Annual Workshop
Washington Spoken-Latin Seminar 2008
to be held on the campus of the University of Washington
Preparatory Sessions: June 30th and July 1st
Main Seminar: July 2nd through 8th 
Principal moderators will be
?Stephen Berard, Ph.D., Professor of World Languages, Wenatchee Valley College
?James Dobreff, Ph.D., Co-editor of the "Axel Oxenstierna Correspondence Project"
?David Morgan, Ph.D., Professor, Furman University, Greenville, SC
Other fluent Latin speakers and experienced moderators will be in attendance.
This Conventiculum Vasintoniense will be an excellent opportunity for practicing speaking Latin. Every day we will take an excursion during which the participants, with the help of moderators, will not only chat among themselves in Latin but also describe in Latin everything they do and see.  In the countryside and in parks we will discuss trees and plants, mountains and glaciers, rivers, animals, birds, insects, weather, and many other things. In the city, our topics will be all things urban: the arts and entertainment, buildings and transportation, the harbor and ships, business, shopping, books, clothing, sports, etc.  This year we will even be enjoying Fourth of July fireworks shows together while speaking Latin!  This seminar will be of special interest to those who enjoy the outdoors and/or the city and who would like to improve their Latin skills "kinesthetically" in friendly conversation while engaging in a variety of activities in a multitide of contexts and settings.

    Who Should Attend the Seminar?
All Latin teachers at the elementary and secondary levels are invited, as well as college and university professors. We especially recommend this seminar to graduate students in Classics and related fields since, just as with any language, the ability to speak Latin immensely strengthens one’s ability to read and write Latin well. Also, in order for spoken Latin to flourish, which is our common goal, it is especially necessary for future Latin instructors to see that our language is fully capable of serving as an instrument for daily life and for expressing all human concerns, even the most modern. We encourage those who already know the fundamentals of Latin grammar and can already read Latin quite well but who have never spoken Latin to attend the Conventiculum and hold their first Latin conversations with us. Those who do not yet speak Latin should in no way feel intimidated at our seminars, since almost all of us have begun to speak Latin relatively recently and thus we all understand perfectly well the difficulty of getting started.
 The Preparatory Sessions
All those who would like to practice the general elements of conversational Latin are invited to arrive a few days before the beginning of the seminar and, on June 30th and July 1st, practice speaking Latin with Stephen Berard, James Dobreff, each other, and perhaps other moderators on a few more familiar topics, adding new and useful expressions to their vocabulary, getting used to speaking, and building up their confidence.

Registering for the Seminar
The Washington Spoken-Latin Seminar is co-sponsored by Wenatchee Valley College and the University of Washington.  In order to apply for an opening in the seminar, please send the application form to: Pam Kelley, Administrative Assistant, Liberal Arts and Sciences, Wenatchee Valley College, 1300 Fifth Street, Wenatchee, WA 98801.  The application form can be found at: http://www.wenval.cc/boreoccidentales/boreo_english/deconventiculis.asp .

Accommodations, Food, Pricing, etc.
All these details will be arranged through the University of Washington.  As soon as the university administration has notified us of all the particulars, applicants to the Seminar will be informed and a more complete announcement will be widely distributed through email and other means.  It appears, however, that pricing will be as follows.  Those staying in double rooms will pay about $30 per day apiece and $15 for meals.  Those wishing a single room will pay somehwat more.  These prices are indeed a little higher than what most of us are used to paying in the Wenatchee area and in Lexington, KY; but, if one takes into account the beautiful and exciting setting that Seattle presents as well as the locally higher prices, these costs seem quite moderate.  In fact, the Washington Spoken-Latin Seminars are for many an opportunity not only for learning but also for taking a pleasant vacation.  We encourage students to apply for Seminar scholarships that can be used not only for meals and housing but also for the costs of participating in excursions.