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Get Started in Latin Absolute Beginner Course
Discover a new and effective way to learn Latin. This best-selling course comprises a book with 12 units covering reading, writing and understanding; audio support is available separately (ISBN 9781444174762)
- GenresNonfictionReference
224 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
June 14, 2013
I must say first--I love Latin and I'm a very determined person. So I was willing to go to all lengths to learn a new (old) language. This course did an excellent job.
It's clear that the author put a lot of effort into making sure that the reader didn't feel like a little kid while studying. I remember the early lessons of high school Spanish class (my most recent foray into languages), learning to say dull things like "My aunt went to the library" and thinking "SO WHAT?!" Instead, this course creates a running storyline where characters argue, crack jokes, daydream, travel, and fall in love, all using the vocabulary you learn along the way. There's a nice bit of intrigue to the story, making it quite a lot of fun by the time you reach the very last lesson and have to translate the final chapter on your own. I found myself really enjoying this in particular since I was eager to see how well I could do without any assistance.
The book itself is very nicely designed and doesn't appear like a school textbook, again helping the reader not to feel sheepish. And, maybe it's only me who has noticed, but the levels go 3,2,1 instead of 1,2,3 making it that taking a "Level 3 Latin course" actually sounds quite impressive. The word "Beginner" is in what must be the tiniest font available.
The CD was a terrific help, especially in the beginning. This can make all the difference in pronunciation. The tracks are very professionally done with good voice actors and even tasteful sound effects. I loved the information on Latin in the classic world, both in the book and on the CD. It gave a lot of background on how and where Latin was spoken, how it changed through time, what authors/poets used Latin, and included excerpts of myth, poetry, and scripture to show the style of writing from the time. A very smart addition!
One aspect of this course may be either great or difficult for other readers: the answers *aren't* always obvious. Naturally, there is an answer key but in doing the quizzes, I found myself several times messing up a word ending (Latin is pretty much *all* word endings) and having to unravel how the book came up with that answer. That meant going back through my notebook--and I seriously suggest you keep a notebook--trying to figure out the correct tense, gender, etc., and then writing down the information I discovered so I would do it right the next time. I think I took in a lot more of the information since I had to figure it out myself, rather than the standard method of just looking at charts and lists without effort.
This is an excellent course that I would recommend to any Latin fans out there. It was perfect for me because I could do a little at a time, use the quick references in the back if I got stuck(Latin to English, English to Latin, grammar terms, and tables of word endings), and the story kept me interested as I went. Bits of Latin got stuck in my head from the very beginning and just today I found myself joking to my husband "Da mi basia mille" ("give me a thousand kisses"), of a poem from Catullus which you will learn. It's a wonderful and fun course and I'm totally ready to be a Level 2 Latin student!
It's clear that the author put a lot of effort into making sure that the reader didn't feel like a little kid while studying. I remember the early lessons of high school Spanish class (my most recent foray into languages), learning to say dull things like "My aunt went to the library" and thinking "SO WHAT?!" Instead, this course creates a running storyline where characters argue, crack jokes, daydream, travel, and fall in love, all using the vocabulary you learn along the way. There's a nice bit of intrigue to the story, making it quite a lot of fun by the time you reach the very last lesson and have to translate the final chapter on your own. I found myself really enjoying this in particular since I was eager to see how well I could do without any assistance.
The book itself is very nicely designed and doesn't appear like a school textbook, again helping the reader not to feel sheepish. And, maybe it's only me who has noticed, but the levels go 3,2,1 instead of 1,2,3 making it that taking a "Level 3 Latin course" actually sounds quite impressive. The word "Beginner" is in what must be the tiniest font available.
The CD was a terrific help, especially in the beginning. This can make all the difference in pronunciation. The tracks are very professionally done with good voice actors and even tasteful sound effects. I loved the information on Latin in the classic world, both in the book and on the CD. It gave a lot of background on how and where Latin was spoken, how it changed through time, what authors/poets used Latin, and included excerpts of myth, poetry, and scripture to show the style of writing from the time. A very smart addition!
One aspect of this course may be either great or difficult for other readers: the answers *aren't* always obvious. Naturally, there is an answer key but in doing the quizzes, I found myself several times messing up a word ending (Latin is pretty much *all* word endings) and having to unravel how the book came up with that answer. That meant going back through my notebook--and I seriously suggest you keep a notebook--trying to figure out the correct tense, gender, etc., and then writing down the information I discovered so I would do it right the next time. I think I took in a lot more of the information since I had to figure it out myself, rather than the standard method of just looking at charts and lists without effort.
This is an excellent course that I would recommend to any Latin fans out there. It was perfect for me because I could do a little at a time, use the quick references in the back if I got stuck(Latin to English, English to Latin, grammar terms, and tables of word endings), and the story kept me interested as I went. Bits of Latin got stuck in my head from the very beginning and just today I found myself joking to my husband "Da mi basia mille" ("give me a thousand kisses"), of a poem from Catullus which you will learn. It's a wonderful and fun course and I'm totally ready to be a Level 2 Latin student!
October 17, 2021
Dit boekje is een leuke manier om je Latijn op te halen. Aan de hand van een vervolgverhaal leer je er steeds meer grammatica bij en breid je je woordenschat uit. Het verhaal speelt zich af in een middeleeuws klooster, er is avontuur, er worden zelfs mensen verliefd en er is humor: zo is er een kloosterling die dol is op Carmen V van Catullus (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=11s1jc8...) Ook staan er oefeningen met sleutel in hoewel sommige antwoorden meerdere kanten opkunnen. Zo is het een originele maar wel verantwoorde manier. Enig nadeel (voor mij persoonlijk dan) is dat het boekje in het Engels is waardoor ik het woordenboek er soms bij moet pakken.
March 14, 2019
The best grammar book for any language
I am amazed how the Latin Grammar works and I get more vocabulary. When I write anything, I use some Latin words into the English language such as ignition (fire), omnibus (everything), corpse (dead body) etc ( etcetera).
Latin does not look dead to me but alive and kicking.
I am amazed how the Latin Grammar works and I get more vocabulary. When I write anything, I use some Latin words into the English language such as ignition (fire), omnibus (everything), corpse (dead body) etc ( etcetera).
Latin does not look dead to me but alive and kicking.
June 18, 2015
CD's didn't really have anything to do with learning latin. But a good start overall with the book.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews