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All Blog Posts (639)

Adler's Textbooks Now Available as Reprints

These two titles have been processed, here are the information pages for them:

http://www.publicdomainreprints.org/code/review.pl?req_id=665
http://www.publicdomainreprints.org/code/review.pl?req_id=704

The books are actually printed and sold by Lulu, but the ordering is through publicdomainreprints.
Both the Textbook, and the Textbook Key are now available.

Added by Latinum Institute on August 24, 2008 at 5:35am — No Comments

Cost Price Reprints of Google Books

I have just come across an amazing site for us Classicists - a company that prints cost price reprints of texts on Google Books and the Internet Archive - you tell them what text you want, they print it, and at a very low price.

I'm asking them to make Adler's textbook available, along with the Key.

There are so many amazing Latin texts out there on Google books. Now you can have them in your hands to read!
http://www.publicdomainreprints.org/

Added by Latinum Institute on August 22, 2008 at 8:29am — 1 Comment

Cartoon: Love Triangle

Added by Laura Gibbs on August 19, 2008 at 2:26pm — No Comments

Julius Caesar

Julius Caesar has been making a comeback in the last decade. Michael Parenti’s The Assassination of Julius Caesar and Adrian Goldsworthy’s Caesar; Life of a Colossus are just two of the recent treatments of this larger than life figure, almost legendary in his own day, mythic in ours. Philip Freeman’s stated purpose was to parse out the myths from the facts and his Julius Caesar is a brilliant and compelling narrative which will help the general reader realize just how… Continue

Added by Bill Parsons on August 11, 2008 at 9:50am — No Comments

The importance of auditory input when learning a new language

Tuning In To A New Language On The Fly: Effects Of Context And Seasonality On Songbird Brain

In this study quoted below, it appears that a new language environment - for birds and for humans, causes a physical change in aspects of the auditory system. This information gives ammunition to those who favour a more three dimensional approach to language acquisition, stressing in particular the importance of THROUGHPUT - of listening to huge amounts of the target language. Proponents of… Continue

Added by Latinum Institute on August 9, 2008 at 12:44pm — No Comments

Latinum hits 2 million

Latinum has just passed its two millionth audio file download, and the number of new users finding their way to the site continues to steadily grow.

Schola is now also more busy, with a number of academic neo-latinists now members of the site.

Added by Latinum Institute on August 7, 2008 at 10:15am — No Comments

Cartoon: Deity of the Month Club

Added by Laura Gibbs on August 4, 2008 at 11:22am — No Comments

"Latin undergoing a resurgence among students" article in Staten Island Advance, 3 August

Thanks to Ronnie Ancona for this link to an article about increasing Latin enrollments in the state of New York:

http://www.silive.com/news/advance/index.ssf?/base/news/1217757629139030.xml&coll=1

Added by Andrew Reinhard on August 4, 2008 at 10:23am — No Comments

Latin-Latin (monolingual) dictionary?

Does a good Latin-Latin dictionary exist, for student use?
I know Comenius wrote one a few hundred years ago aimed at students, but I can't locate an online scan of it. Once a student passes a certain stage, they should not be using a bilingual dictionary. An all-Latin dictionary becomes another text to read.
Maybe someone out there should write and publish one, as I don't think there is a modern one available?

Added by Latinum Institute on August 2, 2008 at 8:06am — 1 Comment

Alliteration and Memory

From nursery rhymes to Shakespearian sonnets, alliterations have always been an important aspect of poetry whether as an interesting aesthetic touch or just as something fun to read. But a recent study suggests that this literary technique is useful not only for poetry but also for memory.

Some of these ideas could be adapted for language learning........

