Teaching Latin and Spanish together?

[Sue G in PA]

Is anyone here teaching Latin and Spanish at the same time? Do your dc get confused? Do you think it is too much? I would like to teach my dd12 Latin while she is learning Spanish at school. I have Latina Christiana I (I know it is more for the elementary set) and would love to use it. Doable? Should I just wait a year and have her start with another more age-appropriate Latin next year? Any thoughts/advice greatly appreciated! Thanks.

[Jackie in NE]

Is anyone here teaching Latin and Spanish at the same time? Do your dc get confused? Do you think it is too much? I would like to teach my dd12 Latin while she is learning Spanish at school. I have Latina Christiana I (I know it is more for the elementary set) and would love to use it. Doable? Should I just wait a year and have her start with another more age-appropriate Latin next year? Any thoughts/advice greatly appreciated! Thanks.

 

Sue,

 

I think the consensus has been that teaching Latin with a modern language, especially a romance language like Spanish, is a great way to complement and reinforce BOTH languages.

 

My own dc have been studying both Latin and French, and have done great with it. No problems at all. I will say that I do stress the Latin over the second language, especially in the early years.

 

I am so glad that my oldest dd did both. She is cruising through French III as a high school freshman. She finds it very easy. And I'm convinced that it's due to all her Latin. (She is currently taking Latin II- the 2nd half of Wheelock's- online).

 

In all fairness, though, it is true that one of dd's strengths is languages. Is it nature or nurture? The jury's still out.......

 

HTH, Jackie

[Laura Corin]

I teach Latin and French together (and Mandarin and Greek). At school I learned Spanish, Latin and French. I think that it's a good idea to get settled with one language before starting the second, but if you do that any confusion should be minimal.

 

Laura

[siloam]

Is anyone here teaching Latin and Spanish at the same time? Do your dc get confused? Do you think it is too much? I would like to teach my dd12 Latin while she is learning Spanish at school. I have Latina Christiana I (I know it is more for the elementary set) and would love to use it. Doable? Should I just wait a year and have her start with another more age-appropriate Latin next year? Any thoughts/advice greatly appreciated! Thanks.

 

Sue,

 

Sweet Pea (my oldest) start Latin last year, and will cover it through High School (if just reading). I plan to have her start Spanish in 9th grade.

 

Though I would be confused doing both at the same time without a couple years between them. Though kids are better at this stuff than we adults. I took Spanish one year and French the next and never got them confused then. Now I wouldn't bet on it. :smilielol5:

 

Heather

[tdeveson]

We're teaching Latin and Spanish simultaneously. For Latin we use Minimus, and for Spanish we use Rosetta Stone. It seems to be working just fine. In fact, he now sees so many Latin roots in Spanish (of course) and he's very proud when he finds one.

 

It's working for us.

[Harriet Vane]

We do both. The key, for us, is not to study them together or one right after the other. We separate them by at least a few other subjects, or sometimes even do one before lunch and one after.

[Sue G in PA]

Thanks everyone. Dd12 is studying Spanish in school. Latin would be after school...so no worries of studying them one right after the other. Now, if dd comes home...I'll make sure to do one in the am and one in the pm. Thanks! I'm excited to learn Latin, too. I sang in Latin and so I "know" many Latin words (esp. Christian words) but really want to "learn" Latin.