Latin language

Revision as of 10:50, 23 December 2008

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The lingua Latina is the language of Rome. It is the most apt and only authentic vehicle to fully express the Roman culture, to gain access to her literature, her ideas and philosophies, to immerse oneself in her ethics and virtues, to not only understand but also intimately adopt and perfectly embody her complete world-view and way of life; it is also the only language in which the Roman religious rites can be duly performed. Nova Roma shows the essential importance of this language in all its terminology; the different positions of government, the official names of the laws and decrees, the names of the virtues are all expressed in Latin. It is one of the the goals of Nova Roma to promote the Lingua Latina and its revival in all circumstances of life among its citizens.

Learning Latin

Latin continues to be studied widely across Europe and in the Americas. A recent study placed Latin as the fourth most popular high school language in the United States, ahead of such contemporary languages as Italian and Japanese.^[1] There is a long history of investigation into the academic benefits of Latin study. ^[2] Bodies such as the National Committee for Latin and Greek (NCLG) and the American Classical League (ACL) in the USA continue to promote the benefit of Latin study at all levels.^[3] The USA's National Junior Classical League has local chapters at secondary schools across the country. The state and local chapters sponsor many activities that offer students the opportunity to speak and use Latin as a living language.

Although the "grammar-translation" method continues to find applications, there has been a revolution of methods and materials.^[4] A recent piece in the L.A. Times referred to a high school Latin class as "very up-to-date and thoroughly engaging". The author states that his "...son and many of his classmates devote a couple of after-school hours each week to their high school’s Latin club and recently spent a Saturday hosting similar groups for a day’s worth of Latinate activities".^[5]

There are a growing number of online resources for learning Latin as well as schools such as the Fundatio Melissa, in Brussels, and the Schola Nova, an independent Belgian school where Latin is taught to the pupils from an early age. Nova Roma encourages its more affluent citizens to found similar schools for Nova Roman citizens. The Latin language can also be learned in a pleasant and efficient manner at the Academia Thules by well experienced teachers to motivated students. Every citizen is most encouraged to join a course.

Some other Latin learning resources on the Internet are:

• Latin1, fabulous resources for beginning Latin students.
• Latin Background Studies, original studies and background essays on the Latin language by William Harris.
• About network search for "Latin"
• CSB/SJU Latin Language and Literature, from the Alcuin and Clemens Libraries.

Using Latin

There may be a misconception that Latin is a dead language, as dead as the Roman virtues or the culture it conveyed; but we know it doesn't have to be like that, not for the virtues, not for the culture, not for the language. Latin was the living language of our Roman forefathers, and it is a language like all others, that can be learned in a leisurely way and spoken in all situations of everyday life. Nova Roma wants progressively but seriously to promote this usage of Latin among its citizens.

There is a Sodalitas consecrated to the promotion of Latin in Nova Roma, the Sodalitas "Latinitas".

The citizen of Nova Roma can also find other ways of putting Latin into practice through the Internet:

Grex Latine Loquentium, the greatest e-mail list for living Latin, where Latin is the only language allowed, and one can read the best Latin speakers the world over, and exchange messages with them.

Nuntii Latini, current news in Latin, that can be read or even directly listened to.

Ephemeris, online news, completely written in Latin and including numerous sections.

In the real world, the Societas Circulorum Latinorum is a worldwide federation of Latin Circles, informal gatherings of people who meet locally to speak the language. One of the founders of the society has reassured us that everyone is welcome to join their local group —or found one if there is no one close enough— and Nova Roma officially encourages all her citizens to do so in order to practice the language of our forefathers with experienced people. All levels are accepted. Please contact the society to find out about your closest Latin Circle.

There are also loads of summer seminars where Latin is the only language spoken. The Septimanæ Latinæ Europææ, for instance, include Roman cooking and feasting. A very complete list of such seminars all over the world, updated every year, can be found in the pages of the association LVPA.

Nova Roman citizens, as the rightful depositaries of the Roman culture, are most welcome and encouraged to attend such circles and seminars.

References

1. ↑ Draper, J. B., & Hicks, J. H. (1996). Foreign language enrollments in public secondary schools, fall 1994. Foreign Language Annals, 29(3), 304-306., cited in Stewart-Strobelt, J. and H. Chen(2003). Motivations and attitudes affecting high school students' choice of foreign language. Adolescence. [1]
2. ↑ Smith, M. and H. Douglass, (1937). The Relation of High-School Latin to Marks in the First Year of Arts College. The School Review, Vol. 45, No. 9 (Nov., 1937), pp. 695-701 The University of Chicago Press
3. ↑ NCLG archive of Latin and Greek promotional material: http://www.promotelatin.org/latin.htm
4. ↑ See e.g. the range of materials offered by LatinTeach.
5. ↑ The rise and fall of Latin, By Tim Rutten November 28, 2007 in L. A Times print edition E-1 [2]