Using Modern Technology to
Teach Ancient Latin
Amy Williams
Introduction…
Allow me to quickly introduce myself. There is one little caveat: I will ad lib this
a bit, so if I bore you or ramble ad nauseam, I apologize. I was born in 1976
AD and am a Capricorn (the sign of the goat!). I have always been fascinated
by foreign languages. Cor Jesu Academy is my high school alma mater and I
am a proud alumna. At CJA I studied Latin for four years and graduated magna
cum laude. After a bit of soul searching, five and a half years, and 155 credit
hours (plus or minus a few), I finally earned a bona fide B.S. in management
systems from the University of Missouri Rolla. Though I am now working as a
software designer and am currently on a project in which we create prepared
and ad hoc reports for executives, my alter ego would love to be a Latin
teacher. Of course, I need to re-learn the language first!
Introduction…
I hope my introduction made sense. Was there anything you didn't understand?
If not, then you understand Latin! In my short paragraph, I used dozens of
English words derived from Latin vocabulary and no less than XV (15) real
Latin phrases and terms (identified in bold below).
Allow me to quickly introduce myself. There is one little caveat: I will ad lib this a bit, so
if I bore you or ramble ad nauseam, I apologize. I was born in 1976 AD and am a
Capricorn (the sign of the goat!). I have always been fascinated by foreign languages.
Cor Jesu Academy is my high school alma mater and I am a proud alumna. At CJA I
studied Latin for four years and graduated magna cum laude. After a bit of soul
searching, five and a half years, and 155 credit hours (plus or minus a few), I finally
earned a bona fide B.S. in management systems from the University of Missouri Rolla.
Though I am now working as a software designer and am currently on a project in which
we create prepared and ad hoc reports for executives, my alter ego would love to be a
Latin teacher. Of course, I need to re-learn the language first!
Why Study Latin?
Lingua Latina gaudium et utilis est!! *
* The Latin language is fun and useful!
(Barker, 1999)
Why Study Latin?
Studying Latin aids in the learning of other subjects…
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Vocabulary
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60+% of words in the English language are derived from Latin
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Many Scientific and Medical terms are Latin words
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Approx 30% are of Anglo-Saxon origin
Approx 10% are from Greek and other languages
Names of bones
Classification of living things (kingdom, phylum, class…species)
Astronomical and astrological terms
Many Legal terms are Latin words
Improved vocabulary and understanding roots of words can…
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Help in taking standardized tests (ie: SAT's)
Facilitate in learning the other Romance languages: Spanish,
Italian, French, Romanian, Portuguese
(Barker, 1999)
Why Study Latin?
Studying Latin aids in the learning of other subjects…

Vocabulary

Grammar
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Latin is a highly inflected language
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The word suffixes indicate the word’s meaning in the sentence
The words can be in any order in the sentence
Understanding the word’s ending is the only way to understand the
word’s purpose and meaning
Understanding complex Latin grammar can help to understand
and reinforce understanding of English grammar
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Verb Tenses and forms (Gerunds, Infinitives, etc.)
Direct and Indirect objects
Passive and active voice
Subjunctive mood
(Barker, 1999)
Why Study Latin?
Studying Latin aids in the learning of other subjects…

Vocabulary

Grammar

Logic

“Unraveling a Latin sentence is an excellent exercise in thought,
a real intellectual puzzle, and a good introduction to logical
thinking. You have to be able to SEE things and the
connections between words and concepts to translate and
understand correctly.”
(Barker, 1999)
Why Study Latin?
Studying Latin aids in the learning of other subjects…

Vocabulary

Grammar

Logic
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History

Understand how cultures and countries developed

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Meet emperors, senators, military heroes, and their families
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Wars and Land struggles
Military efforts
Plebians and patricians
Formation of government
Civil rights and Roman citizenship
Understand how politics and religion influenced each other.
(Barker, 1999)
Why Study Latin?
Studying Latin aids in the learning of other subjects…

Vocabulary

Grammar

Logic

History

Literature
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Tales of mythology, gods, and goddesses
Poetry (ex: Metamorphosis)
Epic stories (ex: Odyssey, Aeneid)
(Barker, 1999)
Why Study Latin?
Studying Latin aids in the learning of other subjects…

