Using Modern Technology to Teach Ancient Latin

Amy Williams

Introduction…

Allow me to quickly introduce myself. There is one little caveat: I will ad lib this a bit, so if I bore you or ramble ad nauseam, I apologize. I was born in 1976 AD and am a Capricorn (the sign of the goat!). I have always been fascinated by foreign languages. Cor Jesu Academy is my high school alma mater and I am a proud alumna. At CJA I studied Latin for four years and graduated magna cum laude. After a bit of soul searching, five and a half years, and 155 credit hours (plus or minus a few), I finally earned a bona fide B.S. in management systems from the University of Missouri Rolla. Though I am now working as a software designer and am currently on a project in which we create prepared and ad hoc reports for executives, my alter ego would love to be a Latin teacher. Of course, I need to re-learn the language first!

Introduction…

I hope my introduction made sense. Was there anything you didn't understand? If not, then you understand Latin! In my short paragraph, I used dozens of English words derived from Latin vocabulary and no less than XV (15) real Latin phrases and terms (identified in bold below).

Allow me to quickly introduce myself. There is one little caveat: I will ad lib this a bit, so if I bore you or ramble ad nauseam, I apologize. I was born in 1976 AD and am a Capricorn (the sign of the goat!). I have always been fascinated by foreign languages. Cor Jesu Academy is my high school alma mater and I am a proud alumna. At CJA I studied Latin for four years and graduated magna cum laude. After a bit of soul searching, five and a half years, and 155 credit hours (plus or minus a few), I finally earned a bona fide B.S. in management systems from the University of Missouri Rolla. Though I am now working as a software designer and am currently on a project in which we create prepared and ad hoc reports for executives, my alter ego would love to be a Latin teacher. Of course, I need to re-learn the language first!

Why Study Latin?

Lingua Latina gaudium et utilis est!! *

* The Latin language is fun and useful!

(Barker, 1999)

Why Study Latin?

Studying Latin aids in the learning of other subjects… Vocabulary

60+% of words in the English language are derived from Latin Approx 30% are of Anglo-Saxon origin Approx 10% are from Greek and other languages

Many Scientific and Medical terms are Latin words Names of bones Classification of living things (kingdom, phylum, class…species) Astronomical and astrological terms

Many Legal terms are Latin words Improved vocabulary and understanding roots of words can…

Help in taking standardized tests (ie: SAT's)  Facilitate in learning the other Romance languages: Spanish,

Italian, French, Romanian, Portuguese(Barker, 1999)

Why Study Latin?

Studying Latin aids in the learning of other subjects… Vocabulary Grammar

Latin is a highly inflected language The word suffixes indicate the word’s meaning in the sentence The words can be in any order in the sentence Understanding the word’s ending is the only way to understand the

word’s purpose and meaning Understanding complex Latin grammar can help to understand

and reinforce understanding of English grammar Verb Tenses and forms (Gerunds, Infinitives, etc.) Direct and Indirect objects Passive and active voice Subjunctive mood

(Barker, 1999)

Why Study Latin?

Studying Latin aids in the learning of other subjects… Vocabulary Grammar Logic

“Unraveling a Latin sentence is an excellent exercise in thought, a real intellectual puzzle, and a good introduction to logical thinking. You have to be able to SEE things and the connections between words and concepts to translate and understand correctly.”

(Barker, 1999)

Why Study Latin?

Studying Latin aids in the learning of other subjects… Vocabulary Grammar Logic History

Understand how cultures and countries developed Wars and Land struggles Military efforts

Meet emperors, senators, military heroes, and their families Plebians and patricians Formation of government Civil rights and Roman citizenship

Understand how politics and religion influenced each other.

(Barker, 1999)

Why Study Latin?

Studying Latin aids in the learning of other subjects… Vocabulary Grammar Logic History Literature

Tales of mythology, gods, and goddesses Poetry (ex: Metamorphosis) Epic stories (ex: Odyssey, Aeneid)

(Barker, 1999)

Why Study Latin?

