Latin 506 Correspondence

Instructor: David Cramer
E-mail: dwc@mail.utexas.edu
Telephone: (512) 471-5742

Please also look at the Latin pronunciation page

Welcome to Latin 506!

This course is Latin 506, the first semester of first-year Latin. This introduction will give you an idea of what is required in this course along with some advice on the best approach to your lessons. Read through this introduction first and refer back to it as needed. The remainder of the study guide is devoted to the instructions for each lesson. If you have any questions about what is expected, just ask!

 

About this Course

Latin 506 and Latin 507 (the continuation of Latin 506) are modeled closely on the first-year Latin course taught at The University of Texas at Austin. You will use the same textbook and cover nearly the same material. This course has been modified to meet the needs of correspondence students, especially in light of the experience gained during the many years this course has been offered. Since Latin is no longer regularly spoken, Latin 506 and 507 do not emphasize the production of the language (e.g. speaking or writing it). Instead, the aim is to prepare you to read Latin as it was written by major Roman authors. To accomplish this goal, Latin 506 covers the first twenty-seven chapters of the textbook and introduces much of the required grammar. Latin 507 covers the last thirteen chapters, and then you will begin to read longer passages. By the end of Latin 507, you will be reading passages which are nearly as the ancient authors wrote them. As a result, you will be reading major authors far earlier than you would in other language courses.
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The Importance of Studying Latin

The primary benefit of this sequence in Latin will be the ability to read such authors as Julius Caesar, Cicero (the rival of Julius Caesar and Mark Antony), Seneca (Nero's tutor), and Vergil (the most influential poet in the Western world next to Homer and Shakespeare). These authors are interesting in their own right and have been an fundamental part of education since they were written. Through this reading, you will gain an understanding of Roman life, thought, and politics.

In addition and perhaps more importantly, the study of Latin, more than the study of most other foreign languages, will improve your understanding of English grammar and vocabulary. Approximately two-thirds of all English vocabulary (up to 95 percent in a college textbook) is derived directly or indirectly from Latin. To help build your English vocabulary, your textbook routinely gives the English derivatives of any Latin word you learn. At the end of each chapter you will find further discussion of English words derived from the vocabulary introduced in that chapter, and you are encouraged to consult the etymological aids on pages 427-434 of Wheelock.

In addition to these etymological benefits, Latin is different enough from English that you will be forced to come to terms with English grammar in interesting ways. Students of Latin often say that they never understood English until they learned Latin. This may be because Latin give you a place from which to view English grammar in a way that other foreign languages don't.

The history and importance of the Latin language is described in some detail in the introduction to your textbook (pp. xxv&endash;xxix). If you have already obtained your textbook, you may want to read that section now. In any case, be sure to read it before attempting your first lesson. The following are the most important points in that introduction.

Latin holds its place of honor in Western culture in part because so many influential authors in Western literature, even some for whom Latin was not their native language, wrote in Latin. This fact in itself explains why Latin has been the first, and sometimes the only foreign language, learned by students from the Middle Ages until the Second World War. Your textbook uses these authors' writings in the sentences you will translate and usually gives the particular source for quotations. So, if in doing your lessons, you become interested in what sort of works an author wrote, when he lived, or why he is important, you can look this information up in the brief biographies included in your textbook's introduction.

English has a unique relationship to Latin. Most Western languages&emdash;Greek, Latin, French, German, English, etc.&emdash;are ultimately derived from one language, Indo-European. When you visualize the evolution of these languages, think of a family tree (see the chart on p. xxx of your textbook). Any language directly descended from another language (its child, so to speak) is known as a derived language and will have many similarities with its parent. So, the Romance languages (French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and Romanian, but not English) are derived from Latin and, as the table on p. xxvii of your textbook shows, they share many words with Latin. If you know any Romance languages, that knowledge should help you build your Latin vocabulary.

As the uncles and cousins of the linguistic world, cognate languages aren't as closely related as derived languages. Anglo-Saxon, Greek, and Latin are all cognate with each other. Because they do have a common ancestor, however distant, cognate languages share some features. But the similarities are usually not very great.

English is derived from Anglo-Saxon and is strictly only cognate with Latin. Accordingly, it should then have only a few similarities with Latin. However, in all periods of its development English borrowed many of its words and concepts from the Romans, so even your English vocabulary will assist you in learning Latin vocabulary and vice versa. Your textbook gives you the English derivatives after many of the words in the vocabulary sections. You do not need to learn the derivatives, but they can often help you recognize the meaning of the Latin words.

