Thursday, March 5, 2020

Latin Declensions Our Memorising Tips

Latin Declensions Our Memorising Tips How to Learn the Latin Declensions ChaptersWhat Are the Latin declensions?Latin Declensions: Learn Using Multiple IntelligencesMemorizing Techniques to Learn the Latin DeclensionsLatin Declensions: Doing Exercises to Boost MemoryLatin Declensions: Study with a Private Tutor!Latin can be complicated for beginners learning the language. Latin grammar is not necessarily obvious, especially because Latin nouns can be quite problematic.In fact, all nouns correspond to a Latin declension according to their position in the sentence. Learning Latin, therefore, requires you to memorise all the Latin declensions and cases.Don't fret, Superprof is here to give you some tips to help you remember these pesky grammar rules!For the masculine or feminine parisyllabic nouns, the example used is civis, civis, m (citizen):CaseSingularPluralNominativeCivisCivesVocativeCivisCivesAccusativeCivemCivesGenitiveCivisCiviumDativeCivisCivibusAblativeCiveCivibusFor neutral parisyllabic nouns, the example is mare, maris, n (sea):CaseSingularPlural NominativeMareMariaVocativeMareMariaAccusativeMareMariaGenitiveMarisMariumDativeMariMaribusAblativeMariMaribusFor the imparisyllabic masculine or feminine nouns, the example we've used is consul, consulis, m (consul):CaseSingularPluralNominativeConsulConsulesVocativeConsulConsulesAccusativeConsulemConsulesGenitiveConsulisConsulumDativeConsuliConsulibusAblativeConsuleConsulibusFor neutral imparisyllabic nouns, the example is corpus, corporis, n (body):CaseSingularPluralNominativeCorpusCorporaVocativeCorpusCorporaAccusativeCorpusCorporaGenitiveCorporisCorporumDativeCorporiCorporibusAblativeCorporeCorporibusFor the fourth declension, masculine or feminine, we will use manus, us, f (hand) as an example:CaseSingularPluralNominativeManusManusVocativeManusManusAccusativeManumManusGenitiveManusManuumDativeManuiManibusAlbativeManuManibusFor the fourth  declension for neutral nouns, we will use cornu, us, n (horn):CaseSingularPluralNominativeCornuCornuaVocativeCornuCornuaAccusativeCornuCornua GenitiveCornusCornuumDativeCornuiCornibusAblativeCornuCornibusAs for the fifth declension, there are only feminine nouns, with the exception of dies, ei, m (day) but which is also feminine when it means the date. We will use the example of res, rei, f (thing):CaseSingularFeminineNominativeResResVocativeResResAccusativeRemResGenitiveReiRerumDativeReiRebusAblativeReRebusYou can easily find all the Latin declensions in an English-Latin dictionary like the Oxford Latin Dictionary or even online.Latin Declensions: Learn Using Multiple IntelligencesMaking a colour-coded diagram can help you remember the declensions. Source: Visual HuntThe theory of multiple intelligences was explained by the psychologist Howard Gardner in 1983 and later developed in 1993.This theory is a tool used in educational science to allow every student to flourish, to learn to how to learn and help them think differently about their education.He suggests that there are several types of intelligence:Linguistic: the ability to use language to understand others and express what we think. In terms of Latin and the declensions, it may mean we comment on what we see and express what we think of declensions to memorise them better and simplify learning,Logical-mathematical: the ability to manipulate numbers and problem solve. By making diagrams of the declensions, pupils can appropriate them and retain them better,Spatial: the ability to find one's way and establish relationships between objects in space. Making colourful drawing can allow students to make the declensions more tangible and thus memorise them more easily.These first three types of intelligence are the ones most used in schools to help students memorise an abstract topic. Each student then gradually discovers which intelligence is most effective for them.There are also other strands of intelligence described by this theory that may prove useful to some students:Intra-personal: the faithful and realistic self-representation and proper use in everyday life,Interpersonal: the ability to understand others and anticipate behaviour,Body-kinesthetic: using your body to express an idea or carry out a given physical activity,Musical: the ability to perceive and create rhythms and sounds. This can be useful when learning declensions, you'll soon see why!Naturalist: understanding your environment and having awareness of living things,Existential (spiritual): the ability to question the origin and meaning of things.Test your knowledge of Latin history and culture by identifying these 20 quotes!Sing along to the video then before you know it you'll be singing it in the shower!To learn the declensions, a father and son created their own lyrics set to the music of Get Lucky by Daft Punk:Have you tried using any familiar tunes that you've come up with yourself? If not, use well known tunes like nursery rhymes you learned as a child or even your favourite pop song to help you learn.Discover also the history and evolution of the Latin alphabet...Latin Declensions: Doing Exercises to Boost MemoryAfter you've learned the declensions and you think you know all of them by heart, test yourself with Latin exercises. You will find tons of these on the internet