When do you stop Latin? (x-post)

[Colleen]

I'm not a die-hard classicist by any stretch of the imagination. I've never harbored a desire to teach Latin to the point of reading works in the original. Because I like languages, and because, as a child, I read Asterix;), I waded into the Latin waters years ago. There are of course a myriad of benefits to studying Latin, all of which we've enjoyed. I'm wondering now, though, how far I want to go until we set it aside.

 

My oldest is a rising 8th grader. His first exposure to Latin was via Minimus, during early elementary. Later, he went through Prima Latina, LC I, and roughly half of LC II. This year we switched to Galore Park Latin. My other boys are/are going to use Prima Latina and Galore Park. I like the idea of doing Latin in late-elementary and the early part of middle school. I don't know, though, that there's a point in keeping with it beyond that point, given my goals (or lack thereof, one might argue).

 

I'm at that point with my oldest wherein there seems to be Too Much to Study and Too Little Time. He's learning German, and will ramp that up in high school. It's also important to me that all the boys learn some Spanish, and he (my oldest) is eager to begin doing that now. I feel rather like he's just going through the paces, where Latin is concerned. On the other hand, I'm suffering from an odd, self-inflicted guilt about setting it aside.

 

What say those of you with older children?

[Plaid Dad]

I don't have older children, but I think you've answered your own question. If you don't care about your dc reading Latin literature and Latin isn't central to the structure of your curriculum, there's probably no pressing reason to continue beyond the equivalent of Latin I or II. For some, reading Latin fluently is the primary goal, and the other benefits are gravy. But for many others - the majority, I would bet - Latin is a means to other ends, like a bigger vocabulary or a better grasp of grammar. There's nothing wrong with that. If your dc's Latin study has achieved the goals you do have, I don't think you need to fret about goals that weren't yours to begin with.

[Colleen]

I appreciate your reply and your open-mindedness toward those of us who aren't as committed, long-term, to Latin as are others.;)

 

I don't have older children, but I think you've answered your own question. If you don't care about your dc reading Latin literature and Latin isn't central to the structure of your curriculum, there's probably no pressing reason to continue beyond the equivalent of Latin I or II. For some, reading Latin fluently is the primary goal, and the other benefits are gravy. But for many others - the majority, I would bet - Latin is a means to other ends, like a bigger vocabulary or a better grasp of grammar. There's nothing wrong with that. If your dc's Latin study has achieved the goals you do have, I don't think you need to fret about goals that weren't yours to begin with.

[Pensguys]

I've wondered this myself. I have decided to pursue Latin at least through the Galore series since I already own the Latin Prep 2. I remember someone saying (was it here? I can't remember) that learning Spanish (or was it a different language) was so easy after having learned Latin. So, *my* take on it would be that if you have Latin as a base for other foreign languages, then those others will be that much easier.

 

I'll be anxious to hear what others say that have been doing this longer than I.

[mcconnellboys]

I allowed my older son to stop after he finished second year high school level work in Latin. He was not interested in continuing and needed to finish up a modern foreign language (Spanish), so I didn't press the issue. If you've done work that qualifies him through at least Latin I, so you have something for your transcript in that regard, why not stop and allow him to pursue the other languages he's more interested in? I think having two other modern languages for him will be a plus on his transcript.

[Colleen]

If you've done work that qualifies him through at least Latin I, so you have something for your transcript in that regard, why not stop and allow him to pursue the other languages he's more interested in?

 

I honestly don't know if the work he's done thus far qualifies as "Latin I". The coverage via Latina Christiana is very minimal and he's not blazing through Latin Prep 1. Anyway, he's only a 7th grader, so I don't consider what he's completed thus far transcript-worthy. Which is kinda a bummer. It almost makes me want to wait on Latin with my other guys until they're all older. Because if they're only going to study if for a few years, it'd be nice to put it on a transcript; an added bonus, anyway.

[Colleen]

I have decided to pursue Latin at least through the Galore series since I already own the Latin Prep 2. I remember someone saying (was it here? I can't remember) that learning Spanish (or was it a different language) was so easy after having learned Latin. So, *my* take on it would be that if you have Latin as a base for other foreign languages, then those others will be that much easier.

 

Yes, the Latin foundation will undoubtedly help. I'd thought, when we moved into Galore Park's Latin this year, to continue through the GP Latin prep series. But the reality is that it will take a good long while to get through these, and I don't know that I want to devote that much time to it...

[readwithem]

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