As I've mentioned before, I'm a fan of The Well Trained Mind and they recommend starting your foreign language journey with Latin.
When I first read that I thought, really? I mean, really? While it would be sort of cool to say I know Latin, isn't it a smidge less practical than, well, any language actually in use today?
Then I looked into it a little more and came to the conclusion that Latin is in use today. Bits and pieces have been lifted, squished and changed into many other languages (English, Spanish, French, Italian...) so by learning Latin, we get to learn more about several languages at once. Plus, my kids are learning their own language even better.
This is our second year using Latina Christiana and I really like it. I get the packet with the CD's (for pronunciation) and student and teacher manuals because I don't speak Latin. That's the really great part, I don't need to. I get to learn right along with them.
Well, not really right along, Makenna is better than me. A lot better. That girl is sort of amazing.
This is Ben's first year and he's started with Prima Latina (I started Makenna last year in sixth grade, so we went straight to Latina Christiana I). It goes really slow so he hasn't gotten frustrated, but he's still challenged to keep up with the vocabulary.
I think I'll bring each of my kids through two to three years of Latin before we move onto a modern foreign language, I love it.
And, I have to admit, it really is pretty cool to be able to say I can speak some Latin.
What's your favorite foreign language curriculum? Or language to speak, teach or learn?
Leah
I am also a fan of The Well-Trained Mind. :) I loosely follow it because I feel like it's difficult to follow the schedule prescribed for each stage when you have more than one child to homeschool. We've been reading aloud Carry On, Mr Bowditch and the main character (he's actually a real person, but I didn't know this until I started reading the book :) ) decides to learn Latin so he can understand navigating a ship better. He was just a youngin' -- like 12 or so when he started. I have to say that intrigued me (and my kids, too) because it never occurred to me to learn Latin, just to learn it, until I read this in the book. Now you're talking about learning it pretty much just to learn it and honestly? It sounds like a fun challenge. :) How did you know what curriculum to choose? I've only heard of English from the Roots Up... :) Does this comment even make sense? haha
ReplyDeleteI found Latina Christiana in The Well Trained Mind. There are a few I originally read about that are good for those who don't speak any Latin at all (the teacher I mean) and this was the one I decided to try. Haven't regretted it.
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