%0 Journal Article 
%A Marcant Engelsing, Eduardo
%T Secret Letters in Latin: A Collaborative and Participatory Task to Advance Authentic Language Use in Classical-Language Teaching

%D 2021
%U http://hdl.handle.net/10498/38578
%X Since the 1990s, there has been a consensus in foreign language teaching that the goal should be to teach "authentic language," i.e. the language produced for the use of native speech communities (Hadley, 1993, p. 82). This consensus reflects an interest in preparing students for socialization in the “real world.” Recent developments in Applied Linguistics and Classics underscore this interest by emphasizing communication and integrated abilities (reading, speaking, writing, and listening) in the classroom. 
However, for teaching classical languages (ancient Greek and Latin) in a communicative way, relying primarily on "authentic language" is an impossible quest. Since there are no native speech communities, one is constrained to a closed corpus of ancient literature unless one relies on creative materials produced by non-native speakers, which are, by definition, "non-authentic."  
This article critiques the limited understanding of "authentic language." Through a description of an experiment conducted in first-year Latin courses over the last ten years—the exchange of "secret letters" among Latin students—and an analysis of its results, the article demonstrates the feasibility and effectiveness of teaching classical languages in a communicative manner. Rather than being impossible, authentic communication in the Classics classroom becomes an asset, establishing Latin as a tool for socialization in the real world.

%K pedagogía del latín
%K metodología de la enseñanza de las lenguas clásicas y latín como lengua viva
%K latin-language pedagogy
%K classical-language pedagogy
%K living Latin
%~ Universidad de Cádiz