In Unit 1 of Latin, we learned about verbs. Unit 2 has been incorporating nouns, their jobs, case names, and the methodology for declining nouns. In addition, as with the Romance language Spanish, which is derived from Latin, both are inflected languages, meaning their nouns incorporate gender. For example, leo (leonis) is Latin for “lion” and is masculine, while navis is Latin for “ship” and is feminine. To combine the verbs from Unit 1 with the nouns from Unit 2, students have also been incorporating sentence mapping and have begun writing rudimentary Latin sentences. Although the final goal of Latin I is reading mastery, taking the time to write helps the brain form new pathways and embed Latin skills into memory. Students also continue to use flashcards, whiteboard practices, and regular quizzes to encourage consistent practice and pacing with the material. Finally, Latin I also uses the technique of incorporating Roman cultural elements, which helps to bridge the gap between English and Latin while also teaching distinct cultural elements from almost two thousand years ago. 

We read in John 19:19-20 that Pilate had an inscription (“Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews”) affixed to the cross, which was written in Aramaic, Greek, and Latin. Aramaic was for the local people. Greek, thanks to Alexander the Great and his Hellenistic empire, was the international language of trade, politics, and learning, much as French later was, and now English is today. Finally, Latin was the language of the ruling authorities, the Roman Empire. Although the Roman Empire no longer exists, its linguistic influence continues to reverberate through history, shaping the Romance languages and enriching English vocabulary. Soli Deo gloria! (Latin: “Glory to God alone!)