Latin

[rockyracoon]

I've had an email home from school offering my daughter the chance to apply to do a Cambridge Uni Cert in Latin.

My memories of Latin are not great, in fact the lessons bored me senseless.

She's a high achiever and quite academic but would a course like this be of benefit, I mean what is Latin useful for?

Many thanks for any replies. :)

[pixie373]

If she gets a good grade, it shows intelligence, perserverence logic. It is used in English, nature, biology, law. I did it at A- level because I found it easy and am surprised how useful it is in daily life

[jno]

it's a great introduction to the way languages - not just English - are structured; I found it an excellent basis for studying French and German and linguistics generally. Plus it tells you a lot about English vocabulary.

Whether you think any of this is a benefit is up to you and your daughter.

[Old_Geezer]

Reading medical bottles ? Being an archeologist ?

Never taugh in my school, thank goodness, until a lad moved in from another school and wanted to continue, so they found someone to teach him.

[boxtops]

I loved Latin, and it's really helpful still today - many words have either Latin or Greek roots which help to identify then. Manus - Latin for hand - manual labour, work carried out with the hands.....

[gingejbee]

I agree, boxtops - I did it to O level and find it useful to this day.

[Sqad]

The posters all have made good points.

I never did Latin and have never missed it.

[Mamyalynne]

I would be interested to know your daughter's viewpoint.

[EcclesCake]

Apart from the fact that my Latin teacher was in lust with John Nettles and timed giving us homework so she wouldn't have to do the marking on a Bergerac night I had little respect at the time.

As I went through various roles in life I appreciated the basic grounding it gave me and and am always thankful when I'm doing the crossword.

I regret not doing A Level Latin.

Caecelius ambulate ad horto.

[rockyracoon]

Thanks for all your answers, I'm leaving it up to her but she asked me what I thought and tbh I really don't know. It'll be extra homework which could be a problem and it's an after school class, but then it's only for and year and most of the answers on here have been positive and she may well like it. Plus f she likes it she could do the GCSE.

Mamya, she's really not sure what to do, although I'd say she's leaning towards it, if pushed I'm of the opinion that's it's another string for your bow if you get my drift.

I'll have another chat with her but I feel she's wanting me to make the decision, probably because if it goes pearshaped she can blame me ;)

[Eve]

Unless she has an interest in something like classics then not much use in the grand scheme of things. I wanted to do Latin but my school didn't do it, can't say it ever made any difference to me.

In fields such as law you learn it with the meaning and the terms are being used less and less as plain English is encouraged (and not quite such an upper class profession now that Latin is flaunted) and I would imagine (hope) that medicine wise you'd have to learn what is what rather than being able to translate.

I studied three languages to GCSE and three for a year at uni before changing to law and I can't say if it would have benefitted me but I don't think it held me back. If you got into cognitive studies at a higher level then it would probably be more useful.

Most of what I know, apart from more generally or obvious Latin, is from a school play we did where we had to chant in Latin and war poetry.

[Eve]

PS though, I'd have done it if I had the chance though I have always been fascinated by learning languages :)

[rockyracoon]

Lol, thanks Eve.

I think I'll get her to speak to the teacher to see exactly how much homework is involved and then see how she feels about it.

[coccinelle]

She'd probably be better learning Italian. A lot of Italian words are of Latin origin and would help the same in law, botany, medecine etc. and on top of that you learn a living language. When i was taught Latin (one to one nobody else wanted to!) I had story books and it was quite interesting. It was an extra subject so very little homework.
As well, Latin helps to know what the priest is on about at mass...!!!!

[rockyracoon]

Italian not an option, only Latin, but thanks for your input Cocc :)

[Peter Pedant]

Late entry

yes let her do it and see if she likes it
early exposure to Golden Age Lit nowadays whereas in my day it was thought 'not to be worth the trouble' of teaching the kids something interesting.

Early exposure to Catullus - to my Lady's sparrow.....

Loved it - and loved greek even more
and now and now I can read the N T in the language in which it was written !

[rockyracoon]

Thanks Peter, she finally decided to apply so hopefully she'll get on the course, the only little problem is that once accepted the commitment is for the whole course (year), so if she doesn't like it, it's tough :)