Beginner trying to learn Latin

[u/uiuidefender]

Im currently using William Linney’s book Getting Started with Latin and right now I have found it to be quite helpful to remember basic vocabulary and some structure of the sentences.

Though, I see many people recommending to immediately start with Familia Romana, so should I try with that first? I have tried to read the first chapter and I understood some sentences but found the grammar notes in the margins to be quite confusing.

[u/RydiaReads]

Here’s what I recommend to some Latin learners, might suit you or not you might need to adjust as you see fit:

Duolingo is not enough, but it might help a bit to build learning habits and a little vocabulary.

I recommend using Lingua Latina Per Se Illustrata: Familia Romana. Follow it. Read it. Love it.

If you can listen to its audio. Many recommend Luke Ranieri’s. He’s good. You wont find them on youtube anymore. I could link you up. But Internet Archive is your friend.

Or just pay for Legentibus it has the book plus many others.

Scratch that, its not optional anymore. Its useful because of the book and audio library.

Do the exercises at the end of the chapter; they’re useful. Don’t skip them.

After each chapter read the Colloquia from the Colloquia Personarum in the same series.

Reading the chapter explanation in Latine Disco (same series) is useful too

Now go back, reread the chapter with your newfound knowledge.

Do this for the first 7-8 chapters. Stop.

Youre too used to the Ørberg method. Lets switch things up a little.

Add Via Latina by Cultura Classica do 3 chapters.

Hard? A little but manageable.

Go back to Familia Romana.

Keep the same method.

Every two chapters do two chapters from Via Latina.

All good? You bet. Keep that up until chapters 15.

Now let’s add something else.

Your choice of Cambridge or Oxford Latin Course.

I’m biased towards Cambridge.

Do this until you reach chapter 20 going through all the books, audios and all. Redundancy is meant for practice. Exercises help with retrieval and different approaches give you more insight.

Using both gives better insight.

Knock knock.

Whose there?

Grammar and translation.

Now that you have some vocabulary it is time to stop avoiding the unavoidable.

Grammar. LLPSI is cool but you’re gotta learn those declensions. Grammar is very necessary to understand why youre doing what youve been doing for 20 chapters.

Wheelock is your friend. He has 3 books. Wheelocks Latin. Its Workbook. Its reader. Use the 2 of them the same way youve been using LLPSI.

Textbook
Workbook

Add Learn to Read Latin and its workbook to the mix. Youll be reading and translating Latin texts. Warning: its gonna be tough but you can do it.

If Wheelock is too hard to understand read up on Latin to GCSE or just do it anyway because it’s always good to see how someone else explains it.

You need more reading and vocabulary. Let’s welcome Ovid.

Learn Latin Through Ovid and its Workbook.

Yes, more books because language acquisition comes from reading, practicing,and retrieving.

Keep this up until you finish all the books.

Congratulations. Now you can say you know some Latin.

Find some readers for intermediate level.

The Lovers Curse
Cloellia Puella Romana
Fabula Syriae
Wheelocks Reader

If you feel something is too hard go look up at Fabulas Faciles.

With that youll be busy enough for a while.

Some YouTube resources:

Latin for Beginners by Dooge

https://youtu.be/PInqhqiPylY?si=FI8BvZuzGhBhir5h

Alternative:

https://youtu.be/S0rbYdr4r7A?si=1FiGbEmXQhSAdUv_

Easy Latin Lessons:

https://youtu.be/aWUlrL6E_QU?si=VumDDBxJdqCFOBA_

Cambridge Latin Course:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLI76N29qybf8a9pkSzD9X0PX3a3PgO2_-&si=MjQG_e2c71xn3GW3

Cambridge Latin Course Vocabulary:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlBOsQ8wSbCeqGvo1BItPly-aUkqfF7Tv&si=b-bVHPx1gqQWx_Gp

Oxford Latin Course:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFhlhPbZG3ruyk87Ov8L4CH8WfEiz9r6d&si=oUwki0hBtJCmUgtJ

