Studying for Latin

[brightsky]

For those who are doing Latin, how do you go about studying? Is it mostly rote-learning?

[the.watchman]

For those who are doing Latin, how do you go about studying? Is it mostly rote-learning?

I guess a fair bit of rote-learning, for seen tests, I type up my translation just looking at the Latin (with my previous translation handy for hints) and highlight parts that I find difficult.

[eeps]

Latin, I find is basically rote-learning. (70% or so of Latin is rote-learning - i.e. verb tables, declensions, tenses - present, perfect, pluperfect etc) MY school gives us a bound set of notes which outlines all the different cases, moods, participle etc.

ALTHOUGH, in saying that, Latin doesn't always rely on learning tables. In some unseen translations, teachers can be sneaky and for example change cases of some words (and the sentence is changed completely) or put in clauses within a sentence... which students may not always pick up on.

The best way to study for Latin is remember the tables (there are many and it takes a long time) and do translations of passages - applying the skills you have learnt.

[AzureBlue]

Is Latin actually useful in stuff other than the VCE? Does anyone still speak it?

[IntoTheNewWorld]

Is Latin actually useful in stuff other than the VCE? Does anyone still speak it?

It's probably more for interest's sake, if you're into that kind of thing. It's not a first language anywhere in the world I don't think.

[eeps]

Is Latin actually useful in stuff other than the VCE? Does anyone still speak it?

I'd assume it would help if your doing SCIENCE-related courses (e.g. Medicine)... since most English words come from Latin. - medical terms etc [Latin Derivatives] I think the Vatican City still speaks Latin as an official language... according to Wikipedia. (though, how trustworthy is Wikipedia?..)

I can't really think of a practical use for Latin as such (other than the aforementioned.)

[wildareal]

Latin, I find is basically rote-learning. (70% or so of Latin is rote-learning - i.e. verb tables, declensions, tenses - present, perfect, pluperfect etc) MY school gives us a bound set of notes which outlines all the different cases, moods, participle etc.

ALTHOUGH, in saying that, Latin doesn't always rely on learning tables. In some unseen translations, teachers can be sneaky and for example change cases of some words (and the sentence is changed completely) or put in clauses within a sentence... which students may not always pick up on.

The best way to study for Latin is remember the tables (there are many and it takes a long time) and do translations of passages - applying the skills you have learnt.

Latin is not mostly rote-learning. Yes you have to learn the verbs, yes you have to learn the techniques and yes you have to remember the lines. However it is an applied subject. Unseens for example require lots of applied knowledge which only comes from practice. Likewise the Essay requires you to have great insight into the Aeneid as a whole and be able to use evidence to back up your points. The only area where there is memorisation is perhaps in the Second section-analysis of techniques, which can be rote-learned way before the assessment.

[eeps]

Today was parent-teacher day in my school, and my legal teacher said that Latin is especially useful for Law studies in universities because many of the words were from Latin.
(NB: I was telling her that I might do BMus/LLB in Monash which was why this topic was brought up. She also mentioned that Legal Studies in VCE is very important [as it complements LLB much]...? And that most students drop the law degree in first year.)

LOL. yeah, I forgot about that as well.

WORDS such as stare decisis, ratio decidendi, obiter dictum - LEGAL terms, come from Latin.

[AzureBlue]

Today was parent-teacher day in my school, and my legal teacher said that Latin is especially useful for Law studies in universities because many of the words were from Latin.
(NB: I was telling her that I might do BMus/LLB in Monash which was why this topic was brought up. She also mentioned that Legal Studies in VCE is very important [as it complements LLB much]...? And that most students drop the law degree in first year.)

Yeah I got told that as well. I guess I'll have to brush up on my Latin then... Legal Studies isn't really important from students' experience though. It might help you in the first two weeks but that's about it - according to a lecturer, the same applies to VCE economics in relation to uni economics. Lol you keep changing your course choices waay too much. I thought you wanted to do music and science (maths), then commerce, and now law? What is the world coming to...