Classical Education - Why Latin?

Why Do Classical Education Proponents Insist on Teaching Latin?



Messiah Lutheran Classical Academy Keller, Texas 76248.

In a previous video we learned "What is Classical Education?", as seen from a parents perspective. This revealed what the value of classical education is, what it consists of, and why a classical curriculum is being embraced by so many Christian schools and other private educational organizations, including Messiah Lutheran Classical Academy in Keller, Texas.  We learned about the trivium, logic & rhetoric, and many other facets of classical studies. We found that these more traditional subjects build skills that are no longer being taught in our modern schools.

Here we will be dealing with a subject that lies at the core of classical education - Latin grammar. The study of Latin is indeed considered one of the great advantages of a Classical Education. It is a core subject in the Classical Education curriculum. Why do these educators insist on Latin? What is so important about a "dead language"?



Thinking of Latin as only a dead language, one that is not spoken today, does not do this fundamental language justice. True, it is not spoken today, but it is the root of many languages. Understanding Latin helps understand other languages as well as our own. Latin is even the root of about 50% of our own English language. A student that is well grounded in Latin will have a superior vocabulary and will have a better understanding of what a word really means.



A student (or former student) of Latin, can figure out words that he or she has never seen before by recognizing the root words. Most prefixes and suffixes in our language are from Latin. Knowledge of the root words give color and deeper meaning that a non-Latin student just can't appreciate.




Latin also gives grammar "clarity". A student can not fully understand grammar unless they perceive word relationships. Since the Latin language is a highly structured and precise language, it requires a lot of higher level thought to discern the meaning of a sentence.




To understand Latin you must deconstruct the sentences like pieces of a puzzle in order to get at the meaning.This promotes analytical thinking that flows over into other areas of education.




Dorothy Sayers,a highly honored professor in England during the last century, said that "Latin is fundamental to all education".



Contrary to popular opinion that a Latin program is a dinosaur, it really should be a requirement in all schools. The greatest single defect in modern education may very well be removing Latin from their curriculum.  This decision is handicapping their students.




This video is about why Latin studies lie at the core of classical education, and, provides a more in depth treatment of the points made above.

Messiah Lutheran Classical Academy Keller, Texas 76248:

For more information about classical education and the study of Latin, please visit: http://mlcaTexas.org.

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