Saltar al contenido

Learn Latin and Ancient Greek online with live one-on-one videoconferences

Study classical languages with a teacher 100% dedicated to you.

Ancient Greek and Latin language learning with a private teacher

Your digital classroom: you and your teacher in a high-quality videoconference with all the tools of a traditional class. Whiteboard, chat, file viewer, and much more.

Learn classical languages at your own pace

Viva Voce classes are one-on-one, just you and your teacher. Go into more detail, repeat a topic if you need to, and ask any questions you may have. This ensures a more effective language learning experience.

ancient classical languages

Free 30-minute trial class

See the quality of our online Latin and Ancient Greek classes for yourself





    Why study Greek and Latin with Viva Voce?

    Have you ever wanted to read the works of classical antiquity in their original languages? Works of ancient Greek and Roman literature have been translated into many modern languages, but something always gets “lost in translation”.

    In my opinion as a philologist, there are few things more satisfying than reading the words of the classical poets, playwrights, orators and historians and knowing that they are the actual words used by those great minds—verbatim.

    This experience would be immensely enriching for anyone. However, there are a few problems. First, most people see the study of Latin and Ancient Greek as something reserved for the academic and intellectual elite.

    Furthermore, traditional classes in ancient languages, especially Latin courses, do not provide students with the tools they need to read the very texts that make this subject so rewarding. In fact, most people who studied Greek or Latin in school for years graduate feeling that they do not have a functional grasp of the language.

    The best way to learn ancient languages

    Typical Latin education programs, for example, revolve around grammatical analysis and translation—tenses and declensions and rote memorization of long lists of vocabulary—rather than sight-reading or in-language comprehension.

    My goal with Viva Voce is to teach classical languages to students who wish to acquire fluidity in reading Ancient Greek and Latin using a method more similar to how modern foreign languages are taught. Active use of the language and linguistic immersion make all the difference.

    I firmly believe that there is nothing intrinsically difficult about learning Latin or Greek; it is simply that these languages have been traditionally taught as something not to be spoken, but parsed.

    No matter who you are, where you live or how crazy your schedule is, you can enjoy an engaging and effective learning experience studying Ancient Greek or Latin online. Viva Voce is more than online language classes; it’s my personal mission to serve people who want to access the great works of the past.

    My approach to teaching Latin and Greek

    At Viva Voce, I offer you a different learning approach that aligns with modern practices in teaching foreign languages.

    Although it never truly died, Latin is technically a “dead” language. Accordingly, my mission with Viva Voce is to bring Latin and Ancient Greek to life and give you an immersive experience in the language. I will teach, and you will participate, speaking in the target language from the very first class. This is not only more engaging, but also a more effective way to learn.

    A second aspect of my mission is to make the study of classical languages and literature widely accessible to students, regardless of their geographic location or schedules. If you are a professional with a tight schedule, if your location limits access to in-person courses, or if you simply feel more comfortable learning from your own home, I can give you that learning experience.


    Book your free 30-minute trial class today and start your journey into the classical world!

    How does it work?

    Vivavoce currently offers individual lessons as well as group courses for students arranged by levels. Individual lessons are more suitable for those who would prefer more personalized attention and a pace and content that are tailored to their needs. Group lessons constitute a more economical alternative and they also provide more dynamic sessions, with more opportunities for interaction between students. In order to maximize learning efficiency, the number of students is limited to six per group.

    How much does it cost?

    Prices are as follows:

    Individual lessons: £30/hour

    Group lessons (prices per person):

    • 2-to-1: £17/hour
    • 3-to-1: £14/hour
    • 4-to-1: £12/hour
    • 5-to-1: £10/hour

    Please bear in mind that the prices above depend on there being enough students available for a given time slot.

    How do I book individual lessons?

    In order to book your free trial lesson for individual lessons, simply book a time at which you will be available through this application.

    How do I book a group lesson?

    In order to book group lessons, you can get in touch with me through this form or send me an email at info@vivavoceclassics.com. From that point, I will get in touch with you to check your availability and compare it with that of other students to see if there is a possible time slot where everyone is available. We do this through an application called Doodle. If a time slot can be found, we proceed to the payment and booking process.

    How are lessons carried out?

    Lessons are developed online as distance learning. This means that lessons take place in real time with your teacher, not through pre-recorded material. We use the videoconferencing platform Zoom, one of the best currently available for holding videoconferences. Zoom allows us to connect through a private virtual room where we can access numerous utilities, namely a digital whiteboard, sharing of materials on screen, even creating sub-rooms for pair work such as spoken exercises. Furthermore, we may use other tools such as shared Google documents, interactive exercises and spoken activities.

    What will I need for my lessons?

    In principle, any device which supports the Zoom app, such as an Android phone, an i-Phone, a tablet or a computer/laptop (Windows or Apple) is enough to follow the lesson. For a good lesson experience, I recommend a decent internet connection, with enough speed for videoconferencing (the better the speed, the better the quality of the videoconference). To get the most from your lessons, it is perhaps recommendable to use a computer or tablet since they easily allow for comfortable typing.

    What happens if I need to miss a lesson?

    Individual lessons are mutually arranged between the teacher and the student. For group lessons, it is important to try to attend all the lessons, if at all possible. However, in the cases when a student may not be able to attend some session, a recording of the lesson will be available and accessible to the student through the Zoom cloud.

    What students are saying…

    Professor Javier Maldonado is an excellent teacher with a wonderful natural, conversational, interactive method for learning Latin.

    His aim is to enable one access to the ancient texts left to us by the Romans, but in doing so he teaches Latin as a living, spoken language which is very effective.

    ALEXANDER PÉREZ

    Javier Maldonado Fernández is a very good Latin teacher! He explains things clearly, and has patience with those of us who don't understand technology well.

    He alternates among videos of the whiteboard, pictures of his and the students' faces, and pages of the texts used in class. One learns quickly with him.

    RALPH LIDA

    I have been serious working on Latin and Greek for several years now. I happened to stumble on Javier's ad on Facebook and thought I would give him a try. To say the least, I am very impressed. He is extremely thoughtful and patient during lessons.

    Javier also has an amazing depth of knowledge. Unlike several other tutors I have used, Javier also is expert at teaching online. I cannot recommend him more highly. You will not be disappointed. I wish I had found him years ago.

    MICHAEL OVERLY