A Boston Latin course offered by Varsity Tutors could be an excellent way to learn this incredible language. As you learn about Latin, you'll discover that the language is filled with all kinds of interesting insights. Although the people who spoke Latin are long gone, the language itself provides a unique glimpse into cultures that are thousands of years old. Languages aren't just a set of words and phrases, but ways of thinking. Latin and all its distinct features heavily influenced much of modern society today. We still use a Latin alphabet in the English language, albeit with three additional letters. We use many Latin phrases in our everyday speech that are largely unchanged from their original forms spoken thousands of years ago. We use Latin in the medical world, the scientific community, in law, and in theology. We classify animal and plant species with Latin names. Of course, this is all thanks to the massive influence of the Roman Empire during its heyday. As the armies of Rome marched across Europe and most of the known world, they brought their culture with them. They built roads, monuments, and temples across their empire. But perhaps the strongest foundations laid by this empire were linguistic ones.
There are many reasons why one might want to study Latin. If you're considering an academic career in history, then Latin could be a major asset. After the fall of Rome, Latin was still used to write most documents and manuscripts throughout the Middle Ages. From the birth of Rome and up until relatively recently, Latin was seen as the language of scholars, and many important texts were written in Latin by the literate classes. Because of this, a strong knowledge of Latin is an amazing tool for anyone studying history or related subjects. Perhaps you're a student at Harvard University and you'd like to study historical documents yourself, by reading and translating the Latin firsthand. Or maybe you're a high school student at Match Charter Public School or East Boston High School, and you'd like to learn Latin from a young age. Perhaps you're simply interested in learning new languages for purely personal reasons. Latin could be an immensely useful starting point if you plan to learn Romance languages in the future. Whatever your reasons might be for studying Latin, a Latin course can help you study in a highly effective manner.
As Rome diminished, their colonies continued to speak Latin. But the language they spoke wasn't quite the same as the Latin spoken by intellectuals and nobles in the capital city of Rome. The colonists, soldiers, and slaves of Rome all spoke something called Vulgar Latin. In contrast, Roman nobles and educated classes in the capital spoke something called Classical Latin, and this was the language used to create the majority of texts and inscriptions we find from Ancient Rome. Vulgar Latin was highly varied based on geographical location, which would explain why French, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese are all slightly different variations and evolutions of this Vulgar Latin dialect. Most of the written evidence of Vulgar Latin comes from informal writing such as graffiti and extremely rare documents.
What Might A Boston Latin Course Cover?
Of all the Germanic languages, Latin clearly had the strongest influence on the formation of modern English. Because of this, you'll see many similarities between Latin and your own language as you work through your course. This could make learning Latin easier in some respects, although there are also plenty of challenging aspects that are completely distinct from English. One example is Latin's gendered system, which is unique in its use of three separate genders instead of two. In addition to masculine and feminine forms, there's also a third gender called neuter. Another challenging aspect is Latin's complex system of inflections. While English places a strong emphasis on the order of words in a sentence to communicate what is happening and to whom, Latin relies almost completely on inflections to convey that information. You'll learn that memorizing these inflections and understanding how they work is essential to mastering the Latin language. While establishing a strong Latin vocabulary is definitely important, understanding inflections is arguably more important. You'll also learn about many other important topics, including common phrases, pronunciation, grammar, and much more.
How Does A Boston Latin Course Help You Learn?
When you sign up for a Boston Latin Course, you'll enter a virtual classroom filled with other like-minded students. You'll learn alongside these students in a highly collaborative, group-based learning environment with proven benefits. Just like a normal classroom, you'll have plenty of opportunities to ask questions, voice your opinion, and interact with your fellow students. Group-based learning is very beneficial when learning new languages, because speaking Latin with other people is the best way to practice and hone your conversational skills. Courses are taught by highly qualified, expert instructors. These instructors go through a rigorous vetting and interview process, which ensures that they have top class communication skills. If you ever feel like you need extra help from your instructors, you can always talk with them on a one-on-one basis.
How Do You Sign Up For A Boston Latin Class?
One of the best things about these classes is that they're fully online, and you can access them from anywhere around the world. Scheduling options are also highly flexible, and you can choose from many different options. There are two-week classes and four-week classes, and they start up every single month. You can also take classes at almost any time during the day. Weekend classes, night classes, and many other options are available. If you're seriously busy, you can even take a class during your lunch break. These classes were designed to fit in with most busy schedules, whether you're a working professional or a student.
Learning Latin is an amazing experience filled with historical discoveries, amazing insights and an understanding of many aspects of modern society. To get the most out of this experience, consider investing in a Boston Latin Class. Contact Varsity Tutors today, and we'll provide you with all the information you need to book your first Boston Latin class.

