"Latina pro Populo" makes use of a goofy quasi-countercultural humour in its writing. However, all of the not-necessarily-funny or even comprehensible jokes aside, the authors chose to use long-winded explanations of Latin grammar, which are ultimately not useful to a person like myself who has not previously studied Latin (though I have studied French for translation; have also learned Italian, German, and Russian, and am currently studying Spanish; both with teachers and auto-didactically). Nonetheless, I only speak English fluently and understand that a language is best learned in a country where it is spoken, and of course with Latin such opportunities would be severely limited, unless one lives -IE- in the Vatican. Although I do not have a degree in linguistics, nor am I a linguistic professional, it is my observation that English itself contains a great deal of Latin-based vocabulary; consequently, once one becomes aware of that, that in itself can aid in understanding Latin.

In support of this text, I appreciated the translation exercises, and found that I was able to understand about 25% of the Latin text presented here. Conversely, I can see that for a beginner, this overview of Latin grammar would seem daunting. I read the various excerpts in Latin (the "fabula"), the vocabulary, the verb conjugations--Out Loud--in an effort to get a feel for the sound of the language (at least as I imagine it sounds). In that regard, there was one glaring omission: I could not find any in-depth discussion in this book in regard to how the Latin language is pronounced. The text contains some interesting historical background of the Latin language and its connection to Greek, and to the predecessor of both Greek and Latin, Proto-Indo-European. In the end, I wish this book had made use of a more structured method for learning and practicing Latin; this text works best as an introduction to Latin. Additionally, to its credit, "Latina pro Populo" does suggest additional resources useful for those wishing to continue their Latin studies; as well as synopsis of Latin grammar, and a glossary. ( )

NA

Latin for People is about as humorous as a Latin grammar could possibly be. It prompted some fond memories of the ablative absolute... ( )

Organized in an easy to understand manner. A good supplement to a latin course, or to help decipher a state motto ;-)