What’s the Best Book?
What’s the best way to teach (or learn) Latin? Regardless of our particular pedagogical philosophy, most of us feel the need to employ a textbook in some capacity. Over the almost five decades since I started Latin I as a ninth grader I’ve used a wide variety of textbooks as a student, a teacher, a parent, and a tutor.
What’s the Best Book? Survey of Latin Textbooks Podcast
Latin books I’ve known and loved (or not)
I’m hoping to share the fruit of that experience here. I’ve begun writing full-length reviews of as many of the books as I can. The Oxford Latin Course will be my first review. I expect to post it very soon. Meanwhile, I have brief overviews of most of the books below. I intend to write full reviews of all of them eventually.
Needless to say, the opinions below and in my reviews will necessarily be subjective. I explain my own pedagogical perspective here. I do try to include as much objective information about the particular texts as possible, in order to help you decide which books will work for you.
Oxford Latin Course
Oxford Latin Course (★★★ & .5) – A hybrid of the grammar-based and reading-based approach. This was my regular text for Latin I & II in school classrooms for many years. Content (mostly) appropriate to 6th grade and above.
The OLC has extensive and relevant readings. Students will receive lots of reading practice, and will be able to read the poetry of Horace with some depth by the end of the course.
This text also has a more thorough and systematic introduction to grammatical concepts than other reading-based texts. Older or mare advance students, however, may prefer a more rigorous text.
The format is colorful and appealing, with plenty of pictures. The intentionally childish cartoons that begin every chapter make the content more accessible but can also create the impression that this is not a serious textbook. The numerous pictures of naked statues may make some students (and parents and teachers) uncomfortable. Aside from that this book series is more suited to younger (i.e., middle school) students.
Latin for the New Millennium
Latin for the New Millennium – Another nod to both the old grammar-based and the newfangled reading-based approach. This is my preferred classroom text now because it does a better job of any other text series that I know of representing Latin, not as just the language of Ancient Rome long ago, but as a living literary language that continues into the modern era.
The readings are all adapted from actual Latin literary texts. The book presents the authors in chronological order, from Plautus (c. 200 BC) in chapter 2 of Level I through Ludvig Holberg (18th century AD) in the final chapter of Level II. Level II also includes an unadapted reading from Cornelius Nepos’s Life of Atticus as a second reading in each chapter.
LNM includes a fairly straightforward and systematic presentation of Latin grammar. It may be a little too rigorous for younger students, but is suitable for capable high school students and for college students as well.
Jenney’s First Year Latin
Jenney’s First Year Latin,1986 edition and earlier (Rating: ★★★) A traditional, grammar-based approach. This was one of my favorite texts for homeschool students in 7th grade and above. Jenney is also the text that I used when I first studied Latin (during the reign of Diocletian). Unfortunately, I didn’t find it ideal for classroom teaching in recent decades. It assumes historical background and understanding of English grammar that most 21st century students simply don’t have.
The strength of this text is the very clear and systematic explanation of grammar concepts. The exercises do a good job of reinforcing grammar and syntax from a given chapter. One the whole, I found Jenney a very good resource for one-on-one or working with home schoolers.
The main drawbacks are that there are fewer reading passages than most other series. There is also a lack of background historical and cultural information. The presentation can be somewhat dry. As fond as I am of Jenney’s First Year Latin, it’s not my first choice for classroom instruction.
Nota Bene – A much revised version of the Jenney series came out in the 1990s which seemed designed to incorporate all the worst features of both the grammar-based and reading-based approaches. It is quite different from the version discussed above and is therefore not covered by this review. I hope to do a write up on it . . . some day.
Henle Latin
Henle Latin – This 1940’s era text is similar to Jenney, but is much denser (and has more readings as you go on – also more exercises). Also, includes post-Roman (i.e., Christian) Latin.
