I have downloaded and tried to play with Diogenes several times. I can never seem to get it to do anything. As best as I can tell, you need to provide it with data sets as well. Do you know where you can get these?
Re:Best ways to learn a foreign language
by laichzeit0 on Monday July 01, 2013 @07:14AM
(#5969854)
You don't need the data sets unless you're interested in exploring the Greek or Latin texts. On it's own it's useful for entering dictionary words in their declined/conjugated forms and it finding the correct entry(ies) in the dictionary.
For the data sets: In all honesty, just torrent it. What you're looking for is TLG /PHI/ Cd-rom_E, which is the Thesaurus Linguae Gracae and the Latin texts.
I'm still struggling with classical Latin after 8 years. The problem being that it's a "dead" language and immersion/conversation is difficult to achieve on a modern era time schedule.
Over this time I've come to the conclusion that you need to start "speaking" in any language as soon as possible. The approach of learning grammar for a year and translating sentences on pen-and-paper is not effective enough.
My current toolbox for learning Latin is:
1. Supermemo (Anki is a free equivalent) for vocabulary and anything that needs to be committed to memory permanently. This takes away the burden of worrying about anything that needs to be remembered.
2. Follow Evan der Millner's "Comenius" Latin project, which attempts to teach you Latin the way school children were taught back when they were expected to speak, read and write it fluently. This is a reconstruction of the way Comenius would have taught children. [1] project overview, [2] reading of the texts. [3] Oral lessons, so you can start Skyping other Latin speakers and talking as soon as possible. (this is not "church" or Italian pronunciation, but the received Classical reconstructed pronunciation). Everything you need is available for free off the either Google books, Evan's YouTube videos and archive.org.
3. Know and use Diogenes (http://www.dur.ac.uk/p.j.heslin/Software/Diogenes/) for Windows or Linux.
4. Install the "Language Immersion for Chrome" extension and set it to Latin so you're forced to read the Internet in Latin as you browse ;)
[1] http://latinum.weebly.com/comenius-project.html [2] http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMH5SfME31ZKYChsIWSp_D... [3] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0NIMm2eM8c&list=SPC6E7F1C5D4...
I'm attempting Attic Greek this way (Evans has started an Oral ancient Greek course on YouTube too) and can't wait to enjoy reading Plato, the Iliad and the Odyssey aloud in the reconstructed native tongue in my old age some day :)