Self-study Latin??

Test Preparation AP Test Preparation
1

<p>Okay, I know this sounds crazy but is it at all possible to self-study AP Latin? I'll only be taking 6 AP tests senior year (but Physics C pretty much counts as just one). I know this may seem like a lot, but our AP classes have really good teachers (I'm not self-studying any senior year, unless I do Latin). Also, 6 is a lot less than 12 I'm doing next year, or even the 7 I'm doing this year. I thought it would be kind of my crowning achievement self-study wise to do this senior year. Here's the problem - I've never had any formal Latin course and I'd only start studying it around May 20th of next year, and take the AP test about a year later. I'd like to get a 5 on it, is it possible? I already know some Latin - kind of - because of my informal research into the origin of English words. I could also try to learn some Latin this year, but I would only start seriously studying May 20th, 2011. I'm also decent at languages (Spanish)... Is this possible at all? I love Latin.</p>

<p>Edit: random, but I post way too much on this board, especially this section</p>

2

<p>bump’d…</p>

3

<p>Anything is possible. But honestly I think you would struggle with it. I take Latin with a teacher and it’s difficult. It’s difficult because of all the inner workings that need to be shown. I mean your knowledge of vocab would help, but honestly a Latin dictionary would do all of that. I honestly would not know what to do with some of the translations without a teacher or a some sort of a tutor to help me, and I’m only a second year. Practice is key and 5 years worth of study in 3 years by yourself is hard. With that said if you do go with it I recommend the Ecce Romani series with help of a tutor of some kind. I’m not intentionally trying to rain on your parade but this would be a VERY difficult task to do.</p>

4

<p>thanks</p>

<p>anyone else?</p>

5

<p>Strange coincidence! Hope this helps:
<a href=“Self-studying Latin - Applying to College - College Confidential Forums”>Self-studying Latin - Applying to College - College Confidential Forums;

6

<p>I have taken Latin for a little over 4 years. Honestly, I think it’s a horrible idea. Latin is not one of those languages where you can just learn everything you need in a year. It is a process that will take years to master. The AP test is hard. It is not just one of those easy ones you can self-study for. You need to develop some very good Latin skills to do well that is simply not possible in a year. Now if you had said that you have been taking Latin for two years and have a pretty good understanding of the language, I would say sure go ahead. But when you have no real prior knowledge of the language, it just wouldn’t make sense to take the AP test. I once mentioned to my AP class about someone on here thinking of self-studying (someone who has taken a little bit of Latin) and they burst out laughing. It’s just not a good idea. Not only must you have translated all of the required lines on the syllabus, but you also must have a solid vocabulary and in tune grammar skills. These skills cannot be built up enough to take the AP test in a year. I mean, it is your choice, but as someone who has a good background in Latin, I would advise against it. Good luck.</p>

<p>If you decide that you still want to do it, feel free to PM me and I could give you links to some very good books. Or, if you have any questions about Latin or the AP test, you can also PM me those if you want.</p>

7

<p>@Salve!
i’m planning to take the AP exam next may
can you recommend some latin prep books that will prepare me for the test?</p>

8

<p>Lol, ok thanks for the advice. Based off what you guys said, I think I’ll just study it on my own but not take the AP test. I really want to learn latin still, I know Ecce Romani is good, any other good books?</p>

9

<p>I would definitely not suggest taking the AP without any formal latin studying…that would be a nightmare haha.
We used Ecce Romani in our beginning latin classes (1 & 2), and I thought it was good. We used a book in Latin 3, I think, called Fabulae Graecae if you’re looking for something past ER.</p>

<p>@blizzardpenguin-
I took the ap last year (didn’t take an ap this year because we studied Catullus/Ovid which is no longer an ap exam), and I didn’t have a review book. I’m not even sure if there even are any. For studying, I would just go through all your translations. It’s really time consuming but it’s the best way to remember everything you’ve learned. And studying vocab is good too - you should keep a running list of tough vocabulary through the year.</p>

10

<p>I think most languages take at least a few years to learn well, and with a class. Especially for an exam as difficult as an AP Latin exam.</p>

11

<p>If you really wanted to learn the language well, you could just travel to… oh, yeah, darn…</p>

12

<p>

</p>

<p>Sorry it took me so long to see this. Here are some books that I recommend.</p>

