If you'd like help studying Latin, Varsity Tutors can provide assistance through live online Kansas City Latin courses. Whether you're studying at Park Hill or Staley High Schools and would like to pick up skills in another language, taking Latin to get a leg up on your future law studies in college, or for any other reason, studying online with a professional instructor leading a group of like-minded learners can provide many benefits.
Latin is technically considered a "dead" language because it's not currently a language spoken in any major world community. However, its descendants are called the Romance Languages and include French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and Romanian. People choose to learn Latin for a number of reasons. For one, though not a community language, it's used in many professions, such as the law, medicine, and theology, among others. Furthermore, once you know Latin, you may find it easier to learn any of the Romance Languages.
The English language is full of Latin as well. Students often use flashcards of Latin prefixes, suffixes, and root words when studying for spelling bees or other linguistic contests. We still use the Roman alphabet. Interestingly, we have added three letters since classical times: j, v, and w. Whatever your reasons for studying Latin may be, allow Varsity Tutors to help you through our Latin courses.
What specifics are studied in a Kansas City Latin course?
There are many things that need to be studied to learn a new language, and Latin is no different. However, as an English-speaking student, you might find this to be one of the easiest languages to learn, relatively speaking. For one thing, pronunciation is generally not a problem for two reasons. First, English has many pronunciations based on Latin words, so it will be more familiar than languages like Chinese or Russian, or even German. Secondly, since it's a dead language not used to communicate socially, pronunciation is not really as important. There will be no "native speakers" to offend when you get a word wrong.
Vocabulary is another aspect where Latin may be easier to learn than some others. English has many words derived from Latin, and some are more or less the same. One example is the Latin "adulescens," which means a young man or youth, a time known today as one's adolescence. There are verbs such as affirmo and desidero that mean I affirm and I desire, respectively, and the adjective rapidus, which not surprisingly means rapid or swift.
Of course, if all aspects of Latin were that easy to learn, that might be the only language students chose to study. So we have inflections, which are the ending of Latin words. These are essential to understanding the way words work together in sentences, and not something used that much in English. We understand a lot about what's acting and what's being acted upon by the word order of the sentence. For example, "Mom goes to my sister's house" or "my sister goes to Mom's house." Pronouns are not used very much in Latin, because the ending of a verb shows who is doing the action described. How to understand how this works is something that your instructor can focus on during your Kansas City Latin classes.
Another difference between English and Latin is that nouns are gendered. This is similar to some other languages such as Spanish and German, but while those languages have masculine and feminine, Latin also has a neuter gender. The gender of the nouns affect the adjective and verb forms that will be used in the sentence, as they must agree in gender and number (whether they're singular or plural).
As with any foreign language class, you will probably spend a lot of time acquiring new vocabulary, learning and using common phrases in conversation, and understanding Latin grammar and sentence structure. You can put these into effect in your conversations and also as you learn to write and read Latin.
Part of learning a language is learning the history surrounding it, so your Kansas City Latin course may also devote some amount of time to discussing the history of the glorious Roman civilization.
Finally, if you run into an aspect of the language that's particularly challenging, you always have the option of signing up for private tutoring lessons. With the one-on-one attention of a dedicated personal instructor to meeting your specific needs, you have the opportunity to catch up quickly.
What are the advantages of studying Latin in a Kansas City Latin class?
The main benefit of studying a language with other people is the opportunity for communication. That may sound simplistic, but consider the student of basketball. Yes, they can practice specific skills such as layups or free throws on their own, but to learn the game, they must practice mostly with their team and opponents. The same is true of language. You can do things like draw up verb conjugation and tense charts and fill them out, use flashcards for vocabulary, and other activities to improve certain skills. But to truly learn the language, you must use it with other people.
In your online Kansas City Latin class, you can communicate with your instructor and classmates during your online lessons. You also have the potential for meeting students with whom you can practice conversations during and between classes.
An added convenience of studying in the Latin classes offered by Varsity Tutors is the flexibility. There are new classes starting each month, and there are multiple sections meeting at different times during the day and on different days of the week. You're sure to find a class that fits well into your schedule.
How do I get enrolled in a class as soon as possible?
Varsity Tutors likes to make it as easy as possible for you to learn Latin, and that includes getting enrolled in a course. Now would be a good time to contact us, have our educational experts answer any questions you have, and provide them information about your level of fluency, your goals, and your schedule. They can use this to offer you the best course options and get you enrolled in a Kansas City Latin course that meets your needs, academic and otherwise.