Works well for more capable homeschool students. I used Henle very successfully with one of my sons and a friend who were learning together. It could be overwhelming, however, for weaker students.
Latin for Americans
Latin for Americans – Another text that aims to incorporate a fairly traditional presentation of Latin grammar in an inviting and accessible format. It’s been around in some form for over half a century but has been revised and updated numerous times.
A few years ago I found myself working for a brief time in a school where the two texts available were either Latin for Americans or Cambridge. I quickly concluded that LFA was much the better choice. The readings could be more extensive, but the topics are well-chosen both for student interest and to provide the all-important context that today’s Latin students need.
The grammar lessons are well organized and comprehensive. The explanations are clear and not overly technical. Students won’t suffer emotional distress looking at the nicely laid out pages (just enough white space and lots of colorful pictures). This is a pretty good series. I just wish the title didn’t make the rest of the English-speaking world feel excluded.
Ecce Romani
Ecce Romani – A lesser version of the Oxford Course. Newer editions have improved grammatical content, but the presentation will still come across as too scattered to many students (and scanty to many teachers). The background story and historical sections are not as comprehensive as those in Oxford.
I used the original series my first few years, and the revised version some years later. I didn’t like either one. To be fair, there are other teachers who like it very much. I’ll try to look at both sides when I write the full review.
Cambridge Latin
Cambridge Latin Course – A heavily reading-based approach, with limited and sporadic grammatical content. I haven’t found this approach helpful for most students, except some who are not intending to go very far with Latin and have real trouble with grammatical concepts. Also, most of the characters in Book I are killed by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in the last chapter. I know from experience that not all students are pleased with that ending.
As is the case with Ecce Romani, there are both students and teachers who speak very highly of this text. Here again I’ll make a point of including their perspective in my full review.
Wheelock’s Latin
Wheelock’s Latin – I have used this text with online students and, briefly, as a classroom text. A mostly grammar-based approach. Wheelock nevertheless gives students extensive exposure to the work of classical authors. Every chapter includes individual sentences from Classical authors (adapted when necessary) and also a brief passage taken from a literary source. There a is also an impressive collection of longer readings in the back of the book.
Wheelock could be a good introductory text for adults, college students, or very motivated homeschoolers. Most high school students will find the grammar explanations too rigorous and much too wordy. They may also be intimidated simply by the appearance: the masses of printed text on each page, only a few small pictures, and no color.
Minimus: Best Book for the Very Young?
Minimus – A fun introduction to Latin for younger students, similar in format to Cambridge, but appropriate to lower grades. The story line revolves around an archeological dig near Hadrian’s Wall. In that sense it’s also very much like the Cambridge course, whose first book draws on artifacts from Pompeii.
On the plus side, Minimus gives students a fun and interesting introduction to the Latin language. A minus is that he readings and vocabulary are appropriate to a specific place but aren’t necessarily the best building blocks for further learning. Nonetheless, Children who aren’t ready for something more advanced will find this an enjoyable first look at the Lingua Latina.
Books with which I have a passing acquaintance
Latin Via Ovid – Looks interesting. A reading approach that uses Ovid’s Metamorphoses as it’s main matter, but also includes a lot of grammar. For older students. I’ve been through the first dozen chapters (via e-mail with the inmate of a local prison who found it in the prison library and wanted to employ his new- found leisure time to learn some Latin). I liked what I saw, but I didn’t see enough to really evaluate how useful it would be over the long haul.
Marian Latin Series – out of print, probably for decades, but one copy of the second year book and one of the fourth year book somehow came into my possession. A fairly traditional approach, and emphasizes Classical Latin, but still has a sizable number of reading exercises based on the Vulgate, Medieval Latin, and other Sources, including a brief but well- chosen selection of Christian Latin toward the end of each book. I’d love to see somebody (maybe a Catholic publisher?) reprint the whole series.
If you’d like to know about a Latin text I don’t mention above, let me know and I’ll make a point of checking it out.
