Consultatio Foro

[Andy]

I had already visited the site Nuntii Latini, but in a recent post it was mentioned again and I revisited it.

I listened to one of the newscasts and was surprised to see that while I still could not understand entirely what was spoken, I got a general idea with certain specifics. Well... sometimes. At other times I was completely lost.

Not used to listening to such a fast-paced (I guess this was regular pace for the Romans) version of what usually has no pace for me (written Latin).

My question is, was anyone here able to understand thoroughly one of the newscasts? And what do you think one should do to get acquainted with the notion of spoken Latin and understanding it?

 

[QMF]

As was mentioned a while back, a possible thing that can be done is going to a place where Latin is actually spoken, such as the Conventicula at the University of Kentucky. A decent trip for you from Panama though, heh.

 

[Vilhelmus]

Well, those guys speak latin pretty fast. Perhaps still the most important reason why it is so difficult to us to understand spoken latin is that we hear it very little. And in schools and universities the ability to speak and to listen to latin is not required from students. When did you have your previous listening comprehension test in latin? Well?

 

[Andy]

Never, the little Latin I know I've learned through the Internet, my effort and this Forum, which just goes to prove how much you can do with this great tool the internet is.

No such thing as Latin in this Latin-American countries... which is quite ironic.

 

[Vilhelmus]

You have made excellent progress then, Andy! I would never have learned latin and greek so well myself, if I hadn't have many great teachers and a school-like environment with discipline, tests and certain levels to reach to make progress. Nevertheless I certainly think many things could have been made better.

Anyway, good to know that people really are interested in latin etiam extra scholas!

 

[deudeditus]

it helps if you read along with what they say, i find. I still can't understand all of it just by audio, but I'm sure you'll get there in no time.

 

[Andy]

it helps if you read along with what they say, i find. I still can't understand all of it just by audio, but I'm sure you'll get there in no time.

Thanks for the tip!

 

[Delichon]

In a recent radio prog about education a few hundred years ago here in the UK, it pointed out that nearly all "education" was in fact Latin and Greek, that most lessons at University were delivered in Latin (!) and that even the University interview was in latin!!!!!! Oh tempora, oh mores.

 

[Andy]

You have made excellent progress then, Andy! I would never have learned latin and greek so well myself, if I hadn't have many great teachers and a school-like environment with discipline, tests and certain levels to reach to make progress. Nevertheless I certainly think many things could have been made better.

Anyway, good to know that people really are interested in latin etiam extra scholas!

True, the scholastic environment has so many advantages, I would hope they would teach Latin here. But the main reason I somewhat prefer doing it by myself: I take it at my own pace.