September is most definitely here, and students will be starting to rush to Quizlet to revise their vocabulary and get up to speed. But are they making the best use of their time? Quizlet gives us the illusion that we are working hard: Look at all the right answers! And the amount of words I have seen on the screen! But those words will probably not stick for long if you do not use them. Ultimately, you are just clicking away and committing them to memory... temporarily. So what can you do...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
This week, I heard back from my first ICCG cohort, and we celebrated their excellent results together. This made me think about access to classical Greek and all the people who miss a chance to learn because of misunderstandings about who can and can't do it. Let us be honest: Have you been told that Greek is only reserved for the most clever of all students and that you can only do it if you attend a highly selective school? This is simply not true, although I have heard it more times than I...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
Little-known reconstructed temple from Vic, Central Catalonia For the last couple of days, I have been working from sunny Hispania - that's Spain for those still working on their Roman geography! Between lessons, mosquito dodging, and some Roman sightseeing, I have also been busy planning for the year ahead. And I have some big news: I am revamping my Latin Grammar Revision for GCSE course. I have improved my recording set-up and will create new versions of existing videos, as well as new...
2 months ago • 1 min read
I have just published my latest video in easy Latin for GCSE students, which I had great fun recording. Even if you are not using this OCR set text, you can enjoy it with just some basic vocabulary. So go ahead! Once you have watched it using the link below, I would love to hear your thoughts on the resources you need to make your Latin learning and exam preparation journey successful. Do you prefer short stories? Or do gap-fill exercises work best for you? Are you perhaps a translation...
3 months ago • 1 min read
Does your learner love Greek myths? Let them get creative by participating in a fun and rewarding competition. The Oxford Classics Faculty are looking for the best comic strips based on a Greek myth. Entries will be judged by (drumroll, please!) Neil Gaiman and Roel Konijnendijk, and teams can enter for different age ranges (spanning from 11-18). Here is the poster, followed by further information on how to participate: For more details, visit the Classics Faculty website and look at the...
4 months ago • 1 min read
Does your learner love Greek myths? Let them get creative by participating in a fun and rewarding competition. The Oxford Classics Faculty are looking for the best comic strips based on a Greek myth. Entries will be judged by (drumroll, please!) Neil Gaiman and Roel Konijnendijk, and teams can enter for different age ranges (spanning from 11-18). Here is the poster, followed by further information on how to participate: For more details, visit the Classics Faculty website and look at the...
4 months ago • 1 min read
As one school year wraps up and I start preparing for the next, I get to speak with students at the end of their journey to uni, as well as those at the very beginning. One thing is clear in these conversations: the sooner you take the plunge and start truly learning classical languages, the better. If your student is in years 6-9, this is the time to give them a chance to interact with the world of Latin and Classical Civilisation, and start building a strong foundation. My Monday KS2 and...
4 months ago • 1 min read
With the upcoming GCSE and A-Level Verse papers, I thought that it might be helpful for you to have a handy list of resources you can use. Here are some relevant blog post which contain links to further materials as well as videos: Get a 9 in Virgil for OCR GCSE Latin: tips, resources and information to succeed (latintutoronline.com) NEW!!! Monarchy, Republic, Empire: a simple history of Rome to help you read the Aeneid (latintutoronline.com) How do you answer Literary Style Questions? Tips...
4 months ago • 1 min read
The school year is very rapidly approaching its end. However, there is plenty you can still do to make sure Classics is part of your curriculum, from art competitions to new courses to take. Here are some recommendations by age: KS2: Make sure that your KS2 student is ready to tackle Latin with confidence next year In this taster class, students will learn how to greet and count up to 10 in Latin, as well as some useful Latin expressions. This will be accompanied by looking at Roman art and...
5 months ago • 1 min read