3 stages from the textbook to reading Cicero
A general Latin course does not measure your progress in the levels A1 to C2 of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), the scale for living languages. It measures progress by the texts you can read. Schools and universities describe this path in three stages, and a general online course usually follows the same order.
| Stage | What you read | What the course trains |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Textbook stage | textbook passages with core vocabulary | forms of all declensions and conjugations, simple sentence structure |
| 2. First original texts | simple prose by Caesar or Nepos | translating connected passages, participles, accusative and infinitive |
| 3. Demanding prose | speeches and treatises by Cicero | long complex sentences, style and content |
The University of Regensburg in Germany equates the textbook stage with about three school years. Its course up to first original prose amounts to 10 semester weekly hours (SWS) with an intensive phase of about five weeks. One SWS is one class hour per week over a semester. If you learn alone alongside a job, the same distance takes considerably longer.
The poets come after Cicero. Ovid and Virgil write in verse whose rhythm rests on long and short syllables. Adults therefore often read poetry in a separate reading course once the prose is secure.
Ask before you book at which stage the course starts and ends. A course that covers only the textbook stage does not yet take you to original texts.
Vowel length, endings and word order as typical Latin hurdles
Three features of Latin cost beginners the most time. A good general course tackles each of them with its own type of exercise.
1 Vowel length
In Latin, long and short vowels distinguish words. Populus with a short o means people, while pōpulus with a long o means poplar. Textbooks mark long vowels with a bar called a macron. A course that has you read new words aloud with these marks from the start lays the ground for stress and metre.
2 Ambiguous endings
In Latin an ending shows the case of a word, meaning its role in the sentence. The same ending, however, can stand for several cases. In the first declension the ending -ae marks the genitive and dative singular and the nominative plural. Courses therefore train you to work out the case from the whole sentence, not from the ending alone.
3 Free word order
The verb often comes last, and subject and object can stand anywhere. Many textbooks therefore practise sentence analysis before translation. You look for the verb first, then the subject and finally the other parts of the sentence.
English speakers recognise many Latin roots from academic, legal and scientific vocabulary. That saves time on vocabulary, but it does not replace learning the endings.
Grammar course and living Latin compared
General Latin courses follow one of two methods. A grammar course explains forms and rules in English and has you translate textbook passages into English. A living Latin course (Latinitas viva) uses Latin as the language of the lesson and explains new words with pictures, gestures and Latin words you already know. It plays the part that a conversation course plays in modern languages.
The best-known textbook for the second method is Lingua Latina per se illustrata by the Danish teacher Hans Ørberg. It tells a continuous story entirely in Latin, and the meaning of new words comes from pictures in the margin and from the context.
- ✓A grammar course trains translation into English, which school exams such as GCSE and A level require.
- ✓A living Latin course raises your reading speed, because you understand texts without a detour through English.
- ✓Speaking and listening keep new words in memory for longer.
- ✗In a grammar course many learners read word by word and stay slow.
- ✗A living Latin course hardly practises translation, which is exactly the skill exams assess.
- ✗A speaking course needs a teacher who speaks Latin fluently.
For an exam, a grammar course is the more direct preparation. If you want to read faster, add a living Latin reading group.
4 online formats that suit Latin
You learn Latin almost entirely through texts. Online teaching suits this well, because teacher and group see the same text on screen, mark forms in colour and rebuild sentences together.
| Format | What it does well for Latin | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Video group course with a textbook | steady rhythm through the textbook stage | little time for your own translations |
| Private lessons | marking of your translations and work on your typical errors | higher price per hour |
| Online reading group | reading one author together after the textbook stage | requires secure knowledge of forms |
| Self-study course with videos | reviewing forms and grammar at your own pace | no marking of whole sentences |
For self-study, the Perseus Digital Library of Tufts University offers original Latin texts with an analysis of every word form. It shows you which cases an ending can stand for. Which one the sentence needs is your decision, and for that you need feedback from a teacher.
Online you find a teacher for a specific author or for living Latin more easily than in your home town.
Online Latin tutoring for school pupils
For children and teenagers, Latin is mainly a school subject. In the United Kingdom, pupils can take Latin at GCSE and A level. In the United States, students sit AP Latin from the College Board, typically in their fourth year of high-school Latin. Online tutoring follows the course of the pupil's school and prepares for tests in which your child translates and explains a text. Check three points when you choose.
- The tutor knows the textbook or exam syllabus your child uses, or reads up on it beforehand.
- The lesson practises the vocabulary and forms of the current chapter, and the child translates.
- After each lesson the tutor gives a short report on the types of errors.
The College Board describes AP Latin as equivalent to an intermediate university Latin course in the third or fourth semester.
Before your child drops Latin, check whether a future degree might ask for it. Some degree programmes in Germany, for example, require the Latinum, and adults need about two semesters of intensive study to earn it later.
Refreshing school Latin in an online course
Many adults studied Latin at school and have forgotten a large part of it. There is no placement test for them on the CEFR, the European scale from A1 to C2. Test yourself instead with two tasks.
- Decline one noun of the first declension and one of the second declension in all cases. If you can do this without a table, the forms of the early chapters are still there.
- Translate three sentences from book 1 of Caesar's Gallic War with a dictionary. If you follow the sentence structure, you can join a reading course.
If the first task is already hard, start with a beginner course. A refresher course reviews the textbook stage in less time and starts where your school knowledge ends. Ask the provider which textbook chapter the first session assumes.
If you learned another pronunciation earlier, for example the traditional English SIS-uh-ro for Cicero, you can keep it. For understanding texts, vowel length matters more than how you say c and v.
Frequently asked questions about general online Latin courses
How long does a general online Latin course take to reach Caesar?
A general Latin course reaches Caesar after 10 semester weekly hours plus an intensive phase of about five weeks in the model of the University of Regensburg. One semester weekly hour is one class hour per week over a semester. If you study a few hours a week alongside a job, the same distance takes considerably longer.
Who is an online living Latin course suitable for?
An online living Latin course (Latinitas viva) suits learners who want to read Latin texts faster and without translating. Lessons and conversation take place in Latin. If you plan an exam such as GCSE, A level or the German Latinum, practise translation as well, because these exams assess exactly that skill.
How do I know whether my school Latin is good enough for a Latin reading course?
Your school Latin is good enough for a Latin reading course if you can decline nouns of the first and second declension securely and translate a few sentences of Caesar's Gallic War with a dictionary. If you cannot, start with a refresher course that reviews the textbook stage.
Why do Latin textbooks mark long vowels?
Latin textbooks mark long vowels because vowel length distinguishes words in Latin and decides where the stress falls. Populus with a short o means people, while pōpulus with a long o means poplar. Editions of Latin authors usually leave the marks out, so learn the length with every new word.
What does online Latin tutoring do for school pupils?
Online Latin tutoring follows the pupil's school course, practises the vocabulary and forms of the current chapter and prepares for translation in tests and exams such as GCSE, A level or AP Latin. Make sure your child translates during the lesson and the tutor names the types of errors.
At what stage do students usually take the AP Latin exam?
Students usually take the AP Latin exam in their fourth year of high-school Latin, although the College Board sets no prerequisites. It compares the course to intermediate university Latin in the third or fourth semester. The course reads Virgil's Aeneid and letters of Pliny the Younger.
Sources
The information is based on these sources. Check fees and dates with the provider before you register.