Latin

[Aurelia]

Well, we all know that Latin is the root language for all Romance languages, Italian included, and I can't but wonder how many people in Italy actually learn Latin? Generally in Europe, and in the rest of the world unfortunately, the influence of Latin has dropped - almost no mainstream curriculum includes this language or it is taught only for a year or two in some schools, mostly grammar schools or gymnasia. In 2009, the Guardian had reported an increase of schools which offer Latin courses - but that number had been only about 600. I have heard that Latin is still taught for a few years in Italian schools, though it is compulsory only in secondary schools such as the Liceo classico and Liceo scientifico, which, as I believe, are usually attended by people who aim to the highest level of education. Is it important to teach Latin at earlier age?

Italian grammar may differ from Latin, but the vocabulary has a lot of similarities, especially in the roots of the words. You can guess the meanings of a lot of words simply by knowing what they mean in Latin - Latin can give you the answers to the etymology of most Italian words. Of course that pronunciation differs - that is not a question. It is not even surprising, really. Italian had developed from the Middle Ages Latin, which was quite different from that in the Classical period, so it is only natural that trhoughout time, the language changed and adapted, but still, the importance of this language is tremendous.

 

[imperivm1]

No one disputes the importance of Latin. It just underwent a long and slow process of transformation. In a sense, the language itself hasn't ceased to exist since it is the backbone of all Romance languages. It would be like asking why Ancient Greek still isn't around. It isn't because it has evolved. The same goes for Latin and even though many people, including me, would have liked it to be preserved in its pure form even to this day, evolution has already inflicted its "damage". Although Latin is still spoken in the Vatican, I doubt the pronunciation and vocabulary are the same as they were two millennia ago when the Roman Empire was at its peak.

 

[Gabe]

I do think Latin is important, but I am a history graduate in Italian history so I am biased. The problem is that there are so many other things schools need to teach students, among them things like sex education, healthy eating and also how to be a good citizen. Unfortunately Latin comes low on the list except in private schools. Some Universities require Latin for Philosophy courses and mine is so bad now, I cheat and use an online translator and then adapt it.

 

[worldmachine]

Understanding Latin is the sign of a well educated person in my opinion, the language has a certain style and class about it. Some of the greatest literary masterpieces are written in Latin so students, writers and researchers will benefit from it. Anyone wanting to be a Lawyer will need to be able to read Latin.

Latin trains you to be more precise when using words, since most words originated from Latin. Learning this language will open up a whole new wealth of knowledge from it's rich history of use by scientists, mathematicians, explorers, artists and philosophers.

 

[Aurelia]

I agree with worldmachine. Latin is very helpful precisely because it has, in some way, contributed to a lot of things - from medicine to Romance languages. It also helps understand grammar (of any language) or how languages work. It's true that many great works were written in Latin, but they're difficult to wor on if you don't have at least six years of Latin learning behind you and yes, I also agree with Gabe, there are very few schools that bother with Latin. I was fortunate mine placed a great emphasis on it, although it was only for two years. Students can certainly benefit, but too much emphasis can have the counter-effect: the students will either miss the gist (because the focus is on the numerous details) or neglect other subject, so moderation is the key. But let's face it, every teaches likes to believe his or her subject is the most important...