Latin 101 is structured as a college course, with a series of video lectures and homework assignments. Based on more than 10 years of teaching college Latin, Dr. Rubio-Fernaz has developed an effective teaching approach that allows moderns students without a strong grammatical background to excel at reading Latin. Importantly, this course avoids the artificial approach of Latin taught as a “living language,” which is ineffective. It also avoids the traditional approach of vocabulary memorization, which can ruin Latin for many students. Instead, it reveals Latin grammar, comprehension and translation in the most accessible way. Learning Latin should be an intellectual adventure, filled with insights and epiphanies, available to any student who is willing to study!
This course will take you step by step, in the most efficient way to read Latin well.
Required Textbooks
Students will need to purchase Learn to Read Latin by Andrew Keller and Stephanie Russell, Yale University Press, 2000, and A Latin Grammar by James Morwood, Oxford University Press, 2000.
Instructor
Santiago Rubio-Fernaz grew up in Madrid, Spain, and received his classical training there at the Universidad Complutense, from which he graduated with a B.A. in Classical Philology. He also holds a M.A. in Classics from the Universidad Complutense and a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from the University of California, San Diego.
He is Adjunct Assistant Professor both at the University of San Diego and at the San Diego Community College District, where he has been teaching Latin at all levels of the curriculum since 1998.
In his teaching, Professor Rubio-Fernaz emphasizes the acquisition of grammatical awareness in Latin and English, the development of reading and writing skills pertinent to the comprehension and translation of Latin texts, and the creation of meaningful ties between English and Latin vocabulary.
He published in 1988 the first translation into Spanish of the Roman mythographer Hyginus and currently focuses his research on the Roman poet Catullus.
Professor Rubio-Fernaz is married and lives in North Park, San Diego. Among his extra academic interests are chess, hiking, and film.
Director
Breton Buckley is an adult student of Latin and a home-school father of three children to whom he is teaching Latin. He holds a B.S. in Business Administration from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona and an M.A. in Philosophy from Boston College.
He is Adjunct Professor of Marketing in the Fermanian School of Business MBA Program at Point Loma Nazarene University, San Diego.
Professor Buckley is married and lives in North Park, San Diego.
Message to Working Adults Interested in Learning Latin
This course was created primarily for you! One of the co-founders of San Diego Latin is a working adult and parent who took Dr. Rubio-Fernaz’ Latin 101, 102 and 201 college courses and found the teaching to be remarkably effective and richly rewarding.
Message to College Students Currently Enrolled in College Latin Courses
Don’t get behind! If you do, we encourage you to subscribe as a supplement to your current course, and to review the video lessons on the grammatical topics that you may be struggling with.
Message to Home School Parents
While this is a college program, the pace can be slowed, with greater emphasis on drills, for the home-school high-school student.
Message to College Latin Instructors
As you know, many students struggle in college Latin classes because of lack of grammatical background, weak study habits, getting behind in the beginning and never catching up or needing special help. Because of the logical and modular approach to this course, the video lessons provide the means to re-explain and drill on points of grammar your currently-enrolled students may be struggling with. One of our goals is to assist your efforts in successfully moving your students into increasingly advanced Latin classes.