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Latin, Alive: Turning a “Dead” Language into a Living, Joyful Practice
Greeting WOL Friends,
In this episode you will hear Olivia and Peter shine when they talk about the inventive and fun Latin classes at WOL.
When people think of Latin, they often picture dusty textbooks and endless grammar charts. But at the World of Learning Institute, Latin is alive and thriving thanks to passionate teachers who see language not as a subject to memorize, but as a skill to live.
In this episode of We Do This Every Day, I sit down with Peter, one of our innovative Latin instructors, and Olivia, who supervises our world language programs. Together, we explore how Latin has transformed from a language of declensions to a language of dialogue, creativity, and connection.
Peter’s journey started in computer science, not classics. But his curiosity led him to Latin, and eventually to a community that treats it as something spoken, shared, and joyfully used.
“There’s a pretty vibrant community of Latinists trying to use it as an actual language… The World of Learning’s approach is much more communicative, and that’s what matters—actually using the language and having fun with it.”
That philosophy comes to life in his classroom, where students listen, respond, and create—all in Latin. Using visuals, stories, and music, Peter crafts lessons that help learners feel the language, not just analyze it. Olivia saw this in action and was immediately inspired:
“You were speaking 100% Latin… and I understood everything. It was very clear you were making it comprehensible to the kids because they were doing it on the screen.”
Their conversation highlights what we value most at WOL—relationships, creativity, and productive struggle. Learning a language isn’t about perfection; it’s about persistence and joy in the process. As Peter reminds us:
“If you do language learning correctly, students learn it’s okay to be uncomfortable and not know everything—it’s a process. You don’t learn by instantly knowing; you learn by adapting and communicating meaning.”
Latin at the World of Learning is proof that even the oldest languages can spark the newest ideas. Students leave class not just with vocabulary, but with confidence—the courage to make mistakes, try again, and keep communicating.
We believe that’s what all great learning looks like—online or anywhere.
If you would like to know more about Latin, or any of the languages we offer, reach out to [email protected].
Best,
Pat
Read the whole article behind the blog at the link below.
This blog post was developed using my writing, podcast transcript, and support from AI (ChatGPT by OpenAI) which was reviewed by Pat Mulroy for accuracy, tone, and context.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit patmulroy.substack.com
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By Join as we try to be authentic, relevant and engaging, EVERYDAY.Greeting WOL Friends,
In this episode you will hear Olivia and Peter shine when they talk about the inventive and fun Latin classes at WOL.
When people think of Latin, they often picture dusty textbooks and endless grammar charts. But at the World of Learning Institute, Latin is alive and thriving thanks to passionate teachers who see language not as a subject to memorize, but as a skill to live.
In this episode of We Do This Every Day, I sit down with Peter, one of our innovative Latin instructors, and Olivia, who supervises our world language programs. Together, we explore how Latin has transformed from a language of declensions to a language of dialogue, creativity, and connection.
Peter’s journey started in computer science, not classics. But his curiosity led him to Latin, and eventually to a community that treats it as something spoken, shared, and joyfully used.
“There’s a pretty vibrant community of Latinists trying to use it as an actual language… The World of Learning’s approach is much more communicative, and that’s what matters—actually using the language and having fun with it.”
That philosophy comes to life in his classroom, where students listen, respond, and create—all in Latin. Using visuals, stories, and music, Peter crafts lessons that help learners feel the language, not just analyze it. Olivia saw this in action and was immediately inspired:
“You were speaking 100% Latin… and I understood everything. It was very clear you were making it comprehensible to the kids because they were doing it on the screen.”
Their conversation highlights what we value most at WOL—relationships, creativity, and productive struggle. Learning a language isn’t about perfection; it’s about persistence and joy in the process. As Peter reminds us:
“If you do language learning correctly, students learn it’s okay to be uncomfortable and not know everything—it’s a process. You don’t learn by instantly knowing; you learn by adapting and communicating meaning.”
Latin at the World of Learning is proof that even the oldest languages can spark the newest ideas. Students leave class not just with vocabulary, but with confidence—the courage to make mistakes, try again, and keep communicating.
We believe that’s what all great learning looks like—online or anywhere.
If you would like to know more about Latin, or any of the languages we offer, reach out to [email protected].
Best,
Pat
Read the whole article behind the blog at the link below.
This blog post was developed using my writing, podcast transcript, and support from AI (ChatGPT by OpenAI) which was reviewed by Pat Mulroy for accuracy, tone, and context.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit patmulroy.substack.com