Why Learn Latin?
This blog post from Oxford University states that learning Latin from an early age is extremely beneficial to a child’s development. Oxford claims that learning Latin can support the development of literacy critical thinking skills. Furthermore, they explain that learning Latin can help children develop cultural literacy, thus enriching their understanding of the contemporary world by familiarizing them with classical references and derivatives. Moreover, they claim that Latin has a positive learning impact on children who live in socially and economically disadvantaged areas.
On this page, the University of Kentucky, a State College Institution, offers reasons to study Latin. Comparing studying Latin to studying math, the college argues that studying Latin sharpens the mind, cultivates mental alertness, and develops critical thinking, among other skills. They further state that due to Latin’s highly organized grammar, studying Latin allows students to coordinate ideas and reflect on various ways to say a thing, which in turn aids general articulation, writing and speaking. Moreover, since languages such as Spanish, French, Italian, and Portuguese are all derived from Latin, studying Latin helps build a foundation to learn those languages, as well.
On this webpage, the Hun School of Princeton, a middle and high school in New Jersey that teaches Latin, describes how Latin can improve your English vocabulary, deepen your communication skills, enhance critical thinking, and give students a new perspective on language. The school argues that Latin helps improve structural knowledge of English, the result being more confidence in speaking, writing, and reading. Furthermore, they state that a deep understanding of Latin opens the door to communicating more effectively and accurately in English, because of deeper knowledge of the meanings of English words.