William: Boston Latin course instructor
...the ACT and the SAT. I enjoy tutoring these tests because I get the opportunity to see students learn about the ways that they learn and take tests. Furthermore, it's very rewarding to see students get excited about their tangible score gains that come as a result of hard work. I aim to adapt my approaches to each student, but this always includes assessing strengths and weakness, teaching and reteaching content, creating a strong sense...
Education & Certification
- Boston University - Bachelors, Linguistics & Classics
Subject Expertise
- Latin
- AP European History
- SAT Reading
- AP Human Geography
- +46 subjects

Sean: Boston Latin course instructor
...magna cum laude from Cornell University with a BS in engineering physics, and a math minor. I have been tutoring for more than 6 years. For 2.5 years, I taught math to Cornell Engineering undergraduates, and I looked forward to it every week! On Varsity Tutors, I tutor up to college level mathematics and physics, test prep (including AP courses, and SAT reading/writing). Explaining difficult math and science concepts in plain English is my forte....
Education & Certification
- Cornell University - Bachelor of Science, Engineering Physics
Subject Expertise
- Latin
- SSAT- Upper Level
- ACT Reading
- HSPT Math
- +66 subjects
Education & Certification
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology - Bachelor of Engineering, Mechanical Engineering
Subject Expertise
- Latin
- Computer Programming
- High School Physics
- Algebra
- +82 subjects

Aneri : Boston Latin course instructor
...because it is fun and rewarding. I love sharing my knowledge with others and help students get past learning hurdles. I have more than 5 years of tutoring experience and experience tutoring elementary students all the way up to college students. Currently I am a sophomore at Cornell University studying neuroscience as my major and math as my minor. Even at college I have continued tutoring. I am on the E-board for our tutoring club....
Education & Certification
- Cornell University - Current Undergrad, Psychology
Subject Expertise
- Latin
- College Essays
- Geometry
- Other
- +66 subjects

AJ: Boston Latin course instructor
...and based on my students' strengths and weaknesses I like to develop a unique tutoring style. This most often ranges from focusing on being able to explain concepts in words, to taking a more visual approach and looking at the big picture, to working through problems to figure out areas of difficulty. In my free time, I really enjoy playing alto saxophone and electric guitar, as well as working out at the gym and swimming...
Education & Certification
- Boston University - Bachelor of Science, Neuroscience
Subject Expertise
- Latin
- 7th Grade Writing
- Middle School Math
- SAT Subject Test in Chemistry
- +73 subjects

Daniel: Boston Latin course instructor
At the core, I love learning and find it fun. In teaching, I try to convey that sense of fun to my students. I use a variety of techniques depending on my student's learning style, but I always focus on the fun of learning new things.... In a first session with a student, I would introduce the basic concepts and core questions of the subject, and determine my student's learning style in order to plan future lessons better.
Education & Certification
- Tufts University - Current Undergrad, Biomedical Engineering and Mathematics
Subject Expertise
- Latin
- AP Calculus BC
- Geometry
- GED Science
- +96 subjects

Meghan: Boston Latin course instructor
...a graduate of Cornell University, where I earned a Bachelor of Arts in English with a Minor in Music. I hold a Masters of Arts in English from the University of Connecticut, where I am currently working on my PhD in American Literature. I tutor a mix of test preparation, English, Literature, and Writing. In helping students with reading and writing skills, I enjoy using multiple different approaches to develop a well-rounded understanding of the...
Education & Certification
- Cornell University - Bachelor in Arts, English
- University of Connecticut - Doctor of Philosophy, American Literature
Subject Expertise
- Latin
- GRE Verbal Reasoning
- SAT Reading
- AP English Language and Composition
- +33 subjects

Lee: Boston Latin course instructor
...language-based subject to tutor is Brazilian Portuguese for many reasons. One is that its sounds are interestingly foreign, so both student and tutor can enjoy exploring beyond our comfort zones regarding phonetics. With music, I absolutely love tutoring guitar. I have spent countless hours practicing guitar and have achieved a considerably advanced level at playing. My teaching philosophy is that learning should be fun. With the proper motivation, anything can be fun. I try to...
Education & Certification
- UMass Boston - Current Undergrad, Spanish
Subject Expertise
- Latin
- English
- French 2
- Elementary School Reading
- +43 subjects

Tom: Boston Latin course instructor
...from Harvard College in May 2015 with a Bachelor's Degree in American History and Literature. Though my main academic passions lie in the humanities, throughout my education I have retained a deep interest in a variety of subjects, and have especially enjoyed helping students to master those subjects. In high school I tutored extensively in Math and English, and in high school and college I honed my teaching abilities further by serving as a musical...
Education & Certification
- Harvard University - Bachelors, American History & Literature
- Boston University - PHD, American Studies
Subject Expertise
- Latin
- College Essays
- SAT Mathematics
- Writing
- +52 subjects

Matthew: Boston Latin course instructor
I am a dynamic teacher with twelve years of experience fostering a love of Latin in my students and motivating them to maximize their potential as scholars. I believe that students thrive and succeed in an environment where everyone feels valued and respected. This has been my guiding principle as a teacher, tutor and as a department chair. ... My philosophy of teaching is simple. Students thrive in an environment where they feel respected and valued. As teachers, our words can give students the confidence to try something new and the strength to challenge themselves. It is the responsibility of the teacher to accommodate and to adapt himself to the diversity of personalities and learning styles in his class. In doing so, he can guide everyone entrusted to him to success.
Education & Certification
- Rutgers University-New Brunswick - Bachelors, Classics, German
- University of Georgia - Masters, Latin
Subject Expertise
- Latin
- Latin 4
- German
- Latin 2
- +5 subjects