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FORUM MEMBERS. How much LATIN do you understand?

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Latin I can more or less understand, depending on who wrote it, but to some degree that's part of my job. It's Greek that I need to wrap a wet towel around my head before I start. Translating bits of Thucydides, as I've had to recently, is advanced mental torture ...

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I have now signed up for a course in Latin for next semester. And "experimental archeology", "Ancient culture and social life D essay" and "the Etruscans". I'm so dead.

 

Just curious however Whitewolf, where do you live to pick between French and Japanese?

 

 

I'm sure you'll do fine Klingan.

I live in Australia. Other schools offer other languages such as Italian, but mine only offered those two.

Assuming you have recently finished school yourself, what languages did you have a choice of? Or did your school not offer it?

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Between the 1st and 12th grade (I'm always having trouble with other school systems so I'll just label it as grades, beginning when I'm 6 years old, most kids start at 7) I had English, it's required and only the last year was my own choice.

 

Between the 6th and 9th grade I had French, but after that I decided to now continue with it through the 10th to 12th grade. (I never really liked languages)

 

As I said before, English is required. At the 6th grade (normally) you get to pick a second language, normally French or German, but Spanish have been coming lately and have become very popular. At the 10th grade we start at a new school and pick a "program" focused on a certain type of subjects, say math, languages, art etc. Most students will have to keep on with the secondary language, some like me won't keep it, some will get one or two more. The choice is different from school to school at this stage but I believe that they offered at least French, German, Spanish and Russian, probably more.

 

Right now I'm into ancient studies at the University of Lund, finishing my Candidate exam this semester (normally 3 years of studies, but I've done it in 2). I'm desperately looking for a Masters program since there's none in Lund.

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ok.

We too start a language at grade 6. It used to be just Japanese but i think they also do Frence now.

But we have the choice of dropping it in grade (or year) 9.

Are you from an English speaking country, or is English a class in which you are taught English?

We have English as a subject, but that is more about learning to spell (for the younger grades) and how to write essays and the like (for the older grades).

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I'm from Sweden so no, English is a secondary language, we just get started working on it quite early. In all honestly it's difficult to live in Sweden today without at least a decent knowledge of English.

 

We do have classes in Swedish too of course from grade 1.

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Oh OK.

Yes English is becoming common now. Which is strange considering it is meant to be a hard language to learn.

Hmm, i think we have strayed off the topic of Latin. Oh well :rolleyes:

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I speak no latin other than bits and pieces I have learnt from reading about Rome. I seem to have picked up quite a few profanities. It would be great to learn, but there is nowhere that I can coverse with people every day (unless I go to university, but bugger that).

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My Latin is currently rapidly improving as I'm taking a course at uni!

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I know a few words but I don't think I could string a sentence together in the language. I have always wanted to learn but I consider it a far too complex and daunting task. If I ever buy a book on Latin the chances are I will have given up on it after a few weeks.

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My Latin is currently rapidly improving as I'm taking a course at uni!

I don't mean to knock people who are going to uni to do their thing, mate. It's just not for me. Big ups to you for getting in there and doing it; I wish you well in your studies.

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My Latin is currently rapidly improving as I'm taking a course at uni!

I don't mean to knock people who are going to uni to do their thing, mate. It's just not for me. Big ups to you for getting in there and doing it; I wish you well in your studies.

 

I'm sorry it was very much not meant to point at you :) I just wanted to update my former "will study Latin" status into "studying Latin" :thumbsup:

 

My apologies.

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After completing "Latin Via Ovid" which I reviewed for the site, I'm able to read simple sentences, and pick up things here and there. But beyond that, no dice. It was never part of my schooling, and I don't have time to teach myself further.

I also used Latain Via Ovid in my History studies. Very useful, comes with a book "Latin grammar for English speakers" which helps loads as Latin has cases and grammar that don't come easily to mind. After 5 years away from using it daily, I must admit I have to look up endings constantly. Still makes me a great speller though.

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I've just discovered that, unavoidably, I need to work through a large chunk of Macrobius' 'Saturnalia'. Which does not have any English translations. So (appropriately enough, given the title) it looks as though my Christmas reading is covered. I expect my Latin to be considerably more fluent by January. ;)

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I've just discovered that, unavoidably, I need to work through a large chunk of Macrobius' 'Saturnalia'. Which does not have any English translations. So (appropriately enough, given the title) it looks as though my Christmas reading is covered. I expect my Latin to be considerably more fluent by January. ;)

 

Maty, actually there is an English translation of Macrobius' Saturnalia, and I've been accessing it for my research on my Roman surnames project. I don't own it, and can only access it when I visit NYC's public library on 5th Avenue (it's a very rare book in their non-circulating research collection).

 

The translator is Percival Vaughan Davies, and it was published by Columbia University Press in 1969. Is it possible that a university library near you might have it? I haven't checked WorldCat.

 

-- Nephele

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I started to learn Latin in this year, we mostly use Caesar "Gallic War", thought our teacher try to expose us to other texts.

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