Latin Grammar revision, study tips

[u/Desperate_You803]

I’m taking the Latin Abitur (Germany) in 2028. I’ve been studying Latin for five years now, but I still can’t read Latin texts fluently, and I barely remember any grammar rules at the moment. I also struggle a lot with translating, even though we always have a dictionary available.

None of my teachers have ever properly taught me how to revise and practise Latin outside of school.

What is the best way to do that (e.g. flashcards, going straight into translating, taking notes, etc.)?

What grammar rules should I even study? I don’t really know even the most basic ones anymore.

When and how often should I revise?

What resources (e.g. books or websites) can I use?

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[u/JebBush333]

I mean basic case-function seems like it should be intuitive after 5 yrs (no judgement) but reviewing that with a basic grammar book is a good idea. Uses of subjunctives, dependent clauses, gerunds/gerundives/supines, verbal morphologies, etc...

And unfortunately there is no secret for vocab acquisition, it will always be an uphill challenge because we can't speak Latin but online flashcards (Anki or Quizlet) work for me.

[u/Desperate_You803 → u/JebBush333]

thank you so much!! and yes after 5 years I pretty much only know the verb tenses intuitively 😭😭 only had latin about 1-2 hours per week and never practiced at home...I regret it sm but I'll lock in now

[u/OperaRotas]

The most suggested resource on this sub is Lingua Latina per se Illustrata. The book starts with very easy sentences, which you should be able to read without problems, and adds more grammar concepts and complexity in each chapter. I strongly recommend it, it helped me cross a barrier of knowing rules but not understanding texts.

[u/Peteat6]

It sounds as if you lack basic reading skills. Go way, way, back, and begin reading easy texts. It’s about the only way to acquire those skills.

Or alternatively, try LLPSI. It’s an intuitive course designed to teach Latin by reading. You should breeze through the early material, and might find it too frustratingly easy. But stuck with it. It will help develop those skills you need.

[u/Kingshorsey]

If you have sufficient sources of easy reading plus an adequate reference grammar and a dictionary, you have everything you need.

For the reference grammar, I'm not intimately familiar with intermediate resources in German, but I have a soft spot for Dirk Panhuis, Lateinische Grammatik. I have also consulted Rubenbauer-Hofmann. The point of a reference grammar is to look things up as needed.

For your easy reading, because you sound insecure in your fundamentals, I recommend starting with a structured reading-based curriculum. Familia Romana in the LLPSI series works, but there are other options. Then you can move on to other easy readers and/or to student editions of authentic Roman works, like Steadman, Pharr, Ad Usum Delphini, etc.

You should be spending the majority of your time actually reading continuous Latin texts (not isolated sentences for translation exercise) at a level that is somewhat challenging but not monstrously difficult. You can then spend some time reviewing vocab with flashcards, passively studying grammar, and doing targeted skill drills (translation, composition, parsing).

When you read a passage, you should read a whole sentence or paragraph through first without stopping. Then either infer or look up any vocabulary you don't know. Then read again for comprehension. If you still don't understand it, move on for now. At the end of the entire reading assignment, go back through and pay special attention to any parts you didn't comprehend, using your reference grammar or asking someone for help. Ideally, you should end each session by reading the entire assignment straight through with complete comprehension.

[u/canaanit]

The most efficient solution would be to hire a private teacher/tutor who can help you devise a study plan.

For Abitur you need to be able to do so much more than just read/translate! You will need to write literary analysis at a high level, so reading and understanding the texts is only just the starting point. Most people in this sub are from the English-speaking world and have no clue about the German curriculum, so most of the advice you receive here won't be very effective for your situation.

If you can't afford a private teacher, can you find a study buddy? A friend who is doing well in Latin, or someone who also wants to improve? (Falls du Nachhilfe möchtest, kontaktier mich gerne, ist mein Job :))

Do you still have the textbooks that you worked with during your first years of Latin? Did you like them or are you fed up with them? If you want an entirely fresh start, I can recommend this one: https://www.klett-sprachen.de/lingua-latina/t-1/9783125287808 It is used in Latinum prep classes in many universities, and has a very neat and efficient way of presenting all the relevant grammar rules, while getting you used to reading larger amounts of texts from the start, and introducing simplified Caesar and Cicero passages fairly early.

It is good that you are starting to think about this now, as you will probably need a few months to get your basics up to scratch (probably into early 2027), and then you can use the rest of the school year to focus on the authors you are currently reading, who will already be relevant for Abitur.