Why subscribe?
Subscribe to get full access to the newsletter and publication archives.
Stay up-to-date with your language journey itinerary
WHERE DO I FIND THE COURSES?
You can see the language sections linked below, or find them by scrolling across the top of the page on Latinum’s substack website, latinum.substack.com
(On the app sections are not visible, and so I cannot recommend the app for using the individual courses. Use your browser for accessing the courses, or bookmark this page for easy reference).
ANCIENT LANGUAGES
Classical Latin for English Speakers;
Ecclesiastical Latin for English Speakers;
Latin for Biologists and Gardenersfor English Speakers
Latin for Medics, Pharmacists and Herbalists for English Speakers
BI-LINGUAL MODERN LANGUAGES
Two-directional reading: Parts A (interlinear/construed/interleaved) and Part B (separate whole sentences in natural word order) of each lesson are ‘reversible’. For example, the Bemba course is designed to teach English to Bemba speakers, but can also be used in parts A and B or each lesson as an interlinear for English speakers to learn Bemba.
Standard Arabic; اللغة الإنجليزية: رحلة في رحاب اللغة
Bemba; Isambilisho lya Chisungu ku Bashimika ChiBemba: Natuleya mu bulendo bwa fishibeni
Bengali; ইংরেজি: একটি ভাষাতাত্ত্বিক যাত্রা
Chinese Mandarin; 让我们一起学习英语：语言之旅
Czech; Angličtina : Jazykové Dobrodružství
Dutch; Engels : Op Reis door de Taal
French; L'Anglais: Un Voyage Linguistique pour Francophones
German; Englisch – Lektion: Eine Reise durch die Sprache
Greek; Βήμα το Βήμα: Ένα Γλωσσικό Ταξίδι για Έλληνες
Gujarati; અંગ્રેજી : ચાલો ભાષાનું સફર કરીએ
Hausa; Tafiya Mai Ban Mamaki Ta Yare
Hebrew; בואו נלמד אנגלית בהדרגה: מסע שפה
Hindi; अंग्रेज़ी कदम दर कदम: हिंदी भाषियों के लिए एक भाषाई यात्रा
Hungarian; Nyelvi utazás: Angol magyaroknak, szóról szóra
Igbo; Njem Asụsụ: Ịkụziri Ndị Igbo Asụsụ Bekee, Okwu n'Okwu
Indonesian; Mari Belajar Bahasa Inggris Bersama-sama
Italian; Inglese Passo dopo Passo: Un Viaggio Linguistico per Parlanti Italiani
Japanese; はじめての英語
Javanese; Sinau Basa Inggris Bareng-Bareng: Lelaku Basa
Korean; 영어 학습의 여정: 함께 배우는 영어
Marathi; मराठी माणसांसाठी हळूहळू इंग्रजी शिकूया: एक भाषेचा प्रवास
Odia; ଚାଲ ଧୀରେ ଧୀରେ ଇଂରାଜୀ ଶିଖିବା: ଭାଷାର ଯାତ୍ରା
Persian; سفر در زبان: انگلیسی برای فارسیزبانان، کلمه به کلمه
Polish; Podróż przez język: Angielski dla Polaków, słowo po słowie
Portuguese; Inglês Passo-a-Passo: Uma Viagem Linguística para Falantes do Português
Punjabi; ਭਾਸ਼ਾ ਦੀ ਯਾਤਰਾ: ਪੰਜਾਬੀਆਂ ਲਈ ਅੰਗਰੇਜ਼ੀ, ਸ਼ਬਦ-ਦਰ-ਸ਼ਬਦ
Romanian; Aventură lingvistică: Hoinărind prin engleză
Serbian; Учимо енглески постепено: Путовање кроз језик
Slovenian; Potovanje skozi jezik: Angleščina za Slovence, besedo za besedo
Spanish; Inglés Paso a Paso: Un Viaje Lingüístico para Hispanohablantes
Swahili; Safari ya Lugha: Kiingereza kwa Wazungumzaji wa Kiswahili, Neno kwa Neno
Tagalog; Matutong Mag-Ingles para sa mga Tagalog na Tagapagsalita: Paglalakbay sa Wika
Tamil; மொழியின் பயணம்: தமிழ் பேசுபவர்களுக்கான ஆங்கிலம், சொல்-சொல்லாக
Telugu; భాషా ప్రయాణం: తెలుగు మాట్లాడేవారికి ఆంగ్లం, పదం-పదంగా
Thai; การเดินทางผ่านภาษา: ภาษาอังกฤษสำหรับผู้พูดภาษาไทย คำต่อคำ
Turkish; Dil Yolculuğu: Türkçe Konuşanlar için İngilizce, Kelime Kelime
Vietnamese; Hành Trình Ngôn Ngữ: Tiếng Anh cho Người Nói Tiếng Việt, Từng Từ Một
Yoruba Ìrìn-àjò Èdè: Kíkọ́ Èdè Gẹ̀ẹ́sì fún àwọn Yorùbá, Ọ̀rọ̀ síi Ọ̀rọ̀
Zulu Uhambo Lwethu Lokufunda ISingisi
OUR LEARNING SYSTEM
Some History
The language reading lessons you see here are based on a system that was promoted by the Enlightenment philosopher John Locke (author of An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, and Two Treatises of Government). Similar systems were used in English editions of John Amos Comenius, Desiderius Erasmus and Mathurin Corderius. However, their production was difficult, requiring a specialised linguistic facility to make an effective construed text, and also typesetting of these specialised texts was expensive, and so few were made.
