Articles From The Classical Teacher

Henle Latin: the Next Best Thing to a Real Latin Tutor

     I started learning Latin sixteen years ago with an old Jenney text that I picked up in a used bookstore.  Since then I have collected shelves full of Latin books and programs. Two of the most widely used Latin texts in the last half century have been the college text, Wheelock (Barnes & Noble), and the high school text, Jenney.  These are fine books but I think Henle is a far superior choice for middle and high school students, and is especially helpful for the homeschooler trying to learn Latin without the aid of a teacher. 

     I made it about halfway through the Jenney text before I broke down in frustration. When I discovered the Henle Latin series, I was thrilled to find a text in which I could be successful at learning Latin. Following are some of the features of the Henle Latin that I believe make it a program that is especially helpful for home and classical schools.

1) VOCABULARY.  A basic vocabulary of about 1500-2000 words is necessary to begin reading real Latin authors.  Most texts try to teach both grammar and a good portion of this vocabulary in their first year texts, resulting in a course of study which overwhelms the beginning student, regardless of age. Their large vocabularies are used sporadically in the exercises and so the student becomes frustrated by the constant necessity of looking up infrequently used words. The Henle Latin I has a limited vocabulary of about 500 words. Vocabulary words are introduced only as the exercises can support them, and they are used in repetitive expressions.  They become a frequent and integral part of the text--in other words, a real usable vocabulary.  The Henle approach of a limited vocabulary is much more realistic for those of us who are trying to teach and learn Latin.  It is better to get through Latin grammar with a smaller but usable vocabulary than to not get through it at all. 

2) EXERCISES.  Henle has copious exercises that actually teach the vocabulary and grammar concepts rather than give a few examples to illustrate them.  As Fr. Henle says, he aims for mastery, which he defines as"habitual knowledge."  I don't know of any other text that really does this.  In addition, every grammar concept, no matter how small, is followed directly with practice exercises and is reviewed throughout the book in subsequent work.  The exercises and readings are extremely well done, varied, and interesting.  It's hard to praise them too highly.  The limited vocabulary, the abundant exercises, and incremental teaching result in a text that a student can actually master.  Doing the exercises and readings in Henle is enjoyable rather than a drudge. 

3) USABLE AS EARLY AS 5TH GRADE.  When I began teaching Latin to 3rd graders seven years ago, my goal was to discover, by experience, the capabilities of students at each age. I have taught more than 100 homeschooled students of all ages and each year, as my knowledge and confidence increased, I found that students could do more than I had realized the previous year.  I use Latina Christiana I and II in grades 3-5 and move up to Henle in the 5th or 6th.  The complete course outline following this article is probably too ambitious for teachers or homeschoolers who are learning Latin for the first time, but it is what a good student can accomplish and is therefore a standard and goal to work toward. 

The point is, Henle is the only text I know of that can be used with properly prepared 5th and 6th graders. This is extremely important for educators who are really serious about a classical education and who desire for their students the ability to read real classical and Christian authors in Latin in grades 9-12.

4) CHRISTIAN CONTENT.   Henle has Christian content that adds great variety and interest and connects Latin to something familiar to the students.  Henle is a Catholic text but one that is very usable for non-Catholic students. Martin and I have taught mixed classes of Catholics and Protestants for our homeschooling communities for a combined total of ten years and  have never had one complaint from a parent or a student.  Latin textbooks, since the Renaissance, generally have ignored "Christian Latin", as if nothing important happened in Latin after the classical age.  This has greatly restricted the range, variety, and appeal of Latin and produces an unnecessarily pagan, artificial tone.  In fact, Dorothy Sayers recommends in her famous essay that students learn medieval Latin as a precursor to classical Latin.

5) APPEAL.   Henle was a teacher who knew what appealed to students and how to keep their interest.   Fr. Henle taught Latin for more than 40 years. These books  are the fruit of many years of experience and they show it.  He emphasizes the military themes associated with the building of the Roman Empire, which, though out of fashion, I think are more interesting to students than such substitutes as mythology and everyday Roman life.  The conflicts between the Gauls and Romans and the Romans and Christians provide continuing stories that create sustained interest throughout the book.  Some of the topics in his varied readings are: Roman virtues versus Christian virtues; an examination of professed Christians by a Roman judge; an interview with a Roman centurion through a time machine.  Corny, maybe, but there is a spirit of fun in this whole book, a subtle touch of humor. Chesterton said, "He who has the faith has the fun".  Henle is just more fun than any other Latin text I have used. 

     When Martin Cothran began teaching Latin to older students in his cottage school several years ago, I gave him my Henle and syllabus and said, "You can do this."  I would never have done that with Wheelock, Jenney, Ecce Romani, or any other text I am acquainted with.  Martin had never studied Latin but he has developed a successful Latin program. His students are reading Caesar this year, too!  I believe Henle is the best text that homeschoolers and Christian schools can use to learn and teach Latin.  It's the next best thing to having a classicist as your own personal tutor.