Atrium Latin

Frequently Asked Questions

With any amount of luck, any questions you have are answered on this page, which has been adapted from the WH2005 Amber Group's FAQ page, with some modifications by yours truly ...

1. Can I get academic credit for this?

No. Neither the LatinStudy list nor Atrium Latin is affiliated with any academic institution.

2. Do I have to pay for this? Didn't you used to offer a 'payfer' course?

There is no charge for this course. I did once charge for 'Latin in the Atrium', but the 'learn at your own pace' aspect of it seemed to make most folks stop long before what might be considered 'getting their money's worth' (yes, I felt guilty).

3. What is the required textbook?

"Wheelock's Latin, 6th revised edition" by Frederic M. Wheelock and revised by Richard A. LaFleur. If you can only get hold of the 6th edition, that should be okay (the differences seem few at first blush). If you would like to order the 6th revised edition, it is available from Amazon (a link to same is available over there on the right if you'd like to help offset our server costs); otherwise, most of the larger bookstores should carry it.

4. I see the required text is Wheelock's Latin, 6th edition. I have a 3rd or 4th or 5th edition of Wheelock's Latin. Can I use that?

It's better not to. A major aspect of how this group works is that you will be comparing your translations to those of other students -- who will be using the 6th revised edition. Earlier editions have significant differences which are apt to cause confusion come assignment time.

5. Any other required textbooks?

None for this version of the course. Future incarnations might incorporate other texts. You do not need a Latin-English Dictionary (Wheelock has a glossary).

That said, if you are unfamiliar with English grammar (or need a bit of a refresher), you might want to get your hands on English Grammar for Students of Latin.

6. My son/daughter is X years old. Can he/she join the group?

The official answer is: "We won't turn anyone away. However in prior groups, children aged twelve or older have had the best success with the Wheelock material." My own experience teaching Wheelock online is that people less than sixteen might find Wheelock a bit 'heavy' and/or 'foreign'. If you are wondering about this for a homeschooling situation, I'd suggest the parent do this course and then teach the child at a more reasonable pace (I've had parents and their children do the course together as well)..

7. Can we go faster? Can we go slower?

At regular times throughout the 'school year' we'll evaluate the pace and make adjustments accordingly; if that means setting up a group to go faster (or slower), we'll look into it at the time. The LatinStudy official answer is:

The past experience has been that people who want to go slower eventually drop out before completing the text.

On the other hand, if you want to go faster, there's nothing to prevent you from finishing the book ahead of schedule and joining one of the more advanced translation groups.

The rate we've chosen is the one that seems to have produced the best results (fewest dropouts) over the years.

Addendum: Of late we have been experimenting with starting parallel courses ... one working at a chapter-a-week and one working at half-a-chapter-a-week,with both having the option for students to jump to the slower- or faster-paced course as they feel appropriate. It seems to be working well at this point.

8. Why am I receiving email about Caesar, Vergil, and other stuff?

The LatinStudy list hosts a number of groups at different levels. This mix of beginners and more advanced people is very useful when someone has a question. For this reason we have lumped everyone together, rather than split the subgroups into their separate email lists. The custom is to tag the subject line with a subgroup's name, for example, "Caesar" or "Vergil" or "WH2002 Blue". This allows other people to set up email filters if they want to filter out certain topics.

9. I found this group after it had started. Can I still join?

Certainly! To join, please drop me a line and then start sending in assignments (making sure you're formatting them correctly please!). In previous groups, people have joined as late as Chapter 30 or so. That said, I'm hoping to start a new group every three of four months, if possible. Drop me a line (address below) if you are wondering when the next course will be starting.

10. I've had enough of this. How do I unsubscribe from the list?

Go to the subscription page and follow the directions there.

11. When does the next course begin?

Currently we're trying to start a new course every fall (late September/early October); if there is enough interest expressed I might start one in January as well. Check the Next Course? page for the latest information.

If your question hasn't been answered above, please feel free to contact me via our contact page.