The Method - Why Audio?
Method:
Molendinarius (Evan der Millner) has constructed Latinum as an audio course, based directly on the course of progress followed by students in the Renaissance, at a time when Latin was used regularly by educated people across Europe for reading, writing, and speaking.
The goal of Latinum to give you the tools to master Latin, in all its forms. To this end, textbooks that were written for teaching Latin as a 'workhorse' language are used - Comenius' 17th century course ( possibly the most complete Latin course yet written, covering 4 years of full-time education), Adler's Practical Grammar, and various Structured Dialogues, and simple stories.
You can follow the steps broadly outlined here - but feel free to use the materials in any order. You are encouraged to begin working with Adler (step two) at the same time as working with elements from step one.
Why audio?
Learning a language to fluency requires a massive investment of time - and we can only sit in front of a book for so long each day. With audio, you can study while walking, commuting, and doing household chores. Latin also has a system of long and short vowel sounds, which are hard to master, unless the language is heard. Additionally, listening is more likely to activate the 'speaking' area of your brain than reading.
The other main advantage of listening, is that is forces you to process the language in its natural order - no 'hunting for the verb', or attempting to re-arrange the Latin into another language's pattern - instead, you train your brain to deal with Latin, as Latin.
First steps:
You first need to start to expose your brain to the patterns of the language, using very simple texts. These are available in audio, and as illustrated booklets. Extensive and intensive reading and listening is required at this stage.
Second steps:
You will need to work your way through a grammar course - The course we are using by George Adler is based extensively around practical use of the language. (Listening, writing, speaking) This course contains a few hundred episodes, and will take around 2 years to get through. Video supplements are also available.
Third steps:
To begin listening extensively, and reading extensively, slowly increasing the difficulty of the texts. At this stage you will start to listen to stories in Latin and structured artificial conversations.
Fourth steps:
To revise your Latin grammar, using a textbook written wholly in Latin. After four to five years of preliminary study, you will be ready to read the Classical Authors, and should be able to converse and write in Latin. You should, however, already be starting to converse and write at a very basic level after your first year of study.