Retention of Latin/Creating Lifelong Learners

This is my reply to a post on Latinteach that was about whether we're dumbing down Latin, whether those who think we might (usually hard core grammarians) actually learned how to read Latin either, etc. Here's the original post (part of it) and what follows are my comments:

>One choice for a project for the PreLatin students
>(6th grade) is to interview six adults to see how many
>studied Latin, why, what they remember, and whether
>they've found Latin helpful. The results are always
>interesting. They all remember amo, amas, amat. Some
>remember that nouns changed forms. All find Latin
>helpful in understanding mottos, some find it helpful
>in understanding English derivatives, and a few, such
>as lawyers and pharmacists, find it useful in their
>work.
>
>There might be a place for a more systematic study of
>this, if it hasn't already been done.

No offense, but are we prepared for the results of such a study? Do it (ha, like the money is there for it...) but also add in German, French, and other languages (besides Spanish).

Unless you know--you *KNOW*--you are providing your students with skills to be lifelong learners in reading Latin, I wouldn't want the answer.

Perhaps we should change this around to thinking very carefully of HOW we create lifelong learners of Latin.

Do all of your students know about LOEBS before they graduate high school? My husband tells me that when he studied Spanish, and he was not the ideal student he admits, he would read novels, but they would have facing English. He would read the English, then the Spanish.

Is it such a sin?

Perhaps if it becomes a solid crutch that can never be removed. But I confess that when I'm reading through Martial, it is in a Loeb. I often scan for topics that interest me, and then look at the Latin, and then only if I struggle with the Latin do I take a serious look at the English.

Do your students know of readers or simpler authors? I know we are all caught in the business of following school policy, school curriculum, mandated standards, and mandated authors, but do we take the time to say, "here, try reading this?"

Or...and please don't take this wrong...are we only creating lifelong fans of JCL, of mythology and classical cultural influences? That's not bad, but if we're supposed to be creating lifelong learners of Latin, did we somehow misplace our goal?? Did we lose it in the struggle to read all the required lines of Vergil for the AP exam?

I just thought I'd throw this out there to cause trouble. :) Actually, not to cause trouble, but to raise awareness about what we are doing as teachers and what our goals should be, not to mention how we reach those goals while also keeping adminstrators, parents and students (and the federal government) happy.

What can I say? Spring break gives time for thought.
***
SK's on the road, so I'm doubting it will make it to the list for a day or two. But these are important questions and ones that can change the nature of the way you teach.

Are you becoming a teacher because you love JCL and you loved that JCL experience? Do you want to pass on that torch to your students? That's fine. But if your goal is to create as many lifelong learners as possible, you may need to rethink what you're doing.

I want to introduce my students to Loebs. I didn't know I wanted to until I was writing the above post.

But I'm thinking... I'm thinking... WHAT IF I had a BUNCH of Loebs in the classroom and then every other week had a silent reading day. They could read the English side or the Latin side--BUT THEY WOULD BE EXPOSED to the Latin side. Would that be bad? Would that be wrong? I didn't know about Loebs until college. And even then, I just used them for class.

I could... well, I was going to say I could have the Martial Loebs available, but some of Martial is totally questionable for a conservative school. haha. But one of the things I've done with Martial and was planning to DO with Martial over this spring break is to find an epigram I like and to rewrite it for myself. I wonder if I posted that one I rewrote last year? (Or was it year before last? It was in a spiral, that much I know...)

Speaking of spirals, I designed two new ones plus a poster. Here are the two spirals (first two on the page): https://www.cafepress.com/animaaltera/270069. The bread one says "panis corpus alit, animam scriptio" (bread nurishes the body, writing the spirit). I also designed a new poster: https://www.cafepress.com/animaaltera.116183214. There are all made from photos I took when I was last in Rome.

I use the spirals a lot. I don't think anyone else buys them or uses them. I don't care. Once they are made and I've got my copy any others that sell are just icing on the cake. If I really wanted to make money at my shop I'd have to work at it all the time. I could; but I don't.

Oh, the current coupon code for $5 off for $20 purchase is DUSKYOPTION (valid until Mar 19, 2007). Just in case anyone is interested.

Time to watch another episode of ROME and fold more laundry.