James Hamilton and his son-in-law Hamilton were the last publishers in a long line, stretching back to hoary antiquity using this remarkable method for teaching languages, based around studying texts with glosses and interlinear translations. For example, the medieval manuscript of the Rule of St Benet contains interlinear versions in Anglo-Saxon. This method was used for well over a thousand years.
John Amos Comenius (seventeenth century) and the philosopher John Locke in the eighteenth century were strong advocates of this system of teaching language though text, by reading. By the early twentieth century the method had disappeared from educational establishments, and even from private instruction.
Even today, almost no students of the classics or language study use this method, despite its evident success as a practical system. The lingustic purists of the late 1800’s did not like the deformities created by the construed (interleaved/alternating languages) textual method. However, as John Locke, the father of empiricism would have said, ‘the proof of the pudding is in the eating’ - if the system works - and it does - then ideology should play no role.
NEW PUBLICATIONS
The Latinum Institute has long wanted to make modern versions of various language texts using this method - and now, with the advent of artificial intelligence systems, a task that would would be horrendously expensive and time consuming can be done. Training the systems to carry out this work without error was not easy at all. We commenced intensive AI training in March 2023, and only now,after much effort and trial and error, in the final month of 2024, are we confident in the ability of the systems to perform.
UNIQUE
Each lesson is unique, and made specifically for both the culture of the learner, and the culture of the language being studied.
DEVELOPMENT
We have adapted the system and developed it, to rapidly get you independently reading. With constant reading of these lessons and texts, you will quickly and, more importantly, enjoyably, develop your language reading skills, and build a large vocabulary.
LATINUM INSTITUTE DIGEST
Never miss an update from the Latinum Institute. New lessons are regularly published. You are emailed a Digest post to announce these. These Digest posts are quite long, as the list of languages offered grows, and so the post needs to be fully opened to see the entire list of published lessons.
For a spam-free, ad-free reading experience, plus audio and community features, perhaps you might prefer to get the Substack app.
Do check the sections on the Substack webpage you are interested in to see the available lessons in a particular language.
A UNIQUE FEATURE OF THE METHOD
Two-directional reading: Parts A (interlinear/construed/interleaved) and Part B (separate whole sentences in natural word order) of each lesson are ‘reversible’.
You can use part A and B in these lessons to learn in both directions; note however the syntax in part A is optimised for learning the target language: part B and C have natural syntax. For example, the Lesson to teach Swahili speakers to read English can also be used in parts A and B for English Speakers to learn to read in Swahili.
Each language course is unique, and tailored to the cultural and linguistic environments specific to the language of the student and the language being studied.
Join the crew on a linguistic voyage of discovery
Be part of a community of people who share your interests. Participate in the comments section, or please support The Latinum Institute with a subscription. (Some of my readers here already subscribe to Latinum at Patreon, where the audio materials for Latin are hosted, and of course we don’t expect you to subscribe twice. )
To learn more about the tech platform that powers this publication, visit Substack.com.
