SLLC Preliminary study plan
SLLC Preliminary · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 6 hours per week
Latin Language and Grammar & Latin Vocabulary and Idiom
Decline and conjugate 40 high-frequency nouns and verbs from memory, writing all case or person endings without notes
Parse 25 short Latin sentences by labeling every word's form (case, number, gender, tense, mood, voice) before translating
Build a personal vocabulary list of 120 core words with principal parts and memorize 60 of them to recall speed
Identify and correct 15 deliberate agreement errors (adjective-noun, subject-verb) in sentences you write yourself
Your checkpoint
A handwritten or typed parsing log covering 25 sentences plus a scored 60-item vocabulary self-quiz at 90% or higher
Latin Language and Grammar & Latin Vocabulary and Idiom
Conjugate all four conjugations plus esse and posse in present, imperfect, and future active, writing full paradigms from memory
Form and translate all six infinitives and the imperative for 20 verbs
Classify 100 vocabulary items by declension and conjugation, noting irregular principal parts
Translate 20 English phrases into correct Latin noun-adjective pairs across all five declensions
Your checkpoint
A completed verb-paradigm chart for 20 verbs (all tenses studied so far) checked against a dictionary, with errors corrected and logged
Latin Language and Grammar & Translation from Latin into English
Form the perfect, pluperfect, and future perfect active for 25 verbs, distinguishing regular from irregular stems
Recognize and translate all pronoun forms (personal, demonstrative, relative, reflexive) in 30 sentences
Translate 10 short connected Latin passages of 3-5 sentences each, marking clause boundaries and subject-verb cores first
Explain in writing why each of 12 case usages (ablative absolute, genitive of value, dative of purpose, etc.) takes the case it does
Your checkpoint
Ten translated passages with a written case-usage justification for every noun in at least three of them
Latin Language and Grammar & Translation from Latin into English
Convert 20 active sentences to passive and back, adjusting endings and agent constructions correctly
Translate 15 subordinate clauses (purpose, result, causal, temporal, indirect command) and label each construction
Complete 30 sight-translation sentences under 4-minute time limits, tracking accuracy and time
Compile a one-page error log of your 15 most frequent mistakes and rewrite the corrected version of each
Your checkpoint
A timed sight-translation set of 30 sentences with scores recorded, achieving 70% or higher accuracy
Translation from Latin into English & Translation from English into Latin
Translate two continuous adapted prose passages of 100-150 words each within 30 minutes, rereading for sense before finalizing
Translate 20 English sentences into Latin using correct case, agreement, and word order
Apply a three-pass translation routine (parse, draft, verify) to every exercise and note where each pass caught an error
Use subjunctive constructions (purpose, result, cum-clauses) correctly in 10 self-composed Latin sentences
Your checkpoint
Two polished 150-word translations with a self-marked rubric (accuracy, idiom, grammar) scoring each out of 10
Translation from English into Latin & Roman History, Culture, and Civilization
Compose 15 English-to-Latin sentences of increasing length, verifying every ending against a grammar reference
Build a timeline of 25 key Roman historical events and figures with dates and one-sentence significance each
Explain in writing 10 core cultural institutions (cursus honorum, patron-client system, Roman religion, army structure, etc.)
Identify and correct 10 common composition errors in your own English-to-Latin work
Your checkpoint
A dated one-page Roman history timeline with 25 entries plus 15 graded composition sentences at 80% or higher correctness
Roman History, Culture, and Civilization & Latin Literature and Authors
Summarize the style, genre, and major works of 8 canonical authors (Caesar, Cicero, Vergil, Ovid, Livy, Catullus, Horace, Sallust) in 3 sentences each
Match 20 short unidentified Latin excerpts to their authors using stylistic clues, and justify each match
Describe 10 aspects of daily Roman life (housing, food, education, slavery, entertainment) with specific detail
Answer 30 practice culture and literature questions and log every miss with the correct fact
Your checkpoint
An author-reference sheet covering 8 authors plus a scored 30-question culture/literature quiz at 80% or higher
Latin Language and Grammar & Latin Vocabulary and Idiom & Translation from Latin into English & Translation from English into Latin & Roman History, Culture, and Civilization & Latin Literature and Authors
Take two full-length timed practice exams under real conditions and score each section separately
Review every missed item from both exams and redo each one correctly without notes
Re-drill your 50 weakest vocabulary items to 95% recall
Re-translate your three weakest passages from earlier weeks and compare against your first attempt
Write a one-page pre-exam checklist of grammar traps, case cues, and time allocations
Your checkpoint
Two completed practice exams with section-by-section scores, a corrected error log, and a final one-page exam checklist
Milestones
Week 2: Can write full present, imperfect, and future active paradigms for all four conjugations plus esse and posse from memory with no reference
Week 4: Scores 70% or higher on timed sight-translation of 30 sentences and has a documented error log of recurring mistakes
Week 6: Composes 15 English-to-Latin sentences at 80% or higher correctness and can place 25 historical events in order with dates
Week 8: Scores 75% or higher overall on a full-length timed practice exam with no section below 65%