This course will introduce students to Latin, the language of the ancient Romans and the first to use the Latin alphabet now used, in modified form, for languages as diverse as English, Spanish, and Vietnamese. I aim to introduce students not only to Latin itself but also to the rich world of Roman literature, culture, and history, which students will be able to explore in greater depth during Latin II. Latin was spoken throughout much of the ancient Mediterranean and Western Europe. It then became one of the most important languages of medieval Europe, being used extensively in education and administration until the early modern period. Today, Latin has birthed the many Romance languages (such as French, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese), given English a large portion of its vocabulary, and even continues to be used within the Catholic church

In this course, the first part of Latin I, you will begin learning the Latin language and cover most of the first half of the Introduction to Latin text. This course focuses on learning to read Latin, primarily via translation into English. Despite the sometimes-difficult subject material, I aim to keep the class fun and infuse it with the same love of Latin that inspired me to study the language in the first place!

By the end of the semester, students should understand the structure of basic Latin sentences and be able to translate them. They should also develop some command of core Latin vocabulary and be able to read simple Latin stories. They will understand core concepts such as noun-adjective and subject-verb agreement, tense, aspect and mood, and the basic uses of each case (that is to say, how the verb and noun-endings work in Latin and why they are important). Students will also be able read Latin aloud with confidence and accuracy.