At our session last weekend, the one lawyer who studies Latin with me pointed out that we had begun Memorial Day weekend last year, so it had been a year since we started.
That made me feel really good.
In that time, I had him review all his Latin grammar (which he had studied like 20 years ago), re-memorize everything, began him on real Latin texts within 6 weeks (selected Apophthegmata Patrum), and then moved into Thomas Aquinas's Summa when he was ready. Bit by bit, I have had him read other texts in Latin - for example, the Jesuit Ratio Studiorum sections on scholastic philosophy, and the commentary of Cardinal Cajetan on the sections of the Summa that we were reading. Last week, we began reading a bit of Cicero's De Legibus, because it's on natural law (an interest of his).
It was very affirming, because the session last weekend was his best ever - even though he hadn't prepared anything because of his busy work schedule, he was able to sightread a good 15-16 sentences in the Summa with minimal help, over the course of like 50-55 minutes.
As he pointed out, too, there have been a couple times where because of his travel schedule for work he didn't have Latin for like 3 weeks at a time, so he said we've really only studying together for the equivalent of like 10 months, over the course of a year.
That really was a ton of progress for him, and it made me so happy.
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