Primus Annus

A practical Latin course built around three years of classroom experience, this guide invites teachers to shape it to their own needs while following a clear, hour‑a‑day schedule that can carry a class through an entire academic year. It focuses on the essential structures of Latin, deliberately leaving out the more complex subjunctive and indirect speech to keep progress steady. The authors emphasize that the method is still experimental, welcoming feedback from educators who try it in their own rooms.

The core of the approach is the Direct Method, where learners acquire language by imitating the teacher’s spoken Latin before any formal grammar is introduced. Each new grammatical point is presented with concrete examples, then reinforced through lively oral drills that use familiar vocabulary—questions about distance, time, and everyday actions keep the practice fresh. By speaking first and only later consulting written explanations, students develop a natural feel for the language’s inflectional patterns.

A helpful pronunciation guide marks long vowels and tricky consonant clusters, while clear illustrations, such as a view of the Villa Corneliana, add visual interest. The book’s design encourages active participation, notebook work, and frequent questioning, making Latin feel immediate and engaging rather than a distant, abstract study.