Latin for the New Millenium
Clearing House Review, Classical Outlook 86.1, Fall 2008
Hot off the presses from Bolchazy-Carducci, Latin for the New Millennium (ISBN 0865165602) is a unique and innovative new two-year introductory Latin program suitable for high school and university students. Authored by gifted Latinists Milena Minkova and Terence Tunberg, directors of the Institute for Latin Studies at the University of Kentucky, and edited by veteran teacher LeaAnn Osburn, it's no surprise that this series takes an entirely different perspective than other contemporary Latin textbooks. Unlike other recent series, which are centered around a connected story about a family at a specific time and place in the ancient world, LNM's organizing principle is the story of the Latin language itself, from the second century BCE through the Middle Ages to the Renaissance and modern world. Level 1 begins with adapted selections from the comedies of Plautus and Terence and progresses chronologically over a span of nearly 1000 years with excerpts based on works by Cicero, Caesar, Catullus, Nepos, Sallust, Vergil, Livy, Ovid, Seneca, Pliny, Tacitus, Apuleius, Ammianus, Augustine, and Boethius. This sequential approach to contextualizing the language makes it much easier for students to see the importance and endurance of the Latin language and to make connections between the ancient and modern world. Latin for the New Millennium, Level 2, which should be available in early 2009, will continue onward through history, presenting selections adapted from medieval, Renaissance, and modern authors as well as a work of original, authentic Classical Latin.
Latin for the New Millennium utilizes a "fusion" approach to language acquisition. By combining techniques from the traditional grammar-translation method with the contemporary reading approach, this course aims to teach students how to read fluently with grammatical accuracy and syntactical awareness. Each chapter begins with a Latin passage accompanied by a beautiful full-color fine art illustration, pre-reading material, alphabetical vocabulary notes and other clues, which encourage students to use context to develop efficient reading strategies. This target-language passage is followed by comprehension questions in English as well as clear explanations of important language facts, which clarify the morphology and syntax introduced in the reading selection. Conventional exercises encouraging memorization and grammatical precision are provided in both the textbook and the accompanying workbook. Vocabulary has been selected to prepare students from the beginning for Advanced Placement and university level courses. Conversational dialogues between modern students at the end of each chapter encourage oral use of Latin. Extension activities provided in the teacher's manual provide opportunities to promote active conversation and bring the language to life in the classroom.
The most exciting feature of Latin for the New Millennium is Bolchazy-Carducci's innovative online support system, accessible at newmillatin.ning.com. Utilizing the popular Ning format, this interactive Teachers' Lounge provides a place for teachers using this new series to network and collaborate, participate in threaded discussions, create blog pages, upload lesson plans, worksheets, flashcards, photos, videos, and other multimedia, exchange activity links, and much more. This forum enables teachers to collaborate easily on new and useful materials to customize the course. For example, I would love to see more contextualized Latin drills (like those described by Paul Distler in his book Teach the Latin, I Pray You). I would also appreciate more Latin comprehension questions for the stories, in addition to the English ones, to encourage students to talk about the Latin authors in Latin. Teachers with the desire for similar exercises can easily work together with other instructors, anywhere in the world, to design activities, upload and share them. The LNM support site also makes it possible for the publisher to make important files pertaining to the series immediately available to teachers. Currently available for download are a Scope and Sequence (outlining the narrative, grammatical, cultural, and conversational components of the course) as well as documents correlating LNM to the Standards for Classical Language Learning and The National Latin Exam Syllabus. There are also MP3 audio recordings of passages and dialogues from the book. Even more exciting is the student section, which includes links to the Second Life Villa, the all-Latin World of Warcraft Guild, and the eClassics Social Network, where students may practice using their new language in a fun, familiar, and friendly setting.
To view sample chapters from the Latin for the New Millennium student textbook, workbook, teacher's manual and ancillaries, visit Bolchazy-Carducci at http://www.bolchazy.com. E-mail inquiries may be sent to info@bolchazy.com. You may also direct questions to the publisher by contacting Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers, Inc., 1000 Brown St., Unit 301, Wauconda, Illinois 60084 USA, Tel. (800) 392-6453, Fax. (847) 526-2867.
Latin for the New Millennium utilizes a "fusion" approach to language acquisition. By combining techniques from the traditional grammar-translation method with the contemporary reading approach, this course aims to teach students how to read fluently with grammatical accuracy and syntactical awareness. Each chapter begins with a Latin passage accompanied by a beautiful full-color fine art illustration, pre-reading material, alphabetical vocabulary notes and other clues, which encourage students to use context to develop efficient reading strategies. This target-language passage is followed by comprehension questions in English as well as clear explanations of important language facts, which clarify the morphology and syntax introduced in the reading selection. Conventional exercises encouraging memorization and grammatical precision are provided in both the textbook and the accompanying workbook. Vocabulary has been selected to prepare students from the beginning for Advanced Placement and university level courses. Conversational dialogues between modern students at the end of each chapter encourage oral use of Latin. Extension activities provided in the teacher's manual provide opportunities to promote active conversation and bring the language to life in the classroom.
The most exciting feature of Latin for the New Millennium is Bolchazy-Carducci's innovative online support system, accessible at newmillatin.ning.com. Utilizing the popular Ning format, this interactive Teachers' Lounge provides a place for teachers using this new series to network and collaborate, participate in threaded discussions, create blog pages, upload lesson plans, worksheets, flashcards, photos, videos, and other multimedia, exchange activity links, and much more. This forum enables teachers to collaborate easily on new and useful materials to customize the course. For example, I would love to see more contextualized Latin drills (like those described by Paul Distler in his book Teach the Latin, I Pray You). I would also appreciate more Latin comprehension questions for the stories, in addition to the English ones, to encourage students to talk about the Latin authors in Latin. Teachers with the desire for similar exercises can easily work together with other instructors, anywhere in the world, to design activities, upload and share them. The LNM support site also makes it possible for the publisher to make important files pertaining to the series immediately available to teachers. Currently available for download are a Scope and Sequence (outlining the narrative, grammatical, cultural, and conversational components of the course) as well as documents correlating LNM to the Standards for Classical Language Learning and The National Latin Exam Syllabus. There are also MP3 audio recordings of passages and dialogues from the book. Even more exciting is the student section, which includes links to the Second Life Villa, the all-Latin World of Warcraft Guild, and the eClassics Social Network, where students may practice using their new language in a fun, familiar, and friendly setting.
To view sample chapters from the Latin for the New Millennium student textbook, workbook, teacher's manual and ancillaries, visit Bolchazy-Carducci at http://www.bolchazy.com. E-mail inquiries may be sent to info@bolchazy.com. You may also direct questions to the publisher by contacting Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers, Inc., 1000 Brown St., Unit 301, Wauconda, Illinois 60084 USA, Tel. (800) 392-6453, Fax. (847) 526-2867.
