WHY STUDY LATIN? By Meg Ferry
It is very true that learning a foreign language, especially Latin, is a big commitment. The rewards that you will reap from this undertaking will benefit you the rest of your life and will be well worth the effort you put into it now.
At this time you are taking the preparatory steps for your adult life. If you have plans to go on to college or are dreaming of a career that requires training beyond high school, the best service you can perform for yourself is to learn how to study and how to absorb the greatest amount of learning in the shortest possible time. The study of Latin can help you to do this. It trains your memory, it gives you increased word power, it provides the opportunity to develop your reasoning powers, and it strengthens your reading skills.
Due to modern technology in the fields of transportation and communication, the world is becoming smaller and smaller. Therefore, it is becoming increasingly more important to know the languages of other lands. The study of Latin is invaluable if you wish to learn other languages, for it makes it possible for you to acquire an understanding of the very nature of language. From Latin, you can branch out into the other Romance languages—French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and Rumanian. The study of these languages is greatly enhanced and facilitated by the knowledge of “the mother tongue,” Latin.
More than half of the words of the English language come directly or indirectly from Latin! It has been estimated that you can add from 500-1,000 English words to your vocabulary for every year you study Latin. For this reason Latin helps build vocabulary for advanced English, for college entrance exams, for graduate school, and for careers in science, art, medicine, history, music, architecture and law.
One of the greatest assets you can have when you enter the marketplace is the gift of speech. Being well-spoken can be a great advantage to you in job interviews and on the job itself. The study of Latin can improve your speaking skills by making you well versed in proper grammar and providing you with a colorful vocabulary. In the same way, the study of Latin can help your writing skills. Completing questionnaires and writing reports and summaries are important aspects of many jobs. Learning how to do this can one of the bonuses derived from language study.
The study of Latin will initiate you into a great heritage—not only the study of the language itself, but the knowledge of the culture and civilization of Rome.
Educated people of all nations have studied Latin for two thousand years. Don’t you want to be in this number?
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