Cambridge Latin Course Unit 1 Student's book North American edition (North American Cambridge Latin Course) [Hardcover]

North American Cambridge Classics Project (Author), Ed Phinney (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 29, 1988 | ISBN-10: 0521343798 | ISBN-13: 978-0521343794 | Edition: 3

The Cambridge Latin Course is a well-established introductory program in four Units, originally developed by the Cambridge School Classics Project. Under the sponsorship of the North American Cambridge Classics Project, Unit 1 now has been fully revised and adapted for use in the United States and Canada. This proven approach includes a stimulating, continuous storyline, grammatical development and cultural information carefully woven throughout the text, a complete Language Information section--now bound into the students' volume-- and, for the first time, color photographs that illustrate the Roman world. Also available are a thorough Teacher's Manual, a workbook, and cassette tapes. This Third Edition is wholly compatible with the existing Second Edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This edition is a pleasure both to handle...and to look at....the new Cambridge third edition issues a most inviting and stimulating welcome to everyone to begin the study of Latin and the ancient world." Anne Shaw, Classical World

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 11 and up
  
• Hardcover: 232 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press; 3 edition (January 29, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521343798
• ISBN-13: 978-0521343794
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #816,879 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A gem . . ., October 11, 2002

By 

"fracturedfalcon" (Lubbock, TX United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cambridge Latin Course Unit 1 Student's book North American edition (North American Cambridge Latin Course) (Hardcover)

This is the series we used when I learned Latin in high school. It is the best language text I have ever read, and I have a soft spot for it in my heart. Many traditional Latin teachers are uncomfortable with the premise of the series: that Latin can be learned intuitively. Phinney wanted students to learn the grammar without effort, and the book is amazingly effective in its mission. This book begins with baby Latin that it is simple enough to understand, but no one ever wrote in Latin that way. Then each unit increases the complexity of the passages. In Unit IV, historic Latin texts are introduced.

The greatest problem with the series occurs in the transition between Unit III and Unit IV. You must learn the declensions, etc. in tabular form before you can truly parse historic Latin, and parsing is what ensures an accurate translation.

Fortunately, you shouldn't have any problem doing this, because the tables will make perfect sense to you due to the Phinney effect. All you should be doing is formally naming what you already knew. (As one reader points out, all this formal stuff is in the back of each book, too.)

If you are worried, I would suggest buying Phinney's Guide to Latin Grammar. It is meant to be used with this series from day one, and it has all the hardcore grammar you could desire.

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Easy, But Leave One Ill Prepared, June 9, 2000

By 

"gsibbery" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cambridge Latin Course Unit 1 Student's book North American edition (North American Cambridge Latin Course) (Hardcover)

This was one of the texts that were used in my freshman Latin courses at college. I found the first book to be very easy, almost ridiculously so, but appropriate for beginners of any age. There is little emphasis on grammar, with vocabulary and intuitive understanding of the language given greater importance. This makes the course move along more quickly and makes it much more fun, but it caused me problems later on when I began to move to advanced Latin. This book makes the Latin language look quite easy, and it ISN'T! The five declensions are really not covered in nearly enough detail and the lack of emphasis on grammar makes future Latin courses much more difficult than they would if one started out with a more soild introduction. Fun, easy, but it doesn't prepare one well for additional study. The skits were quite amusing, however, and a great deal of information of Roman culture was included. Might be better for elementary school students ot those who have no experience at reading classical Latin rather than college students or those who have had such courses in elementary or high school.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A review by an independent adult learner (UK version), May 8, 2001

By 

Paul Cook (Brighton, UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cambridge Latin Course Unit 1 Student's book North American edition (North American Cambridge Latin Course) (Hardcover)

Although I am not studying the North American version,but the original version for the UK, I thought that I would place my views here. I am an adult independent Latin learner, currently involved in a project with the Cambridge School Classics Project, which involves learning Latin via the internet. I have completed Book 1, and am near to the end of Book 2. Our tutor places work each week on the Webboard for us to complete over the week.

I have given the course 4 stars, because as a reading course, it gives an excellent basic grounding. Once the emphasis of the course is appreciated, then it is easier to cope with the frustration sometimes of not having every aspect of grammar explained as one reads the texts. I guess it would be very different if a student was looking for help at the emphasis in translating from English into Latin. There is a lot of reading material in the Stages of the Books, and I have found that I am assimilating far more of the grammar by reading the numerous texts.

If one is patient then eventually all the points of grammar that are encountered in the texts are explained. I have learnt, that for myself, it is important sometimes to remain in a place of not knowing everything that is encountered, as it has given me the impetus to keep pushing myself forward. I have been studying the 2 books part-time over the past year, and a credit for the Cambridge Course is that I have not given up, as I have with other Latin textbooks.

I hope to start Book 3 shortly.