salve Reader! I hope this email finds you enjoying some good rest in a great place and with even better company. I am currently in my hometown, Sallent, in the centre of Catalonia, after a stimulating conference on language acquisition and a meeting with teachers from around the world in Barcelona. The line in the subject is from one of the cosiest of Horace's poems (or at least it can be read like that): 'avoid to seek what tomorrow will bring'. Well, I will admit that is a loose...
20 days ago • 1 min read
salve Reader! Today I was working on some new resources, and a fun discussion I had with a student last year came to mind. It went like this: We were joking about looking up easy words in the vocab list due to lack of confidence, and as an example he mentioned aut ('or'). When I told him that that would indeed be quite unlucky, as the word is not in the OCR vocabulary list for GCSE, he just would not believe it and ended up, ironically, looking it up. Surprise: OCR does not require aut (as in...
27 days ago • 1 min read
salve Reader! I hope this email finds you not too tired from the longest term of the year. I am flying to Barcelona on Thursday for a conference, and let me tell you something: am very much ready to have a good rest in the sun! If you are like me, you are probably looking forward to a break, hoping that it will lead to an energetic return in 2026. Now, Reader, when your teen's Latin GCSE is just around the corner, this is not as easily done as it is said! But I am here to help: enter my Latin...
29 days ago • 1 min read
salve Reader! As we wind down for the holidays, I wanted to share with you the outcome of my greatly anticipated podcast cameo on Satura Lanx's Rara Avis. We did not only speak online, but also in person in London! Let me tell you why putting my Latin to good use was so meaningful for me: When I started to learn Latin, I was often told it was a dead subject with little use for "real" life (whatever that is). I guess it did not help that the uni course I chose was called Philology, which...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
salve Reader! A couple of weeks ago, I received an invitation to speak at a very (very) popular podcast... in Latin. I was honoured. I was terrified. I worried about my Latin fluency under pressure, and declining seemed the best option. But I did not say "no". I constantly tell my students that languages are to be spoken and that making mistakes is part of the learning process. I also tell them that speaking Latin can be fun and not just an exercise in accuracy. And so I went on the podcast,...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
salve Reader! You will have noticed I have been a bit quiet recently. No need to fret: I have not disappeared just before the mocks! I just had a longer-than-expected recovery from wisdom tooth extraction, so videos would have looked, let us say, interesting. But I am back, and for many schools, mocks are around the corner, so let me show you what I have in store! Today, I want to highlight some key resources and announce a free live event exclusively for parents of GCSE students that you...
2 months ago • 1 min read
salve Reader! I am currently reassessing students' progress and individual plans while putting the finishing touches to the Latin GCSE Revision Course, and time is a bit tight at the moment. However, last Friday I attended such a powerful and motivating conference that I had to share a few ideas with you, including revision tips. Happy face after a whole day sharing my love for Latin If you know anything about me, you will have noticed that I am very big on making Latin accessible by using it...
3 months ago • 1 min read
salve Reader! Half-term is around the corner (yes, it truly is!). For me, half-term is very busy with mock preparation and Oxbridge interview support, and I will be available for online tuition. But do not worry, as you have probably heard, I am flying to Naples to dive in a submerged Roman city (somebody pinch me!) and work on my next set of resources just before that. However, I am not going to leave without offering a few suggestions to help your student during this half-term. You might...
3 months ago • 1 min read
salve Reader! Many of you have been asking about my Introductory Latin course, so I am very happy to say that the next cohort will be starting in just a week, on October 12th. I have now opened registration, and spaces are limited, so please book quickly to avoid disappointment. The Introductory Latin Course in a Nutshell 24 lessons designed by a Qualified Teacher Direct access to me in the comment section to ask your questions Quizzes and activities to check your understanding An open door...
3 months ago • 1 min read