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Textbooks

The only textbook required for both Latin 506 and 507 is Wheelock's Latin, Fifth Edition, R.A. LaFleur ed., HarperCollins, 1995. Referred to as Wheelock throughout the course, it is probably the Latin textbook most often assigned in American colleges. Originally designed for self-instruction, Wheelock is particularly well-suited for correspondence instruction. From the first chapters on, Wheelock incorporates material from ancient authors instead of relying exclusively on "made-up" Latin. By the time you finish 506, you should be ready for the more difficult passages in the second half of the Latin 506/507 sequence. Be sure to get the 5th edition and in particular to avoid all of the 4th editions (You may find: 4th ed., 4th ed. Reivised [sic], and 4th ed. Revised) like the plague since they are full of serious typos. Also remember to read all of the footnotes in each chapter since they contain some important and useful information.

Speaking of typos, if you find any in this study guide, please bring them to the attention of your instructor so that they can be corrected before the next printing. Likewise, if any paragraphs seem unclear, let the instructor know so that they can be rewritten.

An optional text is: N. Goldman & L. Szymanski, English Grammar for Students of Latin. This text will help you come to terms with long forgotten points of English grammar.

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Prerequisites

Both Wheelock and this study guide require no experience with other foreign languages. The only prerequisite is a basic knowledge of English grammar&emdash;which does not mean that you will have to define complex grammatical terms. However, you should be able to identify the parts of speech in a simple English sentence (see Lesson 1). All other grammar will be fully explained and examples will be given in either Wheelock or the study guide. If you need additional help with English grammar and grammatical terms, consider ordering a copy of N. Goldman & L. Szymanski's English Grammar for Students of Latin.
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Requirements and Grading

This course is composed of twenty-five lessons and one final exam. Three lessons are computer-graded assignments designed as review exercises. For the computer-graded lessons, you will receive a sheet giving the correct answers, plus brief feedback responses explaining why any of your answers are incorrect. Use this information to discover the areas where you need to review.

The other twenty-two lessons are graded by your instructor and emphasize translation, both from Latin into English and English into Latin, along with some grammar questions. For incorrect answers, you will receive comments on what the right answer is and why. If you have serious problems, suggestions for review will also be included. The comments must replace the guidance you would receive in an organized course. Therefore it is essential that you carefully review your errors and the reasons for them. In some cases I will merely suggest more graceful alternatives. For true mistakes I will provide help in various ways. I may write in some clarifying comments, refer you to a page or chapter in the text, or simply indicate where the problem is and expect you to solve it yourself. For the most part I reserve this last technique for simple blunders. All your lessons, both computer-graded and instructor-graded ones, will be weighted equally, and you will receive a letter grade (A, A&endash;, B+, and so forth) for all lessons and the final exam. Your final grade will be an average of your lesson grades and final exam grade. If you earn a "C" or better on your final, then your lesson grades will count as 50% of your grade and your final the other 50%. If you earn below a "C" on your final, then your exam grade will be your course grade.

If you receive below a "C" on the final exam, your exam grade will be your course grade.

The final exam is the only occasion when you show that you know the material on your own without the aid of your textbook. This practice is also standard in many of the Latin courses at the University of Texas. In the case of languages, you need to know all the material, and the final exam is the only comprehensive exercise in this course. Therefore, if you make an "F" on the final, you receive an "F" in the course. If you receive a "D" on the final, your course grade will also be a "D". It is the policy of the University of Texas Classics department that you must have a "C" or better in Latin 506 before you can take Latin 507.

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Final Examination

A full breakdown of your final exam is given in Appendix 3. In general terms, the exam duplicates the emphasis of your lessons. The bulk of the exam is devoted to Latin-to-English translation, with grammar questions similar to those in your lessons. In addition, there will be a shorter section of English-to-Latin translation. Although your textbook often discusses the English derivatives of Latin words, you will not be required to know this material. You also won't have to know the specific content of the material you have translated. For example, you will not be asked what Caesar said when he conquered Asia (Veni, Vidi, Vici! "I Came, I Saw, I Conquered!", in case you're wondering).

Since you won't be able to use your book or a dictionary for this exam, be sure to memorize all new material for each lesson carefully. The three computer-graded review lessons should be completed without looking at your textbook. They will tell you whether you have been learning the material properly.

