RT book part
T1 Secret Letters in Latin: A Collaborative and Participatory Task to Advance Authentic Language Use in Classical-Language Teaching
T2 Cartas Secretas en latín: una tarea colaborativa y participativa para promover el uso auténtico de la lengua en la enseñanza de lenguas clásicas
A1 Marcant Engelsing, Eduardo
A2 Filología Clásica
K1 pedagogía del latín
K1 metodología de la enseñanza de las lenguas clásicas y latín como lengua viva
K1 latin-language pedagogy
K1 classical-language pedagogy
K1 living Latin
AB 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.
PB Rodríguez Torres, J., Amaro Agudo, A; Martínez Rolán, X.
SN 978-84-1853-449-2
YR 2021
FD 2021
LK http://hdl.handle.net/10498/38578
UL http://hdl.handle.net/10498/38578
LA eng
DS Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Cádiz
RD 08-nov-2026