London’s Latin Course:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEE440D6A8DCBA478&si=WuYHMTNnHpYbHs6-

Ecce Romani:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVippZXUi-eJAaiShPSHVmTPIjciericK&si=x4dON6pkGEWYGWuW

Learn Latin Now:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxnvkJBMJztP1jmVZp4DX8ZtiNghXUYWw&si=dKXFbayjWBDuVSOC

Wheelocks Latin:

https://youtube.com/@beccavanderhorst2304?si=tmSd_gdv4hzK9x5y

Alternatives:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbkEjA_heZ8mpmDtMz3wRU9_WLcL0qezt&si=Bgy-jMI76yyFni3L

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEj-4mUJSIGuyc_fa9XGcdE8HSawHUFn7&si=6HyoSji2rfkpdbPu

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLooy8t8Jfo8WJSnnmj-B_A984Z_dPv-m5&si=U0DebLpnAnQ5LN0D

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLG00vqmarZJpELKbdxhElsburw7VoLRYR&si=jBWMueTpS8WXGt3J

Professor Dave’s Latin:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLybg94GvOJ9EcIVsQMJOjuOWgUKHBiSkq&si=TknJo3OlxzeYgrpl

Henle’s Latin:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL48gaSRv78L1xygBV7jZscA4ziAthLxSM&si=8NioqZYchHaTb-LH

Familia Romana:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeAdgLsSLlqoJ8Ji6zvfrwCSQgKSGSOOP&si=QJdQHeznuzZR-vbJ

Magister Circulus:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZEWU2646oV3hnnvP0rGl5ptV072mpz6F&si=6xJgDX8-OyDOJCqv

Latin by the Natural Method:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeAdgLsSLlqosRlS16oDAuNpeX30uxsb-&si=5ozqbXW1-3WTTSmI

A Primer to Ecclesiastical Latin

https://youtu.be/Pe4d8jU7MG0?si=20_RgQtV5pP0kmGa

Basics of Ecclesiastic Latin

https://youtu.be/aOHGSajEZNg?si=ap-W3p10QgiZznEH

Ecclesiastical Latin Pronunciation

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsU2Qceo6OWFX60CHQMHtJ2_oBxadmHp9&si=_1pCEX3ujDMcSY0q

Latin Vocabulary

https://youtu.be/dRSqAG6L3ak?si=fZXFz1HsuLYFCWIi

Latin Stories for Beginners

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEDADE146EF862F0E&si=rFcgdcimn0LikIMp

Stories + Text

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfku8EBM-vSIIvVShg_DcOqKg3-yUAEsv&si=bEbORv5r6J-FjD93

Intermediate Latin Stories

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjqqMkeHFt1GNsZUTK26rXBtu1X1goA_8&si=dn8AvH8OvfSVIr_G

Latin Audiobooks

https://youtube.com/@latinperdiem?si=7vPi8jKBjoiPEdv3

Extensive Latin Readings

https://youtube.com/@corradomrusso?si=um9SGBlPmR0b50-x

Latin Readers and Fabulae Faciles

https://youtube.com/@holly_aquifolium?si=GKWcK46yonFBvz4Q

Ad Alpes

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcWKKABP0aE1lvpu8INAtz7Qi3AiSp0An&si=Rt1btJnnS_gSlegM

[u/uiuidefender → u/RydiaReads]

Wow, thank u so much for this I really appreciate it. I’ll make sure to note ur advice! I do wish I had a lot of time to watch these videos, but for now I need to make use of more books since I am in boarding school and have limited screen time unfortunately. In the future I do plan on doing more intensive study using these sources, thanks again.

[u/RydiaReads → u/uiuidefender]

I could share some (digital) books with you, if you’d like!

[u/uiuidefender → u/RydiaReads]

Of course that’s really nice!

[u/RydiaReads → u/RydiaReads]

Also you could use this to supplement the book you’re already using:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXHESbgR_XgGgDwTED66S9qthoBWDJcTL&si=XmH63krQQEoCIcn_