I have taught all levels, from beginners to A-level, and I love working with my students to focus on their strengths and weaknesses.
The lessons depend on the level, so I will give examples of lesson structures to all levels.
Beginners: Teaching Latin to a beginner can be a rewarding challenge, but with the right approach, it can be fun and engaging.
1. Focus on simple and common words tha...
I have taught all levels, from beginners to A-level, and I love working with my students to focus on their strengths and weaknesses.
The lessons depend on the level, so I will give examples of lesson structures to all levels.
Beginners: Teaching Latin to a beginner can be a rewarding challenge, but with the right approach, it can be fun and engaging.
1. Focus on simple and common words that students can use in everyday contexts, and have connection with the English. Begin with nouns (like puella = girl, amicus = friend), verbs (like sum = I am, video = I see), and adjectives (like magnus = big, bonus = good).
2. Introduce Noun Declensions:
Latin nouns change form depending on their role in a sentence (subject, object, etc.). Teach them about declensions (groups of noun patterns). Start with the 1st declension (mostly feminine nouns ending in -a) and the 2nd declension (mostly masculine or neuter nouns ending in -us or -um).
Show how the endings change depending on the case (nominative, accusative, etc.). Start with the nominative (subject) and accusative (direct object) cases. For example: puella (girl) – nominative singular. puellam (girl) – accusative singular
3. Introduce Verb Conjugations: Latin verbs also change based on the subject and tense. Start with the present tense, as it's simpler and more commonly used. Teach them the first conjugation, which has verbs ending in -are (like amare = to love).
amo (I love)
amas (you love)
amat (he/she/it loves)
5. Basic Sentence Structure:
Latin has a flexible word order, but the most common word order is Subject-Object-Verb (SOV), unlike English which is Subject-Verb-Object (SVO). However, this can vary based on emphasis.
Start with simple sentences like:
Puella amat (The girl loves).
Amicus librum legat (The friend reads a book).
and so on...
GCSE:
Vocabulary and principal parts are key. So I begin with 20-word quizzes.
Set text learning: can seem mundane, but if you engage with and find the humour immersed in the text, it can be made easy and relatable to learn, whether that's Ovid, Pliny, Virgil or Cicero! I would suss out the best fitting method that would suit my pupil, then decide which method to embark upon. I use a variety of techniques, with mini wipe board, creating songs, summarising each scene, speaking it aloud repeatedly, etc.
Translation technique: I would demonstrate methods of translating, often with different coloured highlighters, and by underlining the subject, verb and object of each sentence. I would encourage anyone to find the most suitable method for themselves.
