Where can I learn how to speak fluent latin?

Question

Please, no silly answers...and no I'm not looking at going into the priesthood or wanting to know pig latin.

I find the language fascinating and since english has so many root words stemming from the latin, I'd like to be able to speak it.

Answer 1

Your best option would be to take it at a university, as they are pretty much the only places that offer it anymore. But if you were just wanting to study it on your own, you might want to check out this website: textkit.com. They have free downloadable readers and grammars, and they have online study groups where people can move through a book at a set pace. They also have an online forum where you can post things. I have not used it, as I took Latin in both high school and college, so I do not know how good it is - but it is free, and you can't beat that!

For the first responder, in Classical Latin, the c is always hard, like k. Caesar and Cicero have hard Cs. Ecclesiastical Latin (approximately aD 400 and later) has different pronunciation rules, and you will find a soft c or ch sound is common.

Answer 2

You are going to need to specify which "Latin"

Some times people mean a certain language South of America (there is more then one language down there but some people think they all speak the same or want one used by a particular country).

If you want to learn the Dead Language, Colleges and Universities loved that and you can not go by books alone. I do not know if things are the same. If you want to get close to it but can not find the Old Latin in particular you would have to take Italian, French, and Spanish to feel close but that still isn't the "Dead" language.

I'm sure if you bugged people in a College, University, or High School.. people would teach you the "dead" language for a price or even for free.

Answer 3

College is definently the best option here. But if you can find someone who speaks Latin they would probably teach you for cheap. Most people who have learned it and still remember it like the language. I'd have to say its my favorite language. Our Latin Heritage is a good book but they've been out of print for years so they're probably expensive. If you do go for a book make sure you actually do the exercises and check them, It makes all the difference.
puella puellae Now you have a start.
puellae puellarum
puellae puellis
puellam puellas
puella puellis

Answer 4

Try to find a college or university with a Classics major. They will offer courses in Latin and Ancient Greek, another source for many English words, as well as translation courses at a more advanced level. However, because it is a dead language, it is difficult to acheive spoken fluency. Most people who know Latin are only able to write and translate it. Bonam Fortunam!

Answer 5

I'm not certain that you can...I worked as a biosystematist of vascular plants for a while (a lot of big words meaning I worked on the latin names of plants) and part of the problem with latin is that there are no living speakers...so there is nobody to correct pronunciation errors and some words and combinations noone is absolutely certain how to pronounce ...for example senecio is a type of plant but nobody seems to know if it's really pronounced with the 'c' like an s or a k.

Answer 6

Latin is a very easy to learn but people consider it a dead language. I don't know where you can go to learn Latin but if you love Romance languages, like I do, you could check out books and tapes from the library.

***I am currently learning German and Latin-based languages such as Spanish, French and Italian.

Answer 7

the only reason to learn a language is the exhilaration it brings you. Is getting to grasp the thank you to charm to or paint a waste of time? properly, we've cameras, so in one sense that's a waste of time, yet from the perspective of the exhilaration you get, portray and drawing are worthwhile. Is getting to grasp a sprint piano or some guitar a waste of time? could we in basic terms learn or do issues that provide me some benefit in society? Why learn some piano--there are professional piano gamers and likewise we are able to hearken to the piano each time on line. So is it a waste to learn the piano? lower back, if the piano brings you exhilaration, then it is the only reason to learn it, and that's the main suitable reason, too. in basic terms you could pick if Latin is efficacious.

Answer 8

maybe u should ask to a catholic father some of them know latin.. and u can try learning the phonemes and reading books in Libraries..as well maybe listening gregorian chants and stuff like that.. some medicine books it's depend what latin do you want.. but using these things maybe it will help u

Answer 9

Catholic school, the jesuits will beat it into you.

I can sing Jingle Bells in Latin.