Creating the Roman Monument Project with Latin 1A (JLA1A) Peer Tutor Kabir Gupta

In this article, the Board of SASS interviews Latin 1A (JLA1A) peer tutor Kabir Gupta. We hope that this article will help current and future Latin 1A (JLA1A) students in their academic journey!

When did you take this course, and who was your instructor?

I took this course during the 2018-19 school year (in 7th grade, my first year); my instructor was Magistra Pisarello (who, by the way, is an AMAZING instructor!)

What did you enjoy about Latin 1A (JLA1A)?

The best part about Latin 1A was Magistra Pisarello. Magistra (and all the other Latin Magistrī, really) is really enthusiastic about the course — Latin can be a little off-putting if it’s your first year, but she makes it really fun! She also goes on fun tangents in class (which could be about the role of blood and gore in Latin… or about her toddler and/or baby... or even Harry Potter!)

What challenged you the most in Latin 1A (JLA1A)? How did you overcome those challenges?

For me personally, the hardest part in Latin 1A was all the new vocabulary we had to learn; it was also hard to get used to the new grammar concepts (since, even though they sort of exist in English, we’re never really taught about them).

What tips do you have that could be useful to students taking Latin 1A (JLA1A)?

Definitely take lots of notes in class (this is something I know I didn’t do enough of when I took the course)! Since this is going to be your first course introducing you to Latin, it’ll all be new material, so make sure you understand it all. When you have questions — trust me, they will arise! — don’t hesitate to ask them in class, email your instructor, or go to her Office Hours! Also, do make flashcards for your vocabulary — they will really come in use when you’re preparing for midterms and finals!

About how much time did you spend a week working on assignments and preparing for discussion sessions in Latin 1A (JLA1A)?

I spent maybe around 4-6 hours, including 1-2 hours studying vocabulary (spread out maybe around 10-20 minutes per day throughout the week — not in one big chunk!!), and 2-3 hours working on grammar (including assigned exercises and extra practice with the workbook).

What did the typical week in Latin 1A (JLA1A) look like?

You’d be reading one chapter over a two-week period (except during culture readings). So, you’d want to learn the vocabulary for your chapter, making flashcards before class on Monday, and then you would usually have a grammar exercise — something simple from the Chapter just to practice what you’ve learned — due later in the week. Also, every other week at the end of a chapter, you’d get a short, 10-minute, 10-question chapter quiz with questions about the vocabulary and grammar from the chapter.

What was your favorite topic covered in Latin 1A (JLA1A)?

Wow, that’s tough… I mean, there was so much! The Trojan War unit that we had at the end of the Spring semester was definitely one of my favorites; the Roman Monument Project was a close second though!

Do you have any resources (i.e. study tips, useful websites) to share with students who want to take the course?

I consistently used Quizlet flashcards (in addition to physical ones), because they’re easy to work with and offer different things you can do with them (e.g. Learn, Write, Test, Match, even Gravity...). Also, I liked using the workbook for extra practice. Every chapter before the quiz, I’d do some parts of the lesson from the workbook. You can send that to Magistra, and usually she’ll check your work and let you know what you’re having trouble with! That really helped me last year.

The key takeaway though, is that this course was really fun — so make sure to enjoy, and Happy Latinning! (Yep, that’s a word. If you’re interested in more Latin phrases, make sure to ask Magistra about morphological milk!)

Kabir Gupta is a peer tutor for Latin 1A and can be found on the Writing and Tutoring Center.

#JLA1A #Latin1A