More primary schools to offer Latin and ancient Greek (UK)

Daily Telegraph (UK) ^ | 11-17-2012 | Graeme Paton

[Renfield]

All primary schools will be expected to teach foreign languages to pupils from 2014 as part of a major drive to boost education standards, it emerged.

At least one subject from a seven-strong shortlist – French, German, Spanish, Italian, Mandarin, Latin and ancient Greek – will be offered to seven- to 11-year-olds.

The move – outlined in a consultation document published by the Department for Education – could result in a major rise in the number of pupils studying the classical languages at a young age....

[Renfield]

This should be adopted here, too. I dearly wish I'd had the opportunity to learn Greek at an early age.

[VAFreedom]

I don’t know, if there’re any practical applications to learning dead languages. However, I’ve heard arguments that Latain helps you learn English better. I think Japanese would be fun to learn (easy to pronounce, read, at least not the kanji, difficult to master the grammar); similarly traditional Chinese (easy grammar, but need a brain transplant to learn to read, write it)

[vikingd00d]

I’m surprised Arabic wasn’t on the short-list. How will the Brits communicate with their new overlords?

[oblomov]

It should serve Britain well as we head into a new medieval period. There should be ample demand for scribes and illuminators.

[vikingd00d]

>>I don’t know, if there’re any practical applications to learning dead languages.

Dead languages tend to be more linguistically complex, thus forcing the student to really think about language structure. Modern languages have all been considerably simplified.

[Psalm 73]

My daughter is learning Latin right now - of couse, we’re Home Schoolers.........

[Sacajaweau]

Had 4 years of Latin in an all girl Catholic School. Besides the vocabularly bump it gives you, it was a great history lesson, too.

[cripplecreek]

Latin is the language of science and medicine. We need to teach more of it.

[Old Retired Army Guy]

Greek? That’s a failing society. The language kids should learn in order to prepare for the future is Mandarin.

[Fresh Wind]

I don’t know, if there’re any practical applications to learning dead languages.

There are no practical applications for doing push-ups or similar exercises. But ask any serious athlete whether there is any value in doing them. The mind needs exercise, as does the body.

[Charles Henrickson]

I had classical Latin in high school and college, and ecclesiastical Latin at seminary--all Lutheran (LCMS) schools. Of course, as a pastor, I learned Greek, in order to read the New Testament. I have also taught Greek.

My daughter has had three years of Latin (grades 7-9) and now is in her second year of NT Greek at a classical Christian academy.

I have always advocated the study of Latin as a great part of becoming a well educated person. Studying Latin was the best thing for my English--understanding how grammar works, building my English vocabulary, etc. I also learned how to learn languages, which has helped in all the other languages I have studied (besides English, Latin, and Greek, also Hebrew, Aramaic, German, and Swedish).

[dagogo redux]

Forsan et haec olim meminisse iuvabit.

[Renfield]

I had two years of Latin in High school and it was my favorite subject. I would have taken more but no more was offered. I was too busy in college to pursue it further.

I have looked into taking Greek at a nearby university, but alas, they have dropped from their curriculum!!

[Charles Henrickson]

I had two years of Latin in High school and it was my favorite subject. I would have taken more but no more was offered.

Same here, favorite subject in HS. Wanted to take Latin 3, but there were not enough kids signed up.

[dagogo redux]

I studied Latin for three years in high school under an ex-jesuit priest. He was the best teacher I ever had, and the students were the ones I still remember most fondly more than forty years later.

Similar to math, the benefit of studying Latin is that it disciplines the mind. I also found that the mind’s understanding of history and humanity were enhanced enormously to go back and read the works of Cicero, Ovid, Virgil, Caesar, etc. Academically, and in terms of sheer beauty, it was the shining jewel of my K-12 education.

[sinsofsolarempirefan]

People say that, but Mandarin is only spoken in China. If you can speak English, you are already set for the world of global business. I think it would be good to have a second language, but for practical purposes, it doesn’t really matter which one it is unless you have a specific reason for wanting to learn a particular language...

[elcid1970]

After two years of high school Latin, I found Spanish a snap to learn. Within the first year I was romancing an exchange student in her own language.

;^)

[stayathomemom]

I also had two years of Latin in high school and really enjoyed it. This was a DETROIT Public High school, by the way. I did really well until my forth semester of it, when I got a new teacher who skipped ahead several chapters in the book and I never got caught up on the vocabulary he skipped over. Almost got my only B of my high school career! I wasn’t able to fit it into my schedule after that.

[SuperSonic]

EDITORIAL: Try to go a day without Latin

[USMCWife6869]

I would have agreed with you as a kid, but I took Latin in (Catholic) High School, and it absolutely made a major difference in my understanding of English and grammar. I, of course, rarely use Latin in "real" life (I like to freak my husband out from time to time), but the language, although dead, helped me with English, Science and even math. I think it's valuable.

The Base library offers language courses, and I encourage my daughters to learn as many as possible. I have one working on Italian and one working on French. They both take Spanish in school. I wish they offered Latin.