Languages

LOOK HERE AND HERE FOR OUR SUMMER COURSE SCHEDULE 2023!

I teach Latin, Ancient Greek, Dutch, English, French, German, and sometimes Italian.

My language teaching is strongly influenced by Stephen Krashen’s ideas about Comprehensible Input and reading. I speak almost exclusively in the target language, although I can use English, German, or Dutch as a reference language if need be.   

My students tell me that I am an unusual teacher for a variety of reasons. What I like most is that students say my lessons are interactive. Latin students are surprised that I can speak Latin at all (“I thought it was a dead language!”) and even more that they can understand it. That’s because I speak with my hands, many realize.

My Latin and Greek classes are especially unusual, because we rarely translate. In my other language classes, too, I talk very little about grammar. I can, of course, but like the best specialists in the field I just don’t think it’s so important. Students are also pleasantly surprised that there is no need to actively memorize vocabulary. When they understand what they hear and read (and I make sure they do!), they learn, better yet: they acquire the language over time. Effortlessly. This makes language learning great fun and highly effective. Students don’t want to give up, as is so often the case, but are eager to continue.