPSI, I am now able to read through nearly any work of Latin literature with little to no need for a dictionary. The pedagogical approach of the book is the most natural method of language acquisition in Latin, which can be used both within the classroom and by an independent learner. It is not without its faults, but no other Latin textbook comes close to the efficacy of helping students acquire Latin like LLPSI.
January 7, 2023
"Ego possum loquere Latinam nunc, verum pro certum" <- Let's play find the errors
Nunc, ego Latine loqui possum. Ut credo, ad Latinitatem discendam est in societatibus occidentalibus cursus academicus celerrimus. (PLEASE CORRECT MY LATIN IF WRONG)
Beginning Roma Æterna soon!
Nunc, ego Latine loqui possum. Ut credo, ad Latinitatem discendam est in societatibus occidentalibus cursus academicus celerrimus. (PLEASE CORRECT MY LATIN IF WRONG)
Beginning Roma Æterna soon!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 27, 2022
Wheelock’s Latin teachs you how to “decode” the language of Latin.
LLPSI makes you immersed in Latin and be able to truly appreaciate its beauty.
LLPSI makes you immersed in Latin and be able to truly appreaciate its beauty.
September 30, 2022
pessimo, letto in un anno per scuola. mi ha generato più crisi mentali questo libro che qualunque altro elemento nella mia vita.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews