Why Latin?

Seven Good Reasons to Study Latin

1. Latin is a powerful vocabulary builder. Over 50 percent of English words come from Latin. A single Latin word may represent the roots of five or ten English words. By learning Latin prefixes and endings, as well as Latin roots, students are capable of comprehending many English words that are unfamiliar.
2. English is an amalgamation of several different languages and therefore has many exceptions – its structure is hard to follow. Because of this, English speakers may never learn the structure of the language. Latin’s syntax and grammar are an excellent ‘ideal’ language from which to learn. A student of Latin is better equipped to write English.
3. Training in Latin not only gives the student a better understanding of the roots of English vocabulary, it also lays the foundation for learning other Latin-based languages like French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and Romanian. Perhaps 80 percent of each of these languages derives its vocabulary from Latin.
4. For professions like law and medicine, Latin provides yet another advantage. Because of the requirement for precise description, Latin is a useful base for technical terms and names. Students of Latin have an advantage in these careers.
5. The power to persuade is one of the strongest powers a human can exert. The precision of Latin and Greek provides their students with an English linguistic tool that cannot be achieved in any other way. Using the right word, at the right time, in the right context is empowered by the study of classical languages.
6. The study of Latin trains the mind to think systematically; a useful skill in other subjects, for example Mathematics.
7. Many Great Books of Western Civilisation have been written in Latin and Greek (eg. New Testament), some of the sense being lost in translation.