which will allow you to read Latin texts to enrich your Latin vocabulary, improve your Latin syntax, but most importantly, make sure you know your declensions.On the website latinedisce.net, you can browse through basic Latin-English dictionary as well as do exercises and tests to practise Latin vocabulary, the verbs and declensions.Another great resource for Latin games and quizzes is latinteach.com which is a fun learning website for all levels. Learn through flashcards, crosswords, games and puzzles to master latin grammar.Do you know about Latin's linguistic legacy?Latin Declensions: Study with a Private Tutor!Traveling to Rome? You'll be able to understand all the engravings! Source: Visual HuntIf  you get stuck and find learning Latin a real ordeal, yo u should consider taking private Latin lessons for beginners.A private teacher is there just for you and to meet your needs as a student. If your difficulties come from learning the declensions, a tutor will have a range of learning techniques to help you memorise them.Learning Latin with a private teacher is usually more motivating too. You will have goals to reach every week and you have no excuses not to do the work. Generally, you will not want to disappoint your teacher, who you can form a relationship with and who is likely to be much more interesting than your Latin teacher at school!On Superprof, there are tons of Latin teachers offering lessons for all levels, as well as thousands of other teachers in all Latin languages. They each have a different experience, from retired teachers to classical literature students to passionate mythology, ancient Greek and Latin students.A private class doesn't have to break the bank! With Superprof, Latin prices start at around fifteen pou nds. Of course, it depends on your level, your location and the teacher's experience. A beginners class will definitely cost less than a college course in Latin anyway!So, are you ready to test yourself on the Latin declensions?Now find the answers to all of your questions about the Latin language...

Pen Pal Exchange Project

Pen Pal Exchange Project Useful links on the pen pals: Start a Pen Pal Exchange project for studentson the Virtual Writing Tutor. For instructions on how to create a pen pal exchange for your students, check out these step-by-step pen pal exchange creation instructions for teachers.Click here for an article on pen pals that students can read to introduce them to the concept of pen pal writing.? What is a Pen Pal Exchange? The Virtual Writing Tutors Pen Pal Exchange is a type of online forum, moderated by one or more teachers, with messages written by students and replies from their pen pals. Teachers can match up pen pals from the same group, from different groups, or from groups taught by collaborating-teachers located anywhere in the world. Whereas pen-and-paper pen pal writing projects generate stacks of handwritten letters forthe teacher to give corrective feedback on, the Virtual Writing Tutors Pen Pal Exchange provides automated feedback on grammar, spelling,and vocabulary. How? Two Essentials of Great Pedagogy The Virtual Writing Tutors Pen Pal Exchange links two very powerful elements of good pedagogy: teachers and technology. Yes, every teacher uses technology, whether they realize it or not. Blackboards and photocopies are forms of technology too, right? Skilled teachers The first element of great pedagogy is the teacher. The Pen Pal Exchange system depends upon a skilled teachers ability to plan a successful writing project, with goals, lessons, and evaluations. (We have preloaded an example of pen pal writing tasks that you can use or modify.) To support this half of the equation, we have developed a pen pal template development page that guides the teacher step-by-step in specifying the topics the students write about, in itemizing the required vocabulary, in establishing the minimum number of words for each message, and in tolerating no more than the maximum number of errors you are willing to allow. Powerful technology The second part of the equation is the technology. The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry if the available resources are missing. Planning to have 150 students write 10 well-developed meaningful messages to pen pals in 10 weeks and receive handwritten feedback on errors and vocabulary is likely to exhaust even the most energetic teacher. Thats why I have incorporated the Virtual Writing Tutors grammar checker, word counter, and target structure checker into both the editor students use to compose their messages, and behind the scenes to check their messages automatically for the requirements of the assignment and record scores for the teacher to review. Skill + Power = Good Pedagogy Combining your plan for a series of form-focused writing tasks with the Virtual Writing Tutors onboard corrective feedback tools ensures good English language pedagogy: maximizingthe repeated exchange of meaningful messages with a form-focus. Add in Mastery Model scoring so that the students grade matches his or her effort and ambition, and students keep working and working at their English writing until they get the result they want. There is another way that technology can support the success of a pen pal exchange project. Tracking who wrote to whom is a major headache