I want there to be a place on Legonium where a complete beginner can come to learn Latin. It is my hope that lego audio disco – I read, I listen, I learn – will evolve to be that place.
There has been much talk in Latin teaching circles that the 19th-20th Century ‘grammar explanation’ method of Latin teaching is not the only – or indeed perhaps the best – option available to us as educators.
lego audio disco will experiment with that idea. Each lego audio disco lesson will consist of two videos. The first will contain sentences and phrases (illustrated with Lego, scilicet) repeated three times; first in Latin, then in English, then in Latin again. It is my assumption that if the introduction of new material is carefully handled, the learner should be able to follow the meaning of the Latin sentences and deduce something of the grammatical rules. The second video contains only the Latin, and the learner can test their understanding by watching the video entirely in that language, hopefully without any internal English dialogue.
The videos are currently without any audio, but a terrific colleague, Phillip S., will soon be recording narration. This will ensure that the learner hears correct pronunciation from the very beginning while having the Latin reinforced through the aural receptors. Phillip has, mea sententia, an exceptional clarity of voice and I am both grateful and excited for his involvement.
Please, if you have a moment to watch the videos, I would be very appreciative of any feedback.
Oh, and one final thing. I am investigating the possibility of having a version of each lesson available as an ibook (sine voce). This would allow the learner to move back and forth through the ‘video’ at their own pace.