In this class, Elementary Latin, we will explore the fundamentals of the Latin language with particular attention to its use in the Western ecclesiastical tradition. We will meet for one hour each Sunday, with individual exercises and readings assigned for students to work on during the week; as a result, you will need to undertake some self-directed learning. For the most part this class will proceed at a fairly relaxed pace with emphasis on enjoyable, thoughtful discussion of the grammar, vocabulary, and style of the traditional language of the Church in the West. No previous experience is needed - but if you have not studied a foreign or ancient language before, you will be surprised at how much linguistic knowledge you already possess.
Click here to register (required)
Dates:
Feb. 19 - June 11
, with
April 9 and 16
off (15 weeks total)
Cost: $75/student (payable to David Stifler on the first day of class)
Textbook: Collins, J.F.
A Primer of Ecclesiastical Latin
. Washington, DC: The Catholic University of America Press, 1988. ISBN:
978-0813206677 (you are responsible for ordering your own book)
David Stifler is a PhD candidate at Duke University in the department of Classical Studies, where he teaches Ancient Greek. He has previously taught Greek, Latin, and linguistics for the Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth program, as well as for the Classics department at Florida State University, and in a former life was a prep school Latin and English teacher and a research assistant for a rare and antique book dealer. His current research focuses on the sociolinguistics of the Greek-speaking world under the Roman Empire in the 2nd century AD, and in particular the relationship between language standards and cultural identity practices of Greek intellectuals. David has been teaching ancient languages for nine years now, and is very excited to be able to offer a class to the church community.
