/CLG/ FAQ

Q: I must know the get-fluent-quick recipe to learn my favorite classical language, what should I do?

There are no real shortcuts to this, some books may introduce grammar somehow more gently or engage you more than others, but that won't make up for the steady day by day effort required over possibly multiple years to reach a proficiency level that could be considered "fluency". So buckle up, don't be scared, take your time, pick up a good book and stick with it. It's a marathon, not a sprint.

Note for Classical Chinese: Knowledge of a modern east Asian language while useful is by no means mandatory, classical Chinese isn't really like anything currently spoken. Furthermore, learning traditional characters is essentially mandatory.

Q: Ok, you said "good book", but I don't know which ones are the most well known, can you tell me?

Sure, here are some basic suggestions for you to consider. Note Although this shouldn't need to be said, you can work with more than one of the following books, you don't need to be a homo unius libri.

  • Ancient Greek
    • Mastronarde's Introduction to Attic Greek: As with Wheelock's, for the more traditional grammar-inclined student.
    • Athenaze: An Introduction to Ancient Greek: Like its Latin Nature Method counterpart, this excellent textbook introduces the reader to Attic Greek through a gradual immersive approach. Read this.
    • Greek: An Intensive Course by Hansen & Quinn
    • Reading Greek by Joint Association of Classical Teachers
    • Homeric Greek: A Book for Beginners: For those wanting to appreciate Homer as early as possible in their Greek journey
    • Logos: Lingua Graeca
  • Chaghatay
    • An Introduction to Chaghatay: A Graded Textbook for Reading Central Asian Sources by Eric Schluessel: Good pace, presumes zero knowledge
    • A Grammar of Chagatay by András J. E. Bodrogligeti: Excellent reference material
  • Classical Chinese(Check out this infographic)
    • Classical Chinese for Everyone, by Van Norden: New and seemingly very easy. Explains grammatical quirks well in a conversational style. May be a little frustrating to the linguistically-minded/experienced.
    • A New Practical Primer of Literary Chinese, by Rouzer: Possibly the best in English, but also the hardest, presumes a certain knowledge of Hanzi, with Mandarin, Japanese, and Korean readings. All-around the most comprehensive introduction.
    • An Introduction to Literary Chinese, by Fuller
    • 古文觀止 (Gu-Wen Guan-Zhi): This is what the Chinese themselves have used as an introductory reader for centuries. Still all-around the best.
    • Cai Zong-Qi's textbooks: The best with English annotations. Superior to Gu-Wen Guan-Zhi to readers without Chinese cultural background.
  • Hebrew
    • A Basic Introduction to Biblical Hebrew, by Jo Ann Hackett: Considered one of the best introductions to Biblical Hebrew
  • Latin(Check out this infographic)
    • Wheelock's Latin: A most classic introductory textbook.
    • Lingua Latina Per Se Illustrata: Familia Romana: A genre defining textbook for those willing to approach the subject through the so called Nature Method, whose focus is on graded immersive reading, albeit without neglecting the important grammatical side of the language.
    • Latin: An Intensive Course by Floyd L. Moreland & Rita M. Fleischer
    • Reading Latin by Keith Sidwell & Peter Jones
  • Middle/Old English(Check out this infographic)
    • A Guide to Old English, by Mitchell & Robinson
    • Introduction to Old English, by Peter S. Baker
    • A Book of Middle English, by J. A. Burrow
    • Osweald Bera, by Colin Gorrie
    • Learn old English with Leofwin, by Matt Love
  • Old French
    • Old French: A Concise Handbook, by E. Einhorn
  • Old Norse
    • A New Introduction to Old Norse, by Michael Barnes
    • Introduction to Old Norse, by E.V Gordon
    • Old Icelandic: An Introductory Course, by Sigrid Valfells
  • Sanskrit
    • A Sanskrit Primer, by Madhav Deshpande
    • The Student's Guide to Sanskrit Composition, by V.S. Apte: for exercises
    • Devavanipravesika: An Introduction to the Sanskrit Language, by Robert P. Goldman
    • For grammar
      • A Higher Sanskrit Grammar, by M. R. Kale
      • Sanskrit Grammar, by W.D. Whitney
      • A Sanskrit Grammar for Students, by A.A. MacDonnell
    • Vedic grammar
      • A Vedic Grammar for Students, by A. A. MacDonnell
      • Vedic Grammar, by A. A. MacDonnell

Q: What about some extra online resources?

Very well, take a look at the following links.

Edit

Pub: 14 Sep 2023 13:33 UTC

Edit: 26 Jul 2025 11:28 UTC

Views: 4325