Introduction

However, in our current environment of Latin pedagogical development, where active Latin (AL) and second-language acquisition (SLA) strategies have begun to make inroads (cf. Ramsby 2020) and untextbooking has become a more and more popular path for Latin teachers (cf. Ash 2019), Wheelock’s approaches may seem outdated. Although first developed in the 1950s, Wheelock’s continues a tradition of teaching Latin primarily through the strict grammar-translation approach embraced by Latin teachers of previous centuries. Wheelock’s teaching methods are traditional and somewhat limited in their scope. Essentially, each chapter introduces one or more grammatical topics, with dense explanations and relatively few example sentences. Students practice new material by translating context-less individual sentences from Latin into English (and, less frequently, English into Latin); at the end of the chapter, students may read short passages adapted from Latin literature, which often include a number of new vocabulary words (and sometimes grammatical constructions) that were not introduced in the chapter. This approach works well for some students, but its limited scope may not accommodate the diverse needs of all learners and doesn’t fully account for recent developments in language-learning pedagogies. This supplement to Wheelock’s is meant to provide additional ways of accessing, engaging with, and teaching the textbook content for students (and instructors) who may benefit from a blended pedagogical model, rather than a strict grammar-translation approach.

This supplement aims to fill a gap in the current field of Latin language-learning resources by providing two types of complementary resources, both of which are supported by recent scholarship in Latin pedagogy and motivated by student-centered approaches.

Supplemental Exercises & Readings

To add to the limited examples provided in Wheelock’s, the exempla in this supplement, usually formatted as minimally-contrasting sentences, allow students to see clearly how small changes in phrasing or structure can make differences in meaning. The exercises accompanying these exempla are designed to enhance students’ comprehension by emphasizing pre-reading strategies (cf. Russell 2018) and predictive reading skills (cf. Harrison 2010) through color-coding labeling.

Composition exercises in different formats, including rewriting example sentences and finishing a Latin paragraph, in a “Mad Libs” style, allow students to practice vocabulary and morphology, in addition to translation, while allowing students a creative outlet, reminding them that language learning can be fun. 

In keeping with modern second-language acquisition (SLA) techniques (cf. Shelton 2021), additional novella-like readings help students focus on learning to read Latin by engaging with familiar words and a continuous narrative, rather than only via contextless sentences or brief passages lightly adapted from dense literary texts. Although the vocabulary in these readings is not quite “sheltered” (as is common practice in recent Latin novella-writing), I have done my best to work within the confines of Wheelock’s vocabulary while relying primarily on common vocabulary (namely, as defined by Dickinson College Commentaries’s list of Latin Core Vocabulary, comprised of the thousand most-common Latin words).

Special Topic Modules

This supplement’s special topic modules focus on particular aspects of life in the ancient world that Latin textbooks often overlook, but that our students find compelling, to provide students with a more comprehensive view of the diversity of the ancient world and its study in the modern world. In addition to providing a respite from Wheelock’s grammar-heavy approach to language learning, these modules encourage students to contextualize their new Latin knowledge through cultural and intellectual exploration (cf. Gruber-Miller 2004). Each module includes relevant Latin vocabulary that can be used in completing composition exercises, to integrate the acquisition of knowledge about this special topic into students’ understanding of Latin grammar.

A Student-Centered Approach

Students decide to learn Latin for a variety of reasons: some students want to learn a language that doesn’t focus on conversational skills because of previous negative experiences in language classrooms; others believe that a familiarity with Latin vocabulary will help them with future careers in law or medicine; still others are curious about the ancient world and want to learn more. Many are nervous because they expect Latin to be a language that only geniuses can learn. To confront this mindset head-on, the resources in this supplemental textbook are designed with best practices of equity pedagogy in mind. For example, this supplement provides exercises in a variety of formats to allow students to practice vocabulary and morphology through (sometimes playful) Latin composition, rather than requiring a strict focus on English translation and assuming extensive prior knowledge about grammar. Additionally, openly discussing difficult topics like ancient slavery, as the modules on slavery and manumission and curse tablets prompt students to do, compels conversation about the way ancient discourses may shape our modern world. This approach is especially important in a Latin classroom, given the history of exclusionary practices in the teaching of the Latin language and in Latin textbooks specifically (cf. Dugan 2019). The express goal of this resource is, to the greatest degree possible, to eliminate barriers to entry and to success in learning Latin. 

For more on the recent research on Latin pedagogy that underpins this supplemental textbook, see the annotated bibliography here!