Cambridge Latin Course

[Star555]

When students in the UK first learn Latin using the Cambridge Latin Course, don't they already know about Ancient Rome and Roman Britain from primary school history lessons? So these topics don't strike them as totally new and unfamiliar when they read about them in their Latin books, right?

I've been looking at the school curriculum for our school in the US, and it seems that students who choose to study Latin (beginning in 7th/8th grade) are exposed to those history topics for the first time then as well (in Latin class, not history class). So they must not only digest new Latin grammar but also simultaneously new history topics that they were never taught before! (Only American history is taught in primary school.)

They do know a little bit but, on average, 4-5 years have passed between learning about the Romans at age 7 (ish) and starting latin at age 12 (ish).

I’m a latin teacher in the U.K. and like that the context is slightly familiar - you’ve got a knowledge base to work with and deepen.

So yes you’re right, but don’t underestimate how mucho students can forget between primary school and secondary school!

I see! I thought UK students study Romans and Roman Britain at an older age as well, around age 9-10 or so. Those topics are part of KS2 history, right? I thought KS2 was ages 7-11 and those topics would be (re)visited closer to age 10? Thank you.

Ds started Latin in about year 3 or 4 and he knew about the Romans then. Not 100% certain it was from school or home though (not much help sorry).

Im sorry for jumping on your thread but is this course a free one? I’ve studied Italian and some ancient history at a university level and now wish I’d done Latin so I could do further study in ancient history. Does anyone know of any good free resources for Latin? I have Duolingo I could use that too

@Lordfrontpaw - Wow, isn't year 3-4 very early for starting Latin, even in the UK? (In the US it would be unheard of for schools to offer Latin before 7th grade, i.e. Year 8, age 12 or so.)

Duolingo - yes DS’s Latin teacher recommended that. You could start with Minimus! I was learning Italian when DS started and switched as I liked the sound of it. You can get all sorts of books in Latin these days (Harry Potter, Winnie the Pooh...).

The school uses this book series - www.amazon.co.uk/Latin-GCSE-Henry-Cullen-Taylor/dp/1780934408/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?dchild=1&s=books&keywords=latin+gcse&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1588085210&sr=1-1

@Imtootired please see cambridgescp.com for details. I believe the content is available for free online.

I myself learned Latin using the physical Cambridge Latin textbooks when I was young. Do NOT use Duolingo! It has loads of mistakes, and very often does not accept correct translations. Hopefully in the future they will improve it. Also do NOT use Google Translate in Latin--it is abysmally poor.

He started learning because these was a Latin club at school (the head was a classics teacher) and he absolutely loved it (he’s like his dad - good at languages). He is (was) sitting his GCSE this year.

Really with Duolingo? I’ll have a wee word with DS’s teacher about that (I suspect he just thought ‘oh well they have Latin’ and hadn’t checked it out).

@Lordfrontpaw - I see, that makes sense! What year does his school officially begin Latin in class?

@Lordfrontpaw - yes definitely tell his teacher! Duolingo should NOT be used by learners right now! As an "expert" with many years of study, it was amusing for me to try out but I was shocked that it made so many errors when given the correct answers. (It doesn't realise that word order is flexible in Latin. I think that's one of the biggest issues.)

Sorry to hear about Duolingo - dc has loved immersing themself in their Latin course during lock down. If dc pairs it with the Cambridge Course would that be ok do you think, they are finding the duolingo easy to build confidence.

Word order is a problem with a lot of languages on Duolingo. I think it is to do with the fact that they have to programme each answer separately, so if they have twenty different options for each sentence, all with a different word order, it limits the scope of what they can add to the course. Often, alternative answers are discussed on the discussion forums. (I don't think I have explained that very well, but hopefully you get the gist.)

To be fair to Duolingo, the problem is no different to teaching yourself from a course book. If you do the exercises, the textbook will only have one answer. You would need an actual tutor to tell you that actually your answer is correct, because the word order doesn't matter.

My DD (Yr11) would have sat Latin and Classical Greek for GCSE this year and is taking both for A Level.
She recommends Quizlet as a free resource
Having said that, OCR text books for both languages are good for self study.
The literature elements of both languages’ for formal qualifications are a different entity!

Let us please not hijack this thread and turn it into a discussion on Duolingo and other resources. I'd be happy to have a separate thread for that!

Let us return to the original question about history background for Cambridge Latin Course:

When students in the UK first learn Latin using the Cambridge Latin Course, don't they already know about Ancient Rome and Roman Britain from primary school history lessons? So these topics don't strike them as totally new and unfamiliar when they read about them in their Latin books, right?

(Asking in the context of American schools teaching Latin with CLC, where students disadvantageously encounter Roman Britain and Ancient Rome for the first time in Latin class, not history class.)

My dd found the gcse course very slow to get going possibly due to much of the content being very familiar. Also took years to do in once a week after school classes so imo could be edited down.

@Star555 from my and DDs lived experience (well given its 5 years since she left for secondary school) of a state primary school in a deprived community in the UK, the main emphasis was the 3 Rs
With regard to history lessons, no there was not an abundance of lessons on Roman Britain or even Ancient Rome that she can remember but she rather enjoyed the Viking lessons!
She commenced Latin in Yr7 and surely the best way to contextualise Latin given it’s described as a ‘dead language’ is to contextualise it in the historical period that it was spoken?
Surely the history and language are to be learned alongside each other in order to bring the language ‘alive’ ?

I'd be happy to have a separate thread for that!

Gosh, how very gracious of you.

I think most schools teaching Latin don't just teach the language but some history and mythology - sort of classical civilisation at the same time.

In some Preps, they do a year of background classical civilisation before starting the language in Yr5 or 6.

Love the fact that people of all generations who have studied Latin know Caecilius and Grumio from Cambridge books.

I did them back in the day

Caecilius est pater.
Cerberus est in via.

Quintus was a tearaway 🤣

It really would only take a 12 year old about half an hour of reading to know far more than any child learned in primary school about the Romans so I really don't think American students would be at a significant disadvantage.

Caecilius est in horto

Sorry. Nothing to add to the above 😂

There are books - I wish I could remember the series - of kids living in different eras. There was a Roman on I seem to remember. Plus there are loads of story books set in Ancient Rome .