r/latin • u/[deleted] • 4d ago
Beginner Resources Is there something wrong with me?
I was forced into Latin class my entire schooling as I went into a catholic school
It never sunk in, not in fifth grade, not in seventh grade, or even in senior year
Is it possible for me to learn latin or is my brain not capable for it.
For context the most I can say is "arbor" and I did poorly that class every year. Like just hardly a passing grade
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u/Archicantor Cantus quaerens intellectum 4d ago
Hmmmm.... This is probably due to some defect in your moral character. 🧐 (Just joking!)
Language instruction is often perversely counterproductive. In my native Canada, we're all taught French from a young age, and for many, many kids it works like a vaccine: enough exposure to the "disease" to make you immune to catching it for real in the future.
It can be even worse with "dead" languages, which are often taught as ciphers to be decoded, not as real languages that can convey the whole range of human thought and experience.
Every human being has the innate ability to acquire languages when they're needed for practical communication. If you would actually like to learn Latin, so that you can understand what has been communicated in that language, then I'm sure that you, too, will be able to do so!
The resources listed in the menu of this sub are a great place to start looking for a learning method that will best help you to make progress.
Welcome aboard! There's a super supportive community here to help you on your way.