Why Learn Latin?
Latin is an Integral Part of Classical Education
The art of teaching Latin has effectively been lost over the centuries since the Middle Ages. However, the last ten to twenty years the content of classical education is being revived. Materials are being developed for classical schools and homeschooling parents in order to teach Latin.
Why Learn Latin
Isn't this a dead language? Latin is an inflective language. This means that the root of the word stays the same but the endings change. This means that a student must memorize the different forms of the endings, and analyze each word in a sentence. A student thus learns two important skills:
- He or she learns how to learn;
- He or she learns many analytical skills, which are tools of learning which can be transferred to other areas such as scientific and literary subjects.
There are four key reasons why students should learn Latin.
- Learning Latin, unlike Russian or Greek is easier because Latin has almost identical alphabet with English. The student does not have to learn a new alphabet.
- Approximately fifty percent of English words are derived from Latin. Not just any words, but the educated language of theology, other sciences, and the highest English literature and art.
- Students of Latin score higher on standardized tests than students of other foreign languages.
- Other languages, such as the Romance languages (French, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, and Spanish), have up to 80% Latin-based vocabulary. These are much easier to learn once Latin is mastered.
How To Learn Latin
There are several excellent Latin curriculums which are scripted. A parent does not need to know Latin in order to teach it. Just a simple CD for pronunciation is helpful. Latin for Children and Memoria Press have DVDs which include an experienced teacher providing the Latin instruction.
Learning Latin is like any other subject. Begin with learning basic vocabulary, slowly add grammar rules, learning declensions and simple conjugations. In the Trivium, the common methodology employed is "drill, drill, drill." Nothing fancy, just old fashioned work.
Learn Latin Online
It is possible to learn Latin online. Memoria Press has an online course taught by experienced classical teachers. There are many other sites claiming to teach Latin, but it is recommended to choose a course with an instructor and books for systematic study.
Learn Latin Online Free
It is possible but challenging to take this route. Find a site which provides free down loadable vocabulary cards, and begin with simple nouns. A typical Latin online course may or may not have pronunciation capabilities, so it is prudent to check out a Latin pronunciation CD at the local library. Follow the general guidelines above for beginning to learn the language. As soon as possible, begin using readers. Dr. Seuss' Cat in the Hat has been translated into Latin and provides a wonderfully fun beginning reader.
Latin is one of the best tools of learning. As Dorothy Sayers said in "The Lost Tools of Learning, "The sole true end of education is simply this; to teach men how to learn for themselves; and whatever instruction fails to do, this is effort spent in vain" (her famous speech given in 1947 at Oxford University).
Learning Latin is making a difference in the lives of those students who have taken the time to study it. The test scores prove it, and colleges are beginning to take notice that classical education is producing higher quality college freshmen.
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