Russell: Kansas City Latin course instructor
...my greatest talent, and I derive just as much enjoyment from helping others with their writing as I do writing myself. In the sciences, I have had exposure to biochemistry, introductory biology, and general, organic, inorganic, physical, and analytical chemistry. In my teaching, my current focus is on general chemistry (at the high school or college level) and organic chemistry, both of which were always personal favorites. Even more importantly, in my pursuit of the...
Education & Certification
- The University of Texas at Austin - Bachelors, Chemistry & Classics
Subject Expertise
- Latin
- High School Chemistry
- ACT Reading
- ACT English
- +32 subjects

Darel: Kansas City Latin course instructor
...variety of subjects; however, my passion lies in languages and history. In my experience tutoring non-English speakers, I have learned how to solidify short-term knowledge to the long term and apply this not only to languages, but many other subjects, as well. I am a strong believer in the value and necessity of education, which is why I intend to make it my life long career. As such, I try to encourage a fun but...
Education & Certification
- University of Kansas - Bachelor in Arts, Classical Languages
Subject Expertise
- Latin
- IB History SL
- Gifted
- German
- +81 subjects

Christopher: Kansas City Latin course instructor
...a publication on the relative clause in Ancient Greek and I hope to begin a PhD program in the fall. I completed my MA with a 4.0 GPA and received a perfect score on the verbal GRE. I also scored 168 on the LSAT and graduated in the top ten percent of my law school class. My teaching experience includes two years' teaching Latin and Myth at the college level and two years' private tutoring...
Education & Certification
- University of Iowa - Bachelor of Fine Arts, Art
- University of Kansas - Master of Arts, Classics
Subject Expertise
- Latin
- GRE Subject Tests
- Graduate Test Prep
- GRE Verbal Reasoning
- +71 subjects

Eliza: Kansas City Latin course instructor
...pivotal stories in the bible. This experience gave me first hand experience in tailoring subjects to the learning styles of my students and also taught me how to bring subjects, often viewed as boring, to life for them. I really enjoy working with students on History and English, as well as Critical Reading and Writing test prep. I hope that my students come away from our sessions with both the factual foundation that will they...
Education & Certification
- Macalester College - Bachelor in Arts, History and Classical Civilizations
Subject Expertise
- Latin
- ACT
- Essay Editing
- AP English Literature and Composition
- +27 subjects
Education & Certification
- University of Kansas - Bachelor in Arts, Psychology
Subject Expertise
- Latin
- Latin 4
- College Chemistry
- Elementary School
- +47 subjects

Katie: Kansas City Latin course instructor
...implement tools and techniques that allow the child to successfully grow. I would say that I have a strong background in education and have had many diverse experiences with children. I do have a bachelors from Emporia State in integrated studies and a masters in elementary education from Rockhurst University. Throughout my educational career, I have been a summer school teacher assistant, elementary and secondary tutor (the elementary tutoring was mainly math), a resource aide,...
Education & Certification
- Emporia State University - Bachelors, Integrated Studies
- Rockhurst University - Masters, Elementary Education
Subject Expertise
- Latin
- Reading
- Homework Support
- Writing
- +25 subjects

Apryl: Kansas City Latin course instructor
...am positive, and enjoy helping others understand "why" and "what", and teach them an enjoyment of learning even if they dont like the subject. I foster a fun and creative learning environment and meet your/your students individual needs. My experience includes classical education, private education, adult education, parent and student education, middle school students, college prep, college level English courses, and homeschooling my own children. I enjoy outdoor life: especially the hanging in my hammock...
Education & Certification
- Calvary Bible College and Theological Seminary - Bachelor of Science, Education
Subject Expertise
- Latin
- College Level American Literature
- High School Writing
- College English
- +12 subjects

Christian: Kansas City Latin course instructor
After graduating with my MA in Latin from the University of Michigan, I found myself in unfamiliar territory. I had been a student my entire life, and suddenly, I was not. My eventual goal was (and still is) to earn a teaching certificate, but that is still a ways off. What else could I do? An idea hit me. Just because I am not a student anymore, however, does not mean I can't still dedicate...
Education & Certification
- University of Michigan-Ann Arbor - Bachelors, Classical Civilizations
- University of Michigan-Ann Arbor - Masters, Latin
Subject Expertise
- Latin
- Graduate Test Prep
- ACT Math
- Writing
- +42 subjects

Emma: Kansas City Latin course instructor
Hi, I'm Emma! I'm a rising senior Classics major at Carleton College in Northfield, MN. I study Latin, Ancient Greek, and the histories associated with the two languages. Outside of class, I'm an RA, and I spend 6-8 hours a week tutoring and teaching college access courses in a nearby high school. In the future, I hope to teach high school Latin!
Education & Certification
- Carleton College - Bachelor in Arts, Classical, Ancient Mediterranean, and Near Eastern Studies
Subject Expertise
- Latin
- Languages
- PSAT
- Latin 4
- +14 subjects

Patrick: Kansas City Latin course instructor
...visit a nearby grade school to help Fourth through Eighth Graders with their Math and Reading. I love college, but I try to step outside the "ivory tower" once in a while. Outside academics, I enjoy riding my bike, playing soccer and basketball, reading, and holding rich conversation. I am a huge Chess fan and a member of Chess.com, which I visit nearly every day. Roman Catholicism is important to me, and I try to...
Education & Certification
- University of Dallas - Current Undergrad, English and Classics
Subject Expertise
- Latin
- Foreign Language
- Algebra 3/4
- Literature
- +37 subjects