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Format of Your Lessons

The directions for the computer-graded review lessons are given in Lesson 8. All other lessons will have the following sections:
  • Instructor Comments will review major points covered in Wheelock. These introductory notes will indicate areas often overlooked by students as well as cover a few subjects not discussed in the text.
  • Objectives briefly list what you should learn from the lesson.
  • Vocabulary Notes point out any special features of the new words.
  • Self-Help Exercises give you a chance to practice the new material without having to submit your work for grading. These exercises will be given either in the study guide or assigned from the text. Note that Wheelock provides optional self-tutorial exercises with a key for each chapter. These exercises begin on p. 348. Some of the self-help exercises will require that you turn to these self-tutorial questions. You are encouraged to do the other self-tutorial questions at any time for review, especially in chapters you find confusing or lessons on which you did poorly. Answers for the self-help exercises given in the study guide are found in Appendix 2, so that you will know immediately if you are on the right track.
  • Written Assignments tell you what material you must send in for grading. Please note that many lessons are divided in two parts. Each part will contain its own Instructor's Comments, Objectives, etc. For lessons that have two parts, make certain you have both parts of the Written Assignment when you are ready to mail your submission.
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Preparing Your Lessons

  1. Carefully read the assigned chapter of Wheelock in conjunction with the Instructor's Comments section of the study guide. You may have to read through this material several times in order to understand it. Remember to study the examples carefully, since they are often used to illustrate the differences between Latin and English.
  2. Memorize! The Objectives and Vocabulary Notes section will tell you exactly what you should learn. All students understandably tend to avoid memorization, and you may find it even more difficult to commit time to it, since your instructor won't prod you with daily quizzes. However, memorization is essential for success in learning Latin and will give you the assurance that you know the possible meanings of each word and aren't just guessing. A mixture of writing the material out repeatedly and saying it aloud is probably the best way to memorize. I have found that different students flourish using different techniques. Writing out flash cards and using them both for concentrated study and in odd moments works for just about everybody. If you know you'll never keep up with making flash cards, preprinted cards are available at fine bookstores everywhere (look for the "Vis-Ed" cards). Find a system that works for you and use it!
  3. Work through the Self-Help Exercise section. From these exercises you will know if you need to spend more time on the new material before going on.
  4. Complete the Written Assignment. Everything you need for the assignment is contained in Wheelock or the study guide. No outside research is required.
  5. Write legibly and a line or two between sentences for my comments! We now allow you to submit lessons via email. I encourage you to take advantage of this if you can. The response time is much quicker, and neither you nor I will have to puzzle over the other's handwriting.
  6. Finish by reviewing the material for the current chapter and previous chapters. Continual review is essential for consolidating what you have learned.
  7. Be sure to use the cover sheet for your lessons to send questions or comments or asking for any other help with this course.
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Pacing Yourself

One of the advantages of doing a course by correspondence is that you can set your own pace. In selecting a pace for preparing your lessons, please note these tips based on what has been successful for other students.
  • A regular pace is better than rushing through several lessons and then taking a break. Understandably situations may occur when you will have to stop for a period. Be sure to review before beginning again.
  • Each lesson is roughly equivalent to what a Latin class does in three classroom hours, plus the homework to prepare for each class. You may need more time since you do not have a teacher to help you at every step of the way.
  • If you take significantly less time than this, you should check that your pace is not too fast to absorb the information. The computer-graded review lessons (Lessons 8, 17, and 24) can help since they will indicate whether you have mastered the material.
  • Finally, be sure to lay a firm foundation in the earlier chapters. Later chapters (esp. 23-25) will be quite impossible unless you've mastered the earlier material.

Please also note the requirements in the correspondence catalogue on maximum speed (no more than three lessons turned in per week) and maximum time (completion in nine months including the final exam and all the time required for mailing to and from the office). Don't put things off and then expect me to bend this rule just for you. I did it once and the results were disastrous&emdash;so don't even ask.

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English Grammar

Many students find foreign languages inordinately difficult because they lack an understanding of English grammar. In fact, learning Latin is an excellent way to begin to understand English and can be an important first step in improving your verbal skills in general. You can avoid much lamentation and gnashing of teeth by consulting the appropriate sections of Goldman & Szymanski's English Grammar for Students of Latin as you study the grammatical explanations in Wheelock. To facilitate this, I have drawn up the chart below. The chart is not intended to be comprehensive, so be sure to consult the index in G&S if necessary:
Wheelock Chapter:
Goldman & Syzmanski Pages:
1
50-62; 99-102
2
14-24; 40-49; 132-39; 140-45
3
7, 11; 43-44
4
27-28
5
71-72
6
65-68
9
39, 176-78
11
40-49
12
65-68; 52-53
13
39, 172-75
14
90, 192-193
16
134-38
17
179-187
18
93-98
19
117-19; 151-53; 161-171
21
56-57
23
80-90
24
87-90
25
119-122
26
140-146

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Resources on the Web

There are also a number of web pages devoted to the study of Latin which you will probably want to check out: