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Latin: An Introduction

Latin sits at the root of Western civilisation. Long after the Roman empire fell, it remained medieval Europe's language of education, culture and religion, and it's the source of countless learned words borrowed into English by scholars over the centuries. The huge body of surviving Roman literature also opens a window onto a vanished world. This course is built for complete beginners, but works equally well for anyone wanting to properly refresh Latin they studied long ago.

Choose how you want to study

Both options cover the same course content — the difference is how and when you learn.

Single session

Pay as you go

Book individual 1-hour sessions with Nigel. No commitment — start whenever you're ready.

  • 1 hour per session
  • Flexible scheduling
  • Delivered via Microsoft Teams

$40 / session

Book a session

Bundle — best value

4-session package

Save with 4 sessions. Use them however you like — one topic or several.

  • 4 × 1-hour sessions
  • Save $20 vs single sessions
  • Delivered via Microsoft Teams

$140 / 4 sessions

Book a bundle

Interested in a group class? Classes of up to 5 students can become available with a minimum of two students — students have access to 8 group classes for the price of 4 one-on-one sessions. Tick the group class option in the booking form to let Nigel know.

What you'll learn

By the end of this course

Read and understand Latin at an introductory level

Understand the fundamentals of Latin grammar — the case system, noun declensions and verb conjugations

Read short passages from classical Latin authors with guidance

Understand how Latin gave rise to the Romance languages and enriched English

Have a solid foundation for further study in classical Latin literature

Who this course is for

Is this course right for you?

You've always wanted to read Caesar, Virgil or Cicero in the original

You want to understand the roots of English vocabulary and Romance languages simultaneously

You studied Latin at school and want to revisit it properly as an adult

You're interested in Roman history and want direct access to the primary sources

Your teacher

Nigel Dickey

ND

MA — University of Auckland · Seven years at Oxford

Nigel spent seven years attending degree-level classes across every branch of the Indo-European language family. He now teaches from Auckland to students worldwide via Microsoft Teams.

Read Nigel's full story →

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