Latin classes in high school: How can we learn the basics?

It is the first thing we think of when we talk about learning Latin: school . Tito Livio, Julio César… will accompany you in this process.

You have three ways to access the teaching of Latin by specialists in Latin declensions, philology and the interdisciplinary aspect of Latin.

The school, the institute or even the faculty.

The school: the starting point of this Latino adventure: Latin classes in high school: How can we learn the basics?

You arrive at Secondary and after listening to the advice of your environment and the teaching body of your center, you choose to take the Latin subject. Dictionary of Latin, Latin names and the didactic aspect of this language will be in your program of high school classes.

From the first you can learn the bases of vocabulary, grammar … But also the mythology and history of Latin. This language has taken the continuity to ancient Greek.

The advantage of learning Latin at school is that at that age you absorb all kinds of knowledge like sponges. You better assimilate all the information. Especially those more difficult concepts such as vocative, phonetic or indefinite. You have to give everything from day one.

In other words, the school is the ideal laboratory for learning Latin, as well as being playful.

The institute, or how to review and deepen the concepts of Latin for the Selectivity

The advantage of Latin is that we can take it whenever we want throughout our school years. In the institute, Latin can have a double use .

On the one hand, deepen the elements seen in class, in Latin and in language teaching. Or resume them if we are starting. Review the future participle, the future past or the irregular verbs. Especially when we are with spoken Latin, metrics or paleography are seen in high school.

In high school, Latin is an elective. That is, if you pass it in the PCE (specific tests) they will always be points that add to your academic average. It is a key factor to take into account.

The Faculty: the fruit of training before the final touch

Arriving at the faculty after having studied Latin for 6 years will mean that you will only have to deepen what you have already seen. Impregnate yourself with linguistics and Latin grammar. It is easier to work in continuity with something already seen than to tackle it again. Starting from a solid foundation already consolidated in the school stage is essential.

In college you will prepare and train in Latin and make it your profession. Who knows you might end up being a teacher or a specialist in Roman civilization. The Autonomous University of Madrid has great references in this matter in Madrid.

Starting with Latin in college is somewhat more complicated since you will not learn basic notions (which will be taken for granted) and you will go directly to more complex concepts. My advice is that before embarking on the adventure of studying a degree in ancient languages, arrive with a more or less acquired base.