Vocabulary

Grammar

Logic

History

Literature
…Just to name a few
Also: Fine Arts, Foreign Languages, Politics, Astronomy…
Why Study Latin?
Click for audio:
RealAudio

A scene from the movie The Life of Brian depicts the
Rome’s wide-reaching influence on modern civilization.
Answering the Question, “What have the Romans ever done for us”: Xerxes: The aqueduct?
Reg: What?
Xerxes: The aqueduct.
Reg: Oh. Yeah, yeah. They did give us that. Uh, that's true. Yeah.
Masked commando #1: And the sanitation.
Stan: Oh, yeah, the sanitation, Reg. Remember what the city used to be like?
Reg: Yeah. All right. I'll grant you the aqueduct and the sanitation are two things that the Romans have done.
Matthias: And the roads.
Reg: Well, yes, obviously the roads. I mean, the roads go without saying, don't they? But apart from the sanitation, the aqueduct, and the roads...
Masked commando #2: Irrigation.
Xerxes: Medicine.
Masked commando #3: Education.
General audience: Ohh...
Reg: Yeah, yeah. All right. Fair enough.
Masked commando #1: And the wine!
General audience: Oh, yes! True!
Francis: Yeah. Yeah, that's something we'd really miss if the Romans left, Reg.
Masked commando #4: Public baths!
Stan: And it's safe to walk in the streets at night now, Reg.
Francis: Yeah, they certainly know how to keep order...Let's face it. They're the only ones who could in a place like this...
Reg: All right, but apart from the sanitation, the medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, a fresh water system, and public health,
what have the Romans ever done for us?
Xerxes: Brought peace!
Reg: What!? Oh. Peace? Shut up!
How is the Internet useful?
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The internet can provide Multimedia
applications that can enhance students’
senses. Movies, audio clips, graphics
(maps, diagrams, photographs) can waken
a sleepy mind and provide memory help.
Some students are more visual learners and
these devices can help them retain
information better than black and white text.
Learning Correct Pronunciation
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Spoken Latin
Click on “Tacitus” on
the left menu and
click the “Play” icon to
hear the recording.
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Sung Latin
Click on “Latin” on the
left menu and click on
song #7.
How is the Internet useful?
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Multimedia
The internet can provide a vast amount of
culturally significant material (ie: speeches,
translations, government structure
diagrams, art work) that would otherwise
require travel or a vast library of “hard”
resources to view.
Roman Culture
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Government
Structure
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Senator’s
Speeches
How is the Internet useful?
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Multimedia
Enhancing material
The internet is available anywhere (ie:
classroom, library, home). Materials can be
discussed in class and further researched in
lab or at home.
Public Access to the Internet
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St. Louis City
Public Library
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St. Louis County
Public Library
How is the Internet useful?
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Multimedia
Enhancing material
Universally available
Internet access is less expensive than
purchasing books, slides, transparencies,
movie reels, audio cassettes, and other
comparable materials for the classroom.
Downloading is typically free (make sure to
obey copyright laws).
School Internet Connections
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Grants to fund
internet access
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Discounts on
internet access
How is the Internet useful?
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Multimedia
Enhancing material
Universally available
Inexpensive
On-line material is often up to date,
especially with the internet being relatively
new. As time continues, will need to be
careful that resources are not obsolete.
News Reels
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Daily news
broadcast in Latin
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News spoken and
written in Latin
How is the Internet useful?
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Multimedia
Enhancing material
Universally available
Inexpensive
Timely material
Students are proficient with the internet and
increasingly use it for personal benefits.
Introducing it in the classroom provides an
attractive alternative to text and lecture.
Fun for Students

Explore the city of
Rome, virtually
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Learn to chant in
Latin
Use the Internet to create resources
“Examples of Latin Language in Modern Life”
Bibliography
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Barker, S. (1999). National committee for latin and greek. Retrieved Dec. 10, 2005, from Why
Latin? Web site: http://www.promotelatin.org/whylatin.htm.
McManus, B. (2003). Retrieved Dec. 11, 2005, from Roman Government Web site:
http://www.vroma.org/~bmcmanus/romangvt.html.