Confused about the grammar differences between English, French, and Latin languages..

[Merry]

My son has been learning a little Latin for the past couple years and is beginning to learn French in a coop class this week. He is saying that he wants to drop Latin because the grammar is more difficult than the grammar in French. He is having trouble with the endings of the nouns and verbs. But I'm not sure that even though the French apparently doesn't have the endings like Latin, it still has the pronouns and verb helpers that have to be memorized like in English so it's not that much easier than Latin? Am I correct?

[Laura Corin]

French is easier than Latin because nouns and pronouns behave more like English nouns and pronouns: they have singulars and plurals, not cases dependent on how they are used in the sentence. Learning any foreign language involves lots of memorisation, however.

 

FWIW, I learned French at school from age 11-18 and Latin from age 12-16. I then taught both languages to my sons.

 

Laura

[crazyforlatin]

French grammar is easier compared to Latin. DD learned Latin for several years before starting French, and when she began last year, she commented that it was similar but easier.

 

ETA: It does take a fair amount of work to learn Latin grammar, but if you do, French and Spanish are just a lot easier.

Edited September 12, 2012 by crazyforlatin

[Merry]

Since Latin is harder in grammar than French, I'll go light on the vocabulary for this year and maybe next year and focus on the grammar. Go slowly too. As for the French, my ds will do all the work for the class.

Then pick up the pace in Latin in a couple years when he is ready to take an online class.

Thanks guys!

Laura, that's interesting what you did in your teens. That's sort of the same plan I had in mind for my ds; that's if he's willing to go for it.