What Are Benefits Of Learning Latin

Bona fide. Verbatim. Status quo. Carpe diem. Bonus. Extra. Versus. Vice versa. Et cetera.

Yous probably recognize near of these words and phrases that pepper our everyday language. And when yous use them, y'all're speaking Latin, using the same words that citizens across the earth accept used for over two,000 years.

Beyond the dozens of verbatim (see what I did at that place?) Latin words that have made their way into modern English, well over one-half of our language borrows from the female parent tongue of the Roman Empire (not to mention its undeniable infiltration in French, Spanish, Italian, and more).

For a "dead language," Latin sure does a whole lot of speaking these days.

5th-grade-chalkboard

When I first enrolled my oldest child at Veritas and excitedly told my ain parents that he would start learning Latin in 2nd grade (because, come on, it just sounds impressive, right?), my dad asked, incredulously, "Why would he need to larn Latin? It'southward a expressionless language!"

If you lot're wondering the aforementioned thing, then read on to discover the myriad benefits your kid will reap by learning Latin from an early age.

7 Reasons Why We Teach Latin at Veritas University

Grasping Grammer

Kids acquire grammar concepts through Latin that reinforce and sometimes even precede their regular grammar and writing lessons. 3rd and 4th course Latin teacher Mrs. Katie Zappitella says, "in 3rd grade Latin, the students really learn about direct objects in Latin before they practice in English language. What is supposed to be a challenging new concept becomes review. English grammer and Latin grammar reinforce each other, and help the principles to stick in the minds of the students."

In fact, because Latin'southward grammar is and then systematic and organized, its clear structure makes the rules piece of cake to larn, which in turn make some of the more complex English language rules easier to grasp since the foundation has already been laid when a student learns Latin start at a young historic period.

third-grade-chalkboard

Expanding Vocabulary

Just every bit mentioned earlier, a multitude of English words descend from Latin. Katie and other lower schoolhouse teachers have seen how students' Latin knowledge informs their understanding of new words they encounter in literature, Bible, science, math, and more.

"When introducing a new vocabulary listing, nosotros always talk near what English words come up from the Latin words," Katie says. "Some are obvious, some less so. A few times the students have the heady opportunity to discover that they can effigy out the definition of an unknown English word simply because they know Latin! For example, when studying the attributes of God, they tin can figure out that 'immutable' has something to do with changing because they know 'muto' (to change), and then then nosotros only talk almost the prefix. Or, machinate and cognitive tin can exist figured out from 'cogito' (to think). And someone always points out the human relationship between 'circa' (around) and 'circumference' in math."

It'southward a regular occurrence in lower school literature form, Katie says, for a student to suddenly wave his manus wildly and signal out a Latin derivative and what a new give-and-take must mean.

Learning Languages

You see, Latin didn't die so much as it evolved...into Spanish, Italian, French, Portugese, Romanian, and other lesser spoken Romance languages. Each of these languages developed in territories formerly function of the Western Roman Empire, and over time, their individual dialects and idiosyncrasies formed into the tongues we know today.

Then, it's no surprise that learning Latin at an early age sets kids upward to selection upwardly other languages more easily in afterward studies.

It's not but about the vocabulary knowledge. The grammer, structure, tenses, endings, and specific intricacies of Romance languages derive from Latin and closely follow information technology, though Latin is fifty-fifty more complex. Learning how to parse, compose, and interpret Castilian sentences comes hands to a educatee who'south been doing it in Latin for years.

2nd-grade-boys

Brain Training

The exercises and competencies required for children to learn Latin reap cantankerous-disciplinary benefits. They have a part in preparation the brain to recollect methodically, to analyze meanings, and in deductive and inductive reasoning. Multiple studies have revealed that children who acquire Latin accelerate faster in math equally well as language arts. Considering of this - and combined with the increased vocabulary benefits - Latin students consistently score higher on standardized tests (you can read about this and other results of data-driven studies on Latin's event on educatee outcomes here).

Your second or tertiary grader might not be besides concerned about all that now, but you'll both be thankful for these benefits when they're preparing for the Saturday downward the road!

Lost in Translation

There's no substitute for reading a text in its original language, and then many of the most influential, profound, and meaningful works of Western Culture were written in Latin.

Aeneid-worksheet Considering Veritas students begin learning Latin in second grade and accept a firm grasp on the linguistic communication by loftier school, they're able to read and appreciate Virgil'due south poetic Aeneid, Cicero's powerful speeches, Caesar'southward political histories, and then much more - in all of the nuances, intentions, and intricacies of the native natural language of the writer.

Upper school Latin teacher Justin Klazinga says that "if y'all're going to really appreciate the cute epics that the ancient world has given united states, you lot've got to be able to read them in their original linguistic communication."

In that way, students can not only more fully empathize what makes these writings and so great, but besides glean techniques that strengthen their own writing, since they have learned from the original masters of the fine art of communication.

Information technology's Fun!

Veritas kids love learning Latin! As many younger students will tell y'all, it's like a secret lawmaking that many in their family don't know. It makes for fun family conversations, as many parents volition attest to their kids writing or speaking special messages in Latin and getting a thrill out of having their family effort to figure out the pregnant.

The way Latin is taught in Grammar Schoolhouse at Veritas adds to the fun factor. "Kids enjoy the chanting, singing, and the structured way Latin is laid out," says Katie. "It's like a puzzle - learn the steps and the endings, and you can do a lot!"

Fulfilling Education

When asked why someone would desire to pursue the study of Latin, peculiarly going beyond the basics as middle and loftier school students do at Veritas, Justin Klazinga poses another question to ponder:

What, in your mind, is the real purpose of education?

"If education is purely for increasing our value to the economy, making as much money as nosotros tin in the hereafter, and so you lot may await at classes like Latin - or even literature or art - and inquire why we would spend so much time educational activity students these things.

"However, when you lot consider that your life - and your child's life - will consist of and so much more than than the eight-10 hours a day spent working, then you realize there must be a value in pursuing greater, more than fulfilling things."

Screen Shot 2021-02-18 at 3.28.29 PM Justin, for one, is passionate near reading historical Latin texts, and he loves sharing that passion with his students. "I find the Classics - the things that were written back in the times when Latin was a living language - are and so worth our fourth dimension and so humanizing to the extent that they're worth putting in that try to learn the Latin language."

Beyond hobbies, educating the whole person means preparing a student to grow into a well-thought, well-spoken citizen with a deep cognition and appreciation of the world, people, and culture around them.

At Veritas, our vision is to be a community connecting students with truth, beauty, and goodness for Christ's calling. By equipping our students in the written report of Latin, we're preparing them for a lifelong, deeply fulfilling pursuit of these virtues, no matter what their career path. And that, friends, is what nosotros consider a worthwhile educational activity.

If yous're looking for a school that provides more just surface-level learning, but calls your kid to a deeper and more wonderful knowledge of God and the earth around them, we invite you lot to experience Veritas Academy! Visit united states of america for a individual or grouping tour to see the Classical Christian difference!