No Liberty for the Latinless: Surely, You Must Be Joking Dr. Fleming?, Episode 9
In this episode of Surely, You Must Be Joking Dr. Fleming?, Dr. Fleming makes the case that a basic working knowledge of Latin should be a basic requirement for those involved in government, and should even be considered essential for those who wish to speak English well.
Original Air Date: January 4, 2018
Show Run Time: 42 minutes
Show Guest(s): Dr. Thomas Fleming
Show Host(s): Stephen Heiner
Surely, You Must Be Joking Dr. Fleming?℗ is a Production of the Fleming Foundation. Copyright 2018. All Rights are Reserved.
Fine discussion, with which I cannot take exception. My thanks, as well, for your remarks about Fritz Kreisler, whom I’ve idolized ever since seeing him, quite late in his life, on a late-night TV program, possibly Jack Paar’s. He epitomized Viennese charm for me, with musicianship to match.
So how does one do to brush up on two years of high school Latin?
Oops! What does one do?
One starts at the beginning with a decent textbook, preferably 50 years old, such as the older versions of Jenney and Scudder, but there are others,
I have Henle’s First Year Latin and his Grammar texts and Wheellock’s Latin and Workbook.
Wheelock has some merits as a text to be used without a teacher, but, having taught it several times, I concluded that the presentation of grammar was less than coherent and the decision to use only “real Latin” was a serious impediment to the student’s learning processs.
Thank you for your advice Dr Fleming.
Please tell me, what I can do as either written or podcast series to help beginning and intermediate level Latin students. The podcast series did not seem to me terribly effective and generated very little feedback.
PS A number of people have written me to ask how they can purchase my old Latin series. I have no access to any of it and do not possess a copy–though I can probably find the written notes. I think it has many shortcomings, but I don’t know that I’ll ever find the time to redo it. If I had a copy, though, perhaps we could put it on CD’s or, better, make it available streaming.
Dr. Fleming – My plan is to use the Henley texts that I have. The first year is 42 lessons. I intend to do one lesson each week until I complete the course. I have started lesson one. I also will listen to your Latin podcasts.
Henley is basically sound. I have looked at it though I have never taught it. I was thinking of redoing my Latin course on the basis of Henley, because it is both popular and traditional.
Dr. Fleming, I am encouraged to learn Latin now. I recall a video I saw of Dr. James Kibler where he mentioned the dumbing down of language, and spoke about Southerners learning the classics in their original languages before the War of 1861. I enjoyed this podcast, and sent it to my brother who enjoys the study of language.