Another article on learning Latin: free courses in Tampa

Tampa, Florida. You can learn Latin for free here and there in the city.

Here's another article from a local paper about people from the area studying Latin. It's mostly the same as other articles with an interview with some people from the city that study the language and the teacher and why they believe it to be beneficial:

The founder and coordinator of the class is Don Ryan, known to students by his Latin name, Donaldus.

The mild-mannered instructor formed the group 13 years ago, starting with six students.

"We not merely read ancient texts, such as Cicero and Virgil," Ryan said. "We try to encourage people to use the language in a living way.

"Latin is not merely the language of ancient writers," he said. "There are today, people who are writing prose, writing history, writing poetry in Latin."

Ryan, 58, started studying Latin in 1991 and later earned a master's from the University of Florida. He wants to preserve a language with a long history and a connection to modern times. Last year, Pope Benedict XVI made it easier for Mass to be celebrated in Latin.

"Latin has declined in recent centuries," said Ryan, an appraisal manager with the Hillsborough County Property Appraiser's Office. "However, we have to consider that approximately 50 percent of the vocabulary of English is derived from Latin. In romance languages, such as Spanish, the percentage is maybe 75 percent. Latin does continue to live on in these other languages it has influenced."

Tampa seems to have a fair amount of free Latin courses, giving the following:

Interested in learning Latin? There are several options available in the Tampa Bay area, including:

•The Tampa Latin Group meets at 6:30 p.m. Thursdays at the Forest Hills Recreation Center, 724 W. 109th Ave. Currently, the free class is not accepting students. Contact instructor Don Ryan at (813) 935-5966 or cbracdon@msn.com.

•Latinus Grex Dominicalis is a free Latin group and classes for elementary to high school students, and is geared toward helping them with college entrance exams. Classes meet at 9 a.m. Sundays at the University of South Florida's Cooper Hall, room 249, 4202 E. Fowler Ave. Contact Ryan at (813) 935-5966 or cbracdon @msn.com.

•The St. Petersburg Latin Group meets from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. on alternate Saturdays at the Wunderlich Center, 8821 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. St., St. Petersburg. For information about the free classes, call instructor Ray Wunderlich at (727) 822-3612.

I noted a comment about a week ago in a post here by a person in Florida that hasn't been able to find Latin in public schools, but it seems that there's quite a bit here and there put on by private groups.