Studying Latin aids in the learning of other subjects… Vocabulary Grammar Logic History Literature…Just to name a few

Also: Fine Arts, Foreign Languages, Politics, Astronomy…

Why Study Latin?RealAudio

Answering the Question, “What have the Romans ever done for us”: Xerxes: The aqueduct? Reg: What?Xerxes: The aqueduct.Reg: Oh. Yeah, yeah. They did give us that. Uh, that's true. Yeah.Masked commando #1: And the sanitation. Stan: Oh, yeah, the sanitation, Reg. Remember what the city used to be like?Reg: Yeah. All right. I'll grant you the aqueduct and the sanitation are two things that the Romans have done.Matthias: And the roads. Reg: Well, yes, obviously the roads. I mean, the roads go without saying, don't they? But apart from the sanitation, the aqueduct, and the roads...Masked commando #2: Irrigation.Xerxes: Medicine.Masked commando #3: Education.General audience: Ohh... Reg: Yeah, yeah. All right. Fair enough. Masked commando #1: And the wine!General audience: Oh, yes! True!Francis: Yeah. Yeah, that's something we'd really miss if the Romans left, Reg. Masked commando #4: Public baths!Stan: And it's safe to walk in the streets at night now, Reg.Francis: Yeah, they certainly know how to keep order...Let's face it. They're the only ones who could in a place like this... Reg: All right, but apart from the sanitation, the medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, a fresh water system, and public health, what have the Romans ever done for us?Xerxes: Brought peace!Reg: What!? Oh. Peace? Shut up!

A scene from the movie The Life of Brian depicts the Rome’s wide-reaching influence on modern civilization.

Click for audio:

How is the Internet useful?

The internet can provide Multimedia applications that can enhance students’ senses. Movies, audio clips, graphics (maps, diagrams, photographs) can waken a sleepy mind and provide memory help. Some students are more visual learners and these devices can help them retain information better than black and white text.

Learning Correct Pronunciation

Spoken Latin Sung Latin

Click on “Tacitus” on the left menu and click the “Play” icon to hear the recording.

Click on “Latin” on the left menu and click on song #7.

How is the Internet useful?

Multimedia The internet can provide a vast amount of

culturally significant material (ie: speeches, translations, government structure diagrams, art work) that would otherwise require travel or a vast library of “hard” resources to view.

Roman Culture

Government Structure

Senator’s Speeches

How is the Internet useful?

Multimedia Enhancing material The internet is available anywhere (ie:

classroom, library, home). Materials can be discussed in class and further researched in lab or at home.

Public Access to the Internet

St. Louis City Public Library

St. Louis County Public Library

How is the Internet useful?

Multimedia Enhancing material Universally available Internet access is less expensive than

purchasing books, slides, transparencies, movie reels, audio cassettes, and other comparable materials for the classroom. Downloading is typically free (make sure to obey copyright laws).

School Internet Connections

Grants to fund internet access

Discounts on internet access

How is the Internet useful?

Multimedia Enhancing material Universally available Inexpensive On-line material is often up to date,

especially with the internet being relatively new. As time continues, will need to be careful that resources are not obsolete.

News Reels

Daily news broadcast in Latin

News spoken and written in Latin

How is the Internet useful?

Multimedia Enhancing material Universally available Inexpensive Timely material Students are proficient with the internet and

increasingly use it for personal benefits. Introducing it in the classroom provides an attractive alternative to text and lecture.

Fun for Students

Explore the city of Rome, virtually

Learn to chant in Latin

Use the Internet to create resources “Examples of Latin Language in Modern Life”

Bibliography

Barker, S. (1999). National committee for latin and greek. Retrieved Dec. 10, 2005, from Why Latin? Web site: http://www.promotelatin.org/whylatin.htm.

McManus, B. (2003). Retrieved Dec. 11, 2005, from Roman Government Web site: http://www.vroma.org/~bmcmanus/romangvt.html.