Health and other associated issues - Tips, Information and Guides
Teaching The Latin Language In High School
by: John Davison Latin was the language of the Roman Empire. All of the Romance languages,
including French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian, are directly descended from
this native tongue. Our own English language is heavily influenced by roots from
the Latin Language (as many as 80 percent of our language can be traced to
Latin). Today, Ecclesiastical Latin is the official language of the Roman
Catholic Church and the Vatican. With so much influence on our own language
coming from Latin, it is surprising that students are not encouraged to study it
in high school and college. Though considered a “dead languageâ€Â,
Latin education can actually help students improve English grammar, as well as
provide a historical foundation for their educations. Today, Latin is taught primarily for the purpose of translating ancient
literature. It is not really taught conversationally. Proficiency in Latin is
achieved in reading and translating. Often, students that study Latin in college
are majors in Classical Studies, wherein they study all aspects of Ancient Greek
and Roman history and Culture, or they are pre-Law or pre-Medicine students.
Having a knowledge of the Latin language has obvious benefits for Law and
Medical students in that they will be better able to learn technical
terminology, most of which is comprised of Latin words and phrases. Classical
studies majors often go on to earn Master’s degrees and Doctoral degrees
either in Art History or Archaeology, where knowledge of the Latin language
helps them in their research, or they often devote their graduate studies to the
language itself, where they can go on to teach Latin in high schools or earn a
place as a professor of Classics at a college or University. Teaching the Latin language in high school can be challenging. Most
students take foreign languages to satisfy requirements for graduation, not for
the enjoyment of learning a new language. And they often take
“easier†language such as Spanish or French. And since Latin is not
taught conversationally, learning it can be considered a boring series of
memorization or vocabulary words and noun and verb endings. It is important for
the Latin teacher to make learning the language for those students that do
decide to tackle it interesting and not just a matter of memorizing verb
conjugations and noun declension charts. There are several ways in which success
in teaching Latin in high school can be achieved. Using modern technology to teach an ancient language might seem unlikely.
But, there are many resources available online to assist the Latin teacher in
his or her pursuits. Many websites offer charts, tutorials, and games to not
only help the teacher, but to help engage the students. Learning Latin can be
made easier using technology, while allowing the students to use the Internet as
a means of education. Students today are all but required to use the Internet
academically, and eventually professionally. Combining learning Latin with
learning Internet skills is a perfect way to bridge the gap between ancient and
modern. Another way to make learning the Latin language interesting is by
incorporating Roman history and Mythology into the subject. By bringing history
and myth into the study of the Latin language, students will understand the
origins of the language, as well as understand the impact the language and the
history of Rome has had on our modern world. Games can be played and plays can
be put on, utilizing Roman mythological stories and literature, and students can
learn everything from Roman military strategy to Roman engineering to Roman
cooking to how Roman people dressed. As a high school Latin teacher, it can be frustrating that the language is
misunderstood and under-appreciated. But, by using modern technology and
creative teaching methods, The “dead†Latin language can be brought
to life, and students will learn not only the language, but have a clearer
understanding of English grammar, as well as a foundation that will open up
their options as they enter college.
Recommended Links
Health Index
|
![[Valid RSS]](../valid-rss.png "Validate my RSS feed")