Lingua Latina is a complete immersion course by Hans
Ørberg designed to get students comfortable reading and understanding Latin.
Then, after completing the first part of the course, students will be able to
read fairly difficult classic texts for themselves outside the program. Through
the second part of the course, students will be reading classical texts by
themselves, refine their syntax, and accrue a Latin vocabulary of over 4,000
more words.
Unlike programs that teach verb tenses and conjugations
first, Lingua Latina begins with nouns, pronouns, and prepositions to
get students comfortable reading and understanding Latin quickly. Two levels
are available and center on a Latin Reader.
The Level 1 Reader, Familia Romana, follows
the daily life of a Roman family in the 2nd century A.D. A final section
features readings from classical poets and Donatus’ Ars Grammatica.
Additional components include the Latine Disco (student manual), Exercitia
Latina with grammar exercises (no answers), the Glossarium Latin to
English glossary and the Grammatica Latina with the grammar and
paradigms found in Familia Romana. The Companion to Familia Romana contains
an English discussion of the grammar taught in Familia Romana and the
full texts Grammatica Latina and Glossarium. Use the Companion
in place of Latine Disco. It includes no exercises, so you still
need Exercitia Latina.
Nearly the same components are included in the second part
of the program, with a few exceptions. First, the Instructions for Part II
serve the same function as the Latine Disco in Part I, but also includes
background historical and grammatical information for each chapter in the
corresponding reader. The Level 2 Reader, Roma Aeterna, focuses
on Roman history through the eyes of Roman authors, and the 21 chapters include
portions of the Aeneid I-IV, Livy's Book 1, and the writings of Ovid. The Teacher
Materials includes chapter-by-chapter exercises for Familia Romana and
Roma Aeterna, (with answers), and answers to Exercita Latina I and
II.
