You may be wondering why you should go to the trouble of teaching your children Latin. After all, it’s a dead language, isn’t it? What possible use could it be in the 21st century? As it turns out, there are quite a few good reasons to include Latin in your child’s education. Here are just a few of the benefits that your children will enjoy when they learn Latin.
1. A Deeper Understanding of English
Because so many English words are derived from Latin, your children will have a much deeper understanding of English vocabulary when they learn Latin. They’ll also be able to pick up on the meaning of words they’ve never seen before just by looking at their root words. This is a valuable skill that will come in handy not only on standardized tests but in everyday life as well.
2. Improved Critical Thinking Skills
Latin is an inflected language, which means that the endings of words change to indicate their function in a sentence. This can be challenging for English speakers, but the good news is that it forces students to engage in higher-level thinking in order to determine the function of each word. As a result, students who study Latin tend to do better on standardized tests and in other areas where critical thinking skills are important.
3. A More Solid Foundation for Romance Languages
If your children ever decide to study a Romance language like French, Spanish, or Italian, they’ll already have a head start thanks to their knowledge of Latin. That’s because all Romance languages are derived from Latin, so learning Latin first will make it easier for them to pick up one of these languages later on. Additionally, because Latin is such a precise language, it will help them to avoid making common mistakes in Romance languages that are based on false cognates (words that look similar but have different meanings).