for teachers in trying to develop a pen pal writing project involving students in different classrooms. It seems simple enough: have students write messages, collect them up, and redistribute them to students in a different group the next day. However, the mounds of paper to collect and distribute can get messy when playing postman. So, the Virtual Writing Tutors ability to track and directmessages to multitudes of pen pals with email reminders helps to ensure a successful pen pal exchange for English Second Language learners. Your Virtual Writing Tutor Pen Pal Exchange is sure to help your students develop their basic interpersonal communication skills very quickly. Ready? Start your Pen Pal Exchange project here. FYI: its free, I dont send spam, and you can delete all traces of your project when you are done. What can a teacher do? Teachers can set the following required elements of a pen pal exchange: Topics the number of writing topics to write pen pal messages aboutMinimum word count the minimum number of words and a score for meeting or exceeding the minimum word count.Max # of errors the maximum number of grammar and spelling errors to allow in a message to receive the full score.Required target structures a list of target structures to use in a message, the minimum number of those target structures to include in a message, and the score for meeting or exceeding the minimum number of targets in a message.A photo depending on the topic, the teacher may wish to require a photo.A voicerecording students benefit from a 10% improvement in explicit recall of vocabulary items when they are read aloud (compared with silent study), so a teacher may want to require a voice recording of each message to enhance recall. Teachers are also able to do the following: create pen pal templates with all of the settings listed aboveimport existing templatescreate groupscreate an online invitation to join a particular groupmatch up pen pals with pen pals in different groupsshare groups with other teachers to create exchanges involving different students around the province or around the worldmonitor students progress and scoresremove absentee or misbehaving students What are students able to do? Pen pals are able to do the following: delete every trace of themselves from the website (The Virtual Writing Tutor respects your right to be completely forgotten)add one photo to discussadd a voice recordingcheck grammar and spellingcheck for the target structures required by the teacherpost and repost messages What can the system do? The Virtual Writing Tutor can detect thousands of error patterns and provide explicit feedback on spelling and grammar errors. It can also count words and detect the use of target structures in a message. Based on what the VWT finds, the system automatically generates a score determined by the number errors, number of words, number of targets structures, and the inclusion of a photo and an audio recording in the pen pals message. It also calculates a score based on the number of replies a student makes on other students messages. What do students write about? The system allows pen pals to write on any topic. This semester, I intend to get my students to write on a series of standard topics. To see the writing project I have planned for them, download my list of topics below. * writing topics for the VWTs Pen Pal ExchangeDownload What does the Pen Pal Exchange look like? The topic list looks like this. You can have as many topics as you like. The first topic in blue is standard. It is a message form the teacher who moderates the exchange. The topics in red that follow are set by the teacher using a template creation tool. The teacher can add as many topic as he or she wants. The editor used to write a message to your pen pals looks like this. Message tools for pen pals to use when writing their messages The feedback on spelling looks like this. The feedback on grammar errors looks like this. You get feedback on target structures like this. The list of target structures set by the teacher in the exchange template is automatically added to the search tool like this. The feedback on the the use of target structures looks like this. Students have a dashboard that gives them access to a range of information, which they can access with hyperlinks. For example, they can hop over to their own messages, the messages posted by their pen pals, and see the people in their group. Clicking on a score take the student to a detailed view of their feedback. Teachers also have access to this view. What do the teachers tools look like? You can match students like this. You can add pen pal guests to an exchange manually or automatically. Teachers can see group members, deploy a template, and match students with pen pals from the same or different groups. The teacher can get an overview of the students score or see in more detail the individual scores that contribute to the students total score. An Article on Pen Pal Writing Click on the image below to read the article about pen pal writing. It could serve as good introduction to students in preparation for a pen pal exchange. Pen Pal Listening Exercises To see online activities that you can share with students to introduce them to the concept of pen pal writing, click on the images below: Please follow and like us: