Award-Winning Latin Courses & Classes in Memphis, TN

If you are a person that likes learning new languages, a student at White Station High School or Whitehaven High School, or someone studying Latin at Rhodes College or the University of Memphis, you might benefit from having Varsity Tutors help you enroll in a Memphis Latin course. This course can help give you the expertise you need to master Latin outside of a conventional classroom setting.

Learning another language can be difficult for anyone. Whether you are a beginner trying to augment your studies with a secondary option for learning or someone who's already dipped their toes into learning Latin and wants to continue building their proficiency, a Memphis Latin course can help.

Among all the Germanic languages, it is English that has proved to be most influenced by Latin. If you are a native speaker of the English language, you will discover that there are quite a few similarities between English words and Latin words. For starters, the Roman alphabet is still in use today - in fact, it is used by multiple languages, including English.

Latin also is the precursor to Portuguese, Italian, Spanish, French, and Romanian. These are the Romance languages, and having a solid Latin foundation may make it that much easier to start learning to speak any of them.

With the development of Roman literature came a divide that happened in the Latin language. The more popular spoken version was Vulgar Latin, and it was used by soldiers. Vulgar Latin differs from the Classical version of Latin, which is much more elegant and formal. Classical Latin was heavily influenced by Greek in its vocabulary, grammar, and style. Vulgar Latin stands out from Classical in other ways as well, including the use of fewer prepositions.

By the time the 17th Century rolled around, there had been several attempts to revive classical Latin. However, the language continued to be used less and less as vernacular languages made their debut. Vernacular languages continued to rise in popularity until they were considered classical in their own right, and Latin became less necessary for people to learn.

Though Latin is no longer as popular as it once was, and is now even considered a dead language, Vatican City continues to use it as its native tongue, and communications within the Roman Catholic Church use Latin as well. There are many advantages to knowing Latin, though, including the ability to read poetry and prose and preparing yourself for medical, legal, theological, and scientific research professions, which all make use of the language. A Memphis Latin class can help you, no matter what reason you have for learning this classical language.

What sort of materials will be taught in a Memphis Latin course?

In a Latin class, there are many things that your instructor could teach you, including common Latin phrases, Latin reading skills, and Latin vocabulary. You will likely learn how to pronounce words in Latin, which can be quite easy, as there is no longer an authentic accent since Latin is a dead language.

Native English speakers will have an advantage when learning Latin vocabulary because the two languages share a lot of words in common. For example, there are words such as "rapidus" which means "swift or rapid" and "finis" which means to "finish or end". Your instructor will be happy to help you learn and memorize the vocabulary, whether it is similar to English or completely different.

Nouns in Latin are classified based on whether they are of the feminine, masculine, or neuter gender. You may notice that some words are readily associated with specific gender types and are therefore easier to classify. Some examples include words such as "vir" for "man" or "miles" for "soldier", which are both masculine nouns.

The same can be said for certain feminine nouns, including "femina" for "woman" and "regina" for "queen". Neuter words can be more difficult to classify, and include such nouns as "nomen" for "name" and "templum" for "temple". Your instructor can help you figure out patterns for determining which gender each noun is, and how the adjective agrees with that noun both in gender and in number, whether they are pluralized or singular nouns.

How can a Memphis Latin course teach me all of this?

A Memphis Latin class combines the best parts of a virtual classroom with the interactivity of having classmates and access to an instructor to practice with. The ability to learn alongside other students is not something to take for granted. You can help each other when things become difficult and master the basics by talking things out and practicing your conversations.

If you get stuck on a subject that's tricky, such as the way inflection of verbs matters more than the word order in a sentence, you can always request some personal time with your experienced Latin teacher. This one-on-one educational perk may let you get the necessary help you may need.

New Memphis Latin classes begin on a rolling basis, and since all of the classes are virtual, you can kiss a long commute goodbye. You'll be able to study right in your living room, or wherever you're most comfortable, at a time that suits you best. If you want to learn in the middle of the day, or you're better off studying at nights and on the weekends, you can.

How do I get started?

When you are ready to begin learning the language of Latin through a Memphis Latin class, you just have to get in touch with Varsity Tutors. It doesn't matter if you're a novice or an expert or whether you're learning for fun or to help pass a class, we can find an option that works for you. We can provide you with some more examples of what the class will cover, information about when and how you can get started, and a list of what classes are currently available. Soon enough, you'll be on your way to learning Latin and all the intricacies and nuances that come with it.