Basics of Latin: A Grammar with Readings and Exercises from the Christian Tradition by Derek Cooper introduces students, independent learners, and homeschoolers to the basics of Latin grammar with all readings and exercises taken from texts in the Christian tradition. As part of the widely-used Zondervan Language Basics series of resources, Cooper's Latin grammar is a student-friendly introduction. It helps students learn by: Minimizing technical jargon Providing only the information needed to learn the basics Breaking the grammar of language down into manageable and intuitive chunks Illustrating the grammar in question by its use in rich selections from ancient Christian authors. Providing grammar, readings, exercises, and a lexicon all in one convenient volume. Basics of Latin provides an ideal first step into this important language and focuses on getting the student into texts and translation as quickly as possible.

From the Preface: Most Americans who have studied Latin, with our priests and seminarians included, have employed this method, which they thought was 'traditional'. But as something fully developed, this tradition scarcely goes farther back than 1880; and even in its beginnings it hardly antedates the seventeenth century. In contrast to this method of grammatical analysis, Father Most's textbooks reproduce much of the "natural method" by which children learn their native language. Hence, the significance of Father Most's books is manifestly great for the Latin classes in any Catholic high schools or colleges. So much of our Catholic doctrine and culture have been deposited in Latin that we want many of our educated Catholics to be able to use Latin with ease. But the special significance of Father Most's texts is for the Latin classes in our seminaries. Here the students still have much the same cogent motives to master the art of using Latin with ease as the pupils of the thirteenth or sixteenth century. They need it as an indispensable means of communicating thought in their higher studies, and afterwards throughout life. The objectives (knowledge about Latin and training of mind) and corresponding methods (grammatical analysis and translation) "traditional" since 1880 have taken over in our seminaries; and there too the students have been experiencing an ever growing inability to use Latin. Father Most's textbooks can contribute much towards revolutionizing the teaching of Latin by bringing back, as the chief objective, the art of reading, writing, and (when desired) speaking Latin with ease." Fr. Most's textbooks can be classed in categories of similar texts, such as Hans Ørberg's Lingua Latina, as well as Ecce Romani which is a simplification of Ørberg or others which aim to teach Latin not even so much as a modern language, as to teach it by a method more natural to the philosophy of learning Languages. Fr. Most's text follows the view that Latin of the later period is actually more advanced in communicating ideas and is easier to learn than Latin of the classical period, and thus this Second Volume begins the transition with readings and vocabulary from the Vulgate, continuing with the more ancient collects of the 1962 Missale Romanum, St. Cyprian and culminating with a reading from the Roman Historian Sallust. This is an excellent text applying the "natural method" with English language instruction to help the student read and understand Latin natively, with numerous vehicles for simplifying the necessary memorization as well as aiding in truly understanding Latin without constant need to look in a dictionary for rudimentary sentences. This is reprinted from the 1960 edition, and follows the presentation of the text found in that edition.

Reprint of the original, first published in 1875.

Learn to Read Latin helps students acquire an ability to read and appreciate the great works of Latin literature as quickly as possible. It not only presents basic Latin morphology and syntax with clear explanations and examples but also offers direct access to unabridged passages drawn from a wide variety of Latin texts. As beginning students learn basic forms and grammar, they also gain familiarity with patterns of Latin word order and other features of style. Learn to Read Latinis designed to be comprehensive and requires no supplementary materialsexplains English grammar points and provides drills especially for today's studentsoffers sections on Latin metricsincludes numerous unaltered examples of ancient Latin prose and poetryincorporates selections by authors such as Caesar, Cicero, Sallust, Catullus, Vergil, and Ovid, presented chronologically with introductions to each author and workoffers a comprehensive workbook that provides drills and homework assignments.This enlarged second edition improves upon an already strong foundation by streamlining grammatical explanations, increasing the number of syntax and morphology drills, and offering additional short and longer readings in Latin prose and poetry.