Foreign Language: to finally start Latin or not a poll

[nukeswife]

Hi all,

I've asked many times in the past and still have not started Latin with my kids. I know they will all need a Foreign Language in High School in order to get into the college they are all thinking about. I have actually found a program that I want to use for High School, but at this point they only offer Spanish or French. I don't know that they'll ever offer more language choices.

 

So here's my question (poll to follow, wait for it:001_smile:)

Should I bother to do Latin at all, or just pick Spanish or French instead?

PS: the kids I'm looking at this for are my oldest and middle child who will be in 8th and 4th this fall.

[freeindeed]

I say go ahead and do Latin. It will help them learn the other languages. :)

[SkateLeft]

I don't think it matters which language you choose. Latin, Spanish or French will all facilitate foreign language learning in high school. What do your kids want to learn? It's much easier to get them to do a foreign language in high school if they're interested in it.

 

I know it's akin to heresy on the WTM board, but I think any language exposure is good. It doesn't have to be Latin. :)

[Amy Jo]

I think they'd get something out of it, and I wouldn't worry that your preferred company won't have a Latin course - learning a modern language has different methods and goals than learning Latin. Spanish shares a lot of vocabulary with Latin, so it would be a leg-up.

 

But I picked other because it doesn't sound like you want to do Latin (correct me if I am wrong). I wouldn't teach a language (or any subject) that I felt was unimportant unless I had a child wanting to learn. "Should" is not a good enough reason in my book. (I'm not trying to be snarky btw - just observing.)

[nukeswife]

I think they'd get something out of it, and I wouldn't worry that your preferred company won't have a Latin course - learning a modern language has different methods and goals than learning Latin. Spanish shares a lot of vocabulary with Latin, so it would be a leg-up.

 

But I picked other because it doesn't sound like you want to do Latin (correct me if I am wrong). I wouldn't teach a language (or any subject) that I felt was unimportant unless I had a child wanting to learn. "Should" is not a good enough reason in my book. (I'm not trying to be snarky btw - just observing.)

 

I don't think you sound snarky at all. I appreciate your thoughts on my question. I think you really hit on something. I've had Latin for Children sitting on my shelf for over a year, I've also bought and sold it many times before that. I don't know that it's truly I don't want to do Latin, it just seems to be that I'm pretty indifferent about it, so when we were pressed for time that would be the first thing to get chopped off the list of stuff to do, so it never got started in the first place.

 

I took Spanish for 2 years in high school (junior and senior year because my school only required art or FL, and I picked art originally so the FL was just for fun to fill in electives because I had to carry so many credits a semester) and I enjoyed it but never went further with it. I still remember a little bit and want my kids to have fun with a language. I've mentioned it to them and they also are pretty indifferent, none of them have a language that they really want to learn, which I'm sure adds to my indifference about it.