About the Language:
You mean a 2,500 year old “dead” language is still being taught?!!!
Yes. Latin was the language of the ancient Romans. For 1,000 years it was the language of one of the greatest empires the world has seen. The Romans once controlled what are now Italy, France, Spain, Britain, and the entire Mediterranean region. Even when the Empire fell, Roman language, law, religion, art, philosophy, and architecture continued to influence Europe for another 1300-1500 years, and through Europeans, Roman language and culture influenced the entire world. Vulgar/Common Latin evolved into Spanish, Italian, French, Portuguese, and Romanian. 53-65% of English words come from Latin. Scholarly research and writing in all subjects was conducted in Latin through the 1600’s and even beyond. Almost all educated persons in Western culture studied Latin and Greek until the 1900’s, when education became mass-produced and the usefulness of Latin to ordinary working citizens came into question.[1] It is still taught in private schools, preparatory schools, and many public schools throughout the U.S. and Europe, and even to some extent in other countries.
Latin is no longer a commonly spoken language. As a conversational/spoken language, it is almost limited to professors, enthusiasts, and the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church.
The Benefits of Latin:
Over 53-65% of English words are derived from Latin. Knowledge of Latin increases one's English vocabulary.
Many Latin students have told me that they have learned more English grammar from Latin class than they learned in English. Knowledge of Latin improves one's English.
There is a statistical correlation between the study of Latin and higher SAT scores on the verbal section. Research from Educational Testing Service has shown that, on average, Latin students score 177 points higher on the SATs than other students.[2]
The study of Latin lays a firm foundation for the study of any other foreign language because of its analytical nature and grammatical terminology.
The study/pursuit of Latin helps develop analytical and critical thinking/problem-solving skills.
Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian have all evolved from Latin. Knowledge of Latin is helpful in studying any of these Romance languages.
Latin terminology has been and is important in the legal field, medical field, and many scientific fields. Pre-med and pre-law students sometimes choose to take it for this reason. Although one can certainly be very successful without Latin, an understanding of Latin deepens one’s understanding of and appreciation for such terminology.
Modern culture is greatly indebted to Roman/Latin culture. Latin classes explore this debt by studying ancient Greek and Roman culture and compare it to modern culture. Students realize that Latin is around us all the time, everywhere! – in the very letters on this page. Because of the influence of the ancients on humanities (art, literature, philosophy, religion, politics, theater), liberal arts students often enjoy and benefit from the study of Latin. Enormous amounts of famous literature, art, and music have been influenced by Greek and Roman culture, history, and mythology. Also, there is hardly any modern theory or belief, especially in religion or philosophy, which does not have its roots in the ancient world.
Students of history will find the influence of the ancient world to be very strong at all time periods in history. Latin is a link to the ancient world, and it is a good choice for students interested in history in general.
Students may earn college credit by taking 4th year AP Latin or also by taking the SAT Subject Exam in Latin either at the end of Latin 3 or during Latin 4.
Latin class sizes are often smaller.
Sometimes students of other languages choose Latin as an elective to enhance their understanding of other languages, linguistics in general, vocabulary, or sometimes even to enhance their high school transcripts. One, two, or three years of Latin in addition to another language is very impressive on a transcript when applying for college and scholarships.
By studying Latin, one is joining over 2,000 years of tradition in Western education. For two millennia, the most highly educated people in Europe and America have learned Latin.
The mastery of Latin, because it is a complex analytical language, is a mark of excellence and is very good for building brain power.
The Challenges:
Latin is more structurally complex than Spanish, French, or German, and requires more memorization of forms and grammatical terms. Therefore, students typically find Latin more challenging than Spanish, French, or German. The right approach, with due diligence, can offset the challenges
Every noun has 10 possible forms/endings, which determine the function and translation of the word[3]; and there are five different groups/types of these forms. That adds up to 50 forms, not counting the special behavior of neuter nouns.
Adjectives also have 10 possible forms in 3 different genders, and there are 2 main types of adjectives.
There are 3 genders of Latin nouns. English nouns do not have gender. Spanish and French have 2 genders. German and Latin have 3.
Latin word order is significantly different from English word order. Simply knowing the vocabulary words does not guarantee you will understand a sentence, because unless you master the language, you must often rearrange the words according to grammatical rules, if you want them to make sense to an English-speaking brain.
The grammatical pace of the Latin class is typically faster than the pace of the other language courses. 1st year Spanish, French, and German students often study one verb tense all year – present tense; Latin students study 4 verb tenses in the first year: present, imperfect, perfect, and pluperfect. 3 of those 4 tenses come in the first semester. Latin 2 students learn the subjunctive mood, which other language classes do not cover until the 3rd year.
When learning vocabulary, students learn 4 forms of every verb, and 2 forms plus the gender of every noun. They also learn English words that come from Latin (but that is a great benefit).
Translating Latin requires (and develops!) analytical skills.
Concentration is on reading and comprehension rather than on conversation. (Some students like or even prefer this!)
Latin words and phrases pop up here and there in modern language and culture:
“etc.” = et cetera = and the rest
A.M. (ante meridiem) and P.M. (post meridiem) are standard time specifications. They mean “before mid-day” and “after mid-day.”
“quid pro quo” : something for something; “You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours.”
“status quo” : the state of affairs at a certain time
Texans have the option of marking “nolo contendere” on a speeding ticket – not “guilty,” not “innocent,” but “I do not want to contest this.”
Check out the Latin on a dollar bill some time and e-mail Mr. Kruebbe if you do not know what it means.
“e pluribus unum” = From many (states), one (nation).
"annuit coeptis" = He nods in approval at our beginnings.
Many of the 50 states have Latin (or Greek) state mottoes.
“carpe diem” is a popular Latin quotation from Horace’s Odes (1.11): “Seize the day.”
Can you think of others?
Contact Mr. Kruebbe with questions/concerns.
[1] In 1905, 56 % of American high school students studied Latin. (New York Times, “In a Classical World, Nerds Walk With Gods,” by Catherine Price, Oct 09, 2005) (http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/09/fashion/sundaystyles/09CLASSICS.html)
[2] http://www.centredaily.com/2011/04/24/2666538/across-nation-latin-a-target.html ; see also "The Role of Latin In American Education: A Position Paper from the National Council of State Supervisors for Languages (NCSSFL)," 2011, http://www.ncssfl.org/papers/index.php?latin (accessed 8-21-2011).
[3] English, Spanish, and French do not really have this feature, except for the difference between singular and plural, or the difference between “who” and “whom.” Even then, however, there are basically only two possibilities, whereas Latin offers ten possibilities.