<p>REA AP Latin Vergil
[Amazon.com:</a> AP Latin Vergil Exam w/CD-ROM (REA) (REA Test Preps) (9780738607061): Ronald B. Palma, D. Thomas Benediktson Ph.D.: Books](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Latin-Vergil-Exam-CD-ROM-Preps/dp/0738607061/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1275016262&sr=8-1]Amazon.com:”>http://www.amazon.com/Latin-Vergil-Exam-CD-ROM-Preps/dp/0738607061/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1275016262&sr=8-1)</p>

<p>I have an older version of the book that also includes the AP Latin Literature Exam in it (because I took that exam). The review in here is actually very good. It gives you a quick review of grammar, figures of speech, and some tips (the tips aren’t always that great though). It’s basically a good review.</p>

<p>A Vergil Workbook
[Amazon.com:</a> A Vergil Workbook (9780865166141): Katherine Bradley, Barbara Weiden Boyd: Books](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Vergil-Workbook-Katherine-Bradley/dp/0865166145/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_b]Amazon.com:”>http://www.amazon.com/Vergil-Workbook-Katherine-Bradley/dp/0865166145/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_b)</p>

<p>This book is phenomenal. We used it during class and what it covers is a really great review for the AP exam. It has all of the required lines broken up into lessons and in each lesson is a set of grammar questions, multiple choice, sample essay questions, scansion practice, and random other reviews. So as a review of the Vergil syllabus, it is very very good. There is one problem though, the answers do not come with it. There is a special answer book, and I’m not sure if it is only available to teachers or if anyone can get it. You’d have to research into that, but otherwise a great book.</p>

<p>Excelability in Advanced Latin
[Amazon.com:</a> Excelability in Advanced Latin (A Path to Success on Latin College Entrance and Latin Placement Examinations) (9780865165120): Marianthe Colakis: Books](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Excelability-Advanced-Entrance-Placement-Examinations/dp/0865165122/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1275016597&sr=1-1-spell]Amazon.com:”>http://www.amazon.com/Excelability-Advanced-Entrance-Placement-Examinations/dp/0865165122/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1275016597&sr=1-1-spell)</p>

<p>My teacher made us buy this book for the class. Again, a phenomenal book. I loved it because it gives review on all of Latin grammar. Plus after the review, it has questions and may also have a classic Latin passage with multiple choice questions (great for the multiple choice questions that are not Vergil-based). The review is very thorough and is sure to give you a much greater understanding of the Latin language. Again though, there are no answers included, but there is a separate answer book. You’d have to see if it is only available to teachers or not. Even without the answers, the review is still very much worth it. (However, it definitely went up in price because it was surely not $40 when I got it)</p>

<p>Basically, the Latin books that are available are all very good (mostly). The best thing you can do though is to understand the Latin when you are translating it to begin with and read all of the notes in the book that is guiding you in translating. These notes may help you to recognize certain grammar functions and also rhetorical devices. Good luck and PM me if you have any other questions.</p>

13

<p>At my school I ended up loving the language in my junior year and my school would not allow me to skip 4 to go on to 5 and AP. So i made an arrangement (take 2 online classes for 2 free blocks during the day) with my teacher to audit the 5/ap class and learn everything while also taking Latin 4.
I did that with 3 semesters of latin behind me, and i think i did well on the test. What you need is to get as many books as you can, learn the basics in a week or two, then cram poetry and Vergil (memorize it, there is no other way). Through the vocab increase your vocab so have Eng trans on hand, and for Vergil read a translation of the Aeneid then the Latin. If you can give dedication to it is possible to do well, but itll take a lot of dedication and repetition.</p>

14

<p>I took 5 years of latin plus a trimester of it in 7th grade. (this includes AP Latin Lit and AP Latin Vergil)</p>

<p>I would agree with salve on the issue. Latin is something that takes practice. I spent 3 years learning grammar in order to be able to be solid for AP Latin. No offense to you at all because you seem like you are a very intelligent individual but the likeliness of you getting a 5 on AP Latin Vergil with no formal latin classes is slim to nothing. Honestly some of the best kids in my vergil class who have been taking Latin as long as I have got 1s and 2s on the AP and I chose not to take it because I didn’t feel like I was ready even after 5 years of Latin and a pretty solid understanding of Latin grammar.</p>

<p>I mean if you want to try go right ahead and if you get a 5 please message me because I will then worship the ground you walk on: )</p>

15

<p>LOL, I would definitely not recommend doing this.</p>