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In several experiments, researchers R. Brooke Lea of Macalester College, David N.… Continue

Added by Latinum Institute on July 31, 2008 at 4:17pm — 1 Comment

Schola passes 300 members

Membership of Schola keeps increasing, at the rate of a handful of new users every day. Schola now sees more activity on a daily basis than any similar online site for communicating in Latin. The excellent work done by John Doublier, who is a translator by profession, in translating the site into Latin, has played an enormous role in its success.
http://schola.ning.com

Added by Latinum Institute on July 30, 2008 at 12:50pm — No Comments

Comics: Prometheus

I just added a new image to the ning, this time a Prometheus cartoon for those who are maybe feeling some angst about the advent of school starting again... maybe not tomorrow, but soon, soon, soon... :-)

Click on the image for a larger view...…

Continue

Added by Laura Gibbs on July 29, 2008 at 4:09pm — No Comments

one-year lecturer position at Wayne State University for Fall 08

Wayne State University has authorized a one-year lecturer position (full-time with benefits) for this coming academic year. The lecturer will teach 3 courses each semester, and the load will consist entirely of service/general education courses (Classical Civlization, Greek Mythology, and/or Word Origins).

Candidates must have at least the M.A and teaching experience; preference will be given to candidates with a PhD and experience teaching service courses.

The official… Continue

Added by Jennifer Sheridan Moss on July 25, 2008 at 8:49am — No Comments

More blog comics

Thanks to the new features here at the ning, and the wonderful technology at YahooPipes, I've been able to update my RSS feed here on my profile page so that you can see all my blog postings at the various Bestiaria Latina blogs automatically! So, instead of updating my blog status here, I can just keep adding cartoons. Here's another one with a classical theme - it's a hold up! :-)

Click on the image for a larger view.…

Continue

Added by Laura Gibbs on July 22, 2008 at 12:35pm — No Comments

David Maust's site

David Maust wrote to me about his Vergil site, which he put up to help his students.
Some of you might find it useful

http://www.maustlatin.mypodcast.com/

Added by Latinum Institute on July 16, 2008 at 3:50pm — No Comments

Is Passive learning actually Passive? - apparently not

Passive Learning Imprints On The Brain Just Like Active Learning

ScienceDaily (July 15, 2008) — It's conventional wisdom that practice makes perfect. But if practicing only consists of watching, rather than doing, does that advance proficiency? Yes, according to a study by Dartmouth researchers. They determined that people can acquire motor skills through the "seeing" as well as the "doing" form of learning.

This study, to my mind, may possibly have implications for… Continue

Added by Latinum Institute on July 15, 2008 at 5:00am — 1 Comment

Trojan Pinata

A teacher can never have enough cartoons! Here is one of my classical favorites: the Trojan Pinata!!! :-)

Added by Laura Gibbs on July 7, 2008 at 6:50pm — No Comments

Oral Lesson for the accusative case, singulars and plurals

Essential Latin: Lesson Two: The Accusative

Oral Exercises for learning the singular and plural endings of the cases in the Accusative singular and plurals.

1. Habesne musam? Vero, domine, musam habeo.

Num habes musam? Non, domine, musas habeo!

2. Habesne dominum? Ita est, domine, dominum habeo.

Num habes dominum? Non, domine, non; vero dominos habeo!

3. Habesne deos? Non, Domine, non habeo deos; vero Deum habeo.

4. Habesne regnum? Non… Continue

Added by Latinum Institute on July 7, 2008 at 2:54pm — 2 Comments

Oral lesson covering all cases, for the nominative singular and plural.

Essential Latin: Lesson One:

Evan Millner.

Oral Exercises for learning the singular and plural endings of the cases in the Nominative singular and plurals. All five declensions are covered, to be taught in one lesson.

Each question is asked to each pupil in turn. They may answer how they wish, either in the negative or affirmative, but the 'official' answer is given after they give theirs. First time round, they may simply take turns to read through, with the teacher… Continue

Added by Latinum Institute on July 7, 2008 at 1:30pm — No Comments

S_O_V innate across all languages? Useful research with applications to Latin pedagogy.

The mind apparently has a consistent way of ordering an event that defies the order in which subjects, verbs, and objects typically appear in languages, according to research at the University of Chicago.

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If the research below is true, then it will be VERY QUICK to teach our students correct word order in Latin sentences - simply ask them to ACT OUT the sentence in gestures first, after showing them… Continue

Added by Latinum Institute on July 7, 2008 at 1:30pm — 1 Comment