Lingua Latina

 

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Description

Lingua Latina provides a Latin text that students can read and understand immediately without any need for translation.  In this text, every sentence is intelligible per se because the meaning and function of all new words and forms is made clear by the context or by illustrations or marginal notes.  This demands a carefully graded text, but to make learning efficient the content must stimulate interest and make it easy for the reader to visualize the scenes described.  To meet these demands the chapters of Part I form an eventful and entertaining narrative, which captivates students so that the look forward to reading the continuation of the story.  The reading of this Latin ‘novel’ also serves as an introduction to the life and culture of ancient Rome.

All Lingua Latina titles either belong to Part I, or Part II, or are part of the supplemental readings that could be read/used on their own as a Latin reader, or in conjunction with Lingua Latina.

Each book description will tell you what part the title you are viewing pertains to.

Features

This Direct Method, based on understanding from the context, has proved efficient both for self-tuition and class teaching.  An important factor is the satisfaction experienced by students when they discover that they can actually read and understand Latin immediately without parsing.  Such direct understanding gives the students self-confidence and stimulates concentration.  It sharpens their faculties of observations and reasoning, faculties that will be greatly needed as the sentences grow more complex.  Reading in this way, they move on step by step towards the ultimate object of Lain teaching: the reading of Latin literature in Latin with real understanding and appreciation.

Market

Any age level or amount of Latin experience.

About the Author

Hans Henning Ørberg (1920-2010). 1946 MA in English, French and Latin at the University of Copenhagen. 1946-52 and 1961-63 teacher at various Danish highschools. 1953-61 on the staff of The Nature Method Institute, Copenhagen. 1963-88 teacher at Grenaa Gymnasium. Author of the Latin course Lingua Latina secundum naturae rationem explicata, first published 1955-56. New revised edition published 1990-91 under the title Li ngua Latina per se illustrata, with a number of supplements. After his retirement he ran a publishing house called Domus Latina, which his children now run.