Or so I wish.
My brain is sooo tired. In the last 24 hours (in addition to grading all of my student’s term papers and essay finals), I’ve reviewed 20 chapters of my old Wheelock Latin Book, copying down and memorizing forms, hundreds of verbs, irregular pronouns, etc….
That many chapters takes a high schooler 4 years to complete (at least, it did at St. Peter’s). It took us 5 weeks to complete in a very rigorous summer-term class at UD (where we did 8 hours of homework a night).
Granted, it’s review for me, so it comes easier. They say that remembering a language you used to be fluent in is like remembering how to ride a bicycle.
Maybe it’s because I’m 3 years and 2 pregnancies later, but it feels more like riding a bicycle in the fog…with the wrong prescription of glasses on. I feel as though I used to remember these forms, conjugations, once upon a time, but they’re just a hair’s breath out of reach.
But I must press on. My Latin Comp test is only 4 weeks away and I’ll need to be translate any of 500 lines from the Aeneid Book 6. He will also pull out 20+ words for me to do a complete analysis of.
Just fyi, my writing is probably going to really stink for a while. Whenever I am thoroughly immersed in Latin, my sentence syntax becomes alllll messed up. I had this problem as a young elementary student. The moment I learned Latin, I forgot how to phrase things properly in English. I even started adding letters onto the end of words instead of putting them into the correct place in the sentence.
And now…time to memorize those passive endings…fitting, as I often feel like this is happening “to” me, instead of doing it in the active voice.
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Pam Bartel says
Kelly, since you are studying Latin lately, have you thought of suggesting to NCCS that they include a Latin class next year (or summer school) for those interested in learning it, be it elementary or jr. sr. high? Maybe you could teach it. I am really wanting NCCS to go classical and be competition for SLOCA.
Pam Bartel says
I guess I did not mean “competition” so much as I meant an alternative for those who do not want to drive over the grade.