Dr. Edward Peters

CanonLaw.info

Tamarack Christian Latin: Main Page

Hac in schola omnes sumus condiscipuli. / In this school we are all students.

19 jun 2026

Overview

Latin is the common language of the Catholic Church and the most important language in the Western tradition. Over many decades I have helped a wide variety of persons, from young children to senior citizens, with or without previous Latin study, to advance in their understanding and use of Latin, especially:

 • students in a seated classrooms;

 • independent learners (adults and home-schoolers);

 • those seeking focused tutoring a/o homework help.

 Latin FAQ

Classroom

 St. Thomas Classical School: 10th grade

 St. Thomas Classical School: 8th grade

Independent

 Familia P: MON, THR 3:30 ‒ 5:15. MML, Moss, hic

 Clara: SUN, WED 7:00 ‒ 8:00. Lectiones Latine, hic

 Bricius et al: THR 10:00 ‒ 11:45. Varia, hic

Tutoring

 E'a: WED, THR noon ‒ 1:00. Sermo Latine, hic

 Instructing students in seated classrooms

St. Thomas Classical

8th grade

 Progressus Latine. More information, here.

Latin FAQ

Are there two kinds of Latin? Yes, but the differences between so-called "Church Latin" and "Classical Latin" are usually exaggerated when it comes to grammar, syntax, and vocabulary. What differences do exist largely come down to pronunciation and 'accents'. The pronunciation system that I and nearly all Catholic institutions use is "Christian" or "Italianate" or "Ecclesiastical" Latin. That used by most secular educational institutions is "Classical" or "Restored" Latin. Both pronunciation systems have good arguments in their favor and good Latinists can move between both. See, e. g., Polymathy, here and here.

Can I learn Latin on my own? Probably not. In three decades of watching and working with Latin students of every sort, I have yet to meet anyone who, knowing only an "analytic" language such as English or French, actually learned a "synthetic" language such as Latin from a textbook. Many have tried, failed, and walked away — not from their futile methodology, but from Latin itself. And that's a pity. Most people can learn Latin if they use a workable approach, but setting off into the wilderness with only a textbook as a guide is not a workable approach. Even those who know a Romance language like Spanish, and who thus have a head start in terms of Latin vocabulary, still must learn Latin grammar & syntax, both of which differ markedly from English and Spanish. Thus, one almost always needs a tutor or a teacher.

Does memorization play a role in learning Latin today? Unquestionably YES! Notwithstanding that Latin is a language and so could be acquired by immersion, true immersion environments for Latin are nearly nonexistent today. This lack of Latin immersion opportunities is ameliorated, however, by combining the memorization of Latin vocabulary and forms with such live usage opportunities as do exist.

How young is too young to start Latin? Because Latin is a language it is never too early to begin learning it but obviously the techniques used must be suitable to the student's age. I find that younger children are able to learn considerable Latin if it is presented indirectly (e. g., in songs, by games, through prayers) while junior high school aged children, and certainly high-schoolers and beyond, benefit more by direct study.

Who is the patron saint of Latinists? St. Jerome († 420) is the patron saint of Latinists, linguists, translators, and Scripture scholars, to name just some! An association of the faithful, the Family of St. Jerome (of which I am a member), fosters filial devotion to St. Jerome and encourages, among other things, "Diligent study and use of the Latin language, the living language of the Roman Catholic Church, in order to arrive at a sound command of the language in reading, thinking, speaking, and writing."