Learn to Read Latin: Textbook and Workbook Set

Rating:
Summary: Beware! This is a grammar, not a learning book !
Review: At college I studied during 3 years Latin. I wanted a refresher on Latin and was looking for a book that would teach me Latin. I read some good reviews here on Amazon concerning that book. So I decided to buy "How to read Latin" with the accompanying workbook.

I started to read the book. OOOOPSS ! The pace is too fast ! The learning curve is too steep ! What's that ?

I had been caught by the title. I thought it was a book for beginners for learning Latin. The title is misleading ! The proper title should have been: " Latin Grammar and vocabulary ". That is what it is. Nothing else.

If you don't have a reference Latin grammar, this is a good book for you. It is an excellent grammar full of exceptions etc. But this is not a textbook for learning Latin.

Moreover, this book is not for a beginner. It is for the advanced student. It is an advanced grammar, not a grammar for beginner! It is a listing of all grammatical rules with all their exceptions ! You won't find here anything related to the learning process. Before buying this book, be aware of the following:

1) This is a grammar, not a textbook.
2) This is a reference book, not a learning book !
3) This grammar is an advanced one, not one for beginners.
4) This book is very tedious and terse.
5) No pedagogical skills: you'll find this sentence every time a new topic is introduced: "MEMORIZE THESE ENDINGS THOROUGHLY, PROCEEDING FIRST DOWN THE SINGULAR COLUMN AND THEN DOWN THE PLURAL COLUMN. BE PREPARED TO RECITE THESE ENDINGS QUICKLY". You now see the style of that book: like an old fashioned book written in 1885.
6) The layout of this book is very similar to the one used in "A Primer of Ecclesisatical Latin". A grammar section followed by a vocabulary and notes on the vocabulary. But here, the vocabulary comes first. Morevover,it has the same fast pace as found in "A Primer of Ecclesisastical Latin".

I rarely write reviews on book. But I had to do it. I bought this book 2 months ago. After a couple of weeks, I realized that I had been caught by the misleading title and the misleading reviews here on Amazon concerning that book. So I ordered "Lingua Latina" by Hans Orberg and now I am happy.

If you really want to read classical authors right from the start, I recommend "Essential Latin" from G.D.A. Sharpley. This book is an excellent book for beginners who want to read classical authors.

Rating:
Summary: Solving a problem...
Review: Despite the resurgence of popularity of Latin in high schools and colleges, materials for learning real classical Latin have not always been satisfactory. Too often the student has been left with a serious shock when s/he moves from elementary into intermediate and advanced Latin. Keller and Russell's "Learn to Read Latin" solves that major problem in Latin pedagaogy. In fact, a highly motivated student who successfully completed this entire 15-unit course could aspire to enter an advanced level Latin course, entirely bypassing the usual "intermediate" level. How does this book manage to do that? For starters, the vocabulary notes actually explain the nuances of meanings found in authentic Latin texts. The chapters often include supplements on such things as Roman names, the scansion of Latin poetry, archaic forms found in certain authors, even the colloquial Latin greetings and interjections so frequent in Roman comedy. While most elementary Latin courses are very far removed from the world of real Latin texts, Keller and Russell's volume embraces it. Some may complain that the book is too hard (as if Latin is "easy" to master)...but with appropriate pacing for the level (high school, college, intensive work, self-study), this book should be usable by any aspiring Latin student. Unlike many modern textbooks, the book is beautifully printed and bound. As a professor of classics, I can't see how there are any other choices now for elementary Latin in serious competition with this course.

Rating:
Summary: The definitive guide to introductory Latin
Review: I recommend this book to fans of Wheelock and Moreland & Fleischer. It has all of their virtues, and few of their flaws; in addition there are countless unadulterated extracts from Latin texts.

Rating:
Summary: A student of Dr. Russell who loves the book as much as class
Review: OK. after one year of Latin taught by Dr. Russel, her mantra whenever we didn't understand something was to "look in the book". Ya know what, it worked. She spent summers upon summers working on that text, and the polish and plainness of the wording in the textbook really shows. It is very easy to learn out of a book that tells you exactly what you need to know, and nothing extra, even when it explains every concept descriptively enough so you understand it. Though in one year of 8th Grade Latin I've only finished the first 6 chapters, I am confident that the last six will be just as enjoyable as the first.

Rating:
Summary: A student of Mrs. Russell's that uses the book
Review: The book Learn to Read Latin is a great textbook for young Latin students. It teaches the language intuitively and moves at a steady pace which allows the student to understand the language. Conjugations, declensions, and other Latin syntax is all gone through systematically, as opposed to the confusing way that the Cambridge Course uses. The book also gives insight into, and information about, everyday Roman life through actual readings of Cicero, Sulla, and many other figures in Ancient Roman history. Lastly, I found that through the process of learning Latin, my ability to understand and use the English language was vastly improved. All in all, the textbook provides an excellent learning experience for anyone interested in learning Latin, whether on the beginner or advanced level.

Rating:
Summary: A student of Mrs. Russell's that uses the book
Review: The book Learn to Read Latin is a great textbook for young Latin students. It teaches the language intuitively and moves at a steady pace which allows the student to understand the language. Conjugations, declensions, and other Latin syntax is all gone through systematically, as opposed to the confusing way that the Cambridge Course uses. The book also gives insight into, and information about, everyday Roman life through actual readings of Cicero, Sulla, and many other figures in Ancient Roman history. Lastly, I found that through the process of learning Latin, my ability to understand and use the English language was vastly improved. All in all, the textbook provides an excellent learning experience for anyone interested in learning Latin, whether on the beginner or advanced level.

Rating:
Summary: Great way to learn Latin
Review: This book will make you go wild with its excellence. Thorough, meticulous explanations, and an amazing format. And just when you didn't think it could get any better, the book reinforces one's knowledge of the subject with fantastic excerpts from real Latin!! Compared to Ecce and Cambridge that use outrageous vocabulary, this book provides a different approach with fuller understanding and the great focus on the grammar of the Latin language that is the essence to most languages. One can clearly see derivatives, cognates, and also get a tremendous learning experience. This is the best Latin book I've ever used.

Rating:
Summary: Great way to learn Latin
Review: We used this text at my school, and it made learning Latin easy. All the included readings really helped, and there were plenty of exercises to reinforce the material. The vocab lists are also relevant to reading real Latin