Spanish, Latin, or Greek

[Alison in KY]

I apologize for asking so many foreign language questions lately. I still don't know which way to go. Can someone help me look at the bigger picture and make a decision?

 

I'll be starting something with a 10 year old, and my 8 and 6 year olds may or may not be along for the ride. Whatever I choose will have to be shorter on lesson time, or easily adapted so I can shorten the lesson times. Also, simple for someone with no experience to implement. I'm also re-learning grammar, so it can't be too tough for either me or my son in the grammar arena. I'm pretty sure we are required to have a foreign language in high school (for college entrance, correct?). But I don't really care if I go with one thing now and then something different in high school.

 

I know at some point I would like to cover Spanish.

 

And I know the Greek Alphabet Code cracker looks really cool.

 

I also don't want to invest hundreds of dollars on a program that I'm not sure I'll like.

 

Is it a good idea to try and do both latin and greek (but not at the same time)? I was thinking if I could squeeze in a few years of each, then we could cover spanish in high school. I just can't figure out the timeline. My son will be starting 4th grade soon.

 

Also, if I tried to do all three languages, would I try two years of each, or three? Right now he shows zero interest in learning a foreign language and I'm really not that eager myself, but I know it will help him in the long run.

 

Help me please :confused:

 

Alison in KY

[Aurelia]

How about alternating Greek and Latin for a few years, and add Spanish when he gets to high school? He'll have a good, solid base for the grammar, that way. Since you seem to be leaning towards Greek, I'd start with that, since your enthusiasm (or lack thereof) will be communicated to him, whether you intend to or not. By 7th or 8th grade he might be able to do both in the same year.

[Laura Corin]

Personally, I think there is more value in taking one or two languages to proficiency, rather than doing two years here, two years there. For me, it's valuable to train a child's ear with a modern foreign language, and come to a classical language later.

 

So I would start Spanish and expect to keep it going until age 18. Then add in a classical language for a few years (perhaps starting in middle or high school). Add in a third language only if you can commit to a meaningful amount of study.

 

FWIW both my boys started Mandarin in early elementary school, then took up a classical language at around age eight. They have both just begun French and Hobbes will add in a second classical language in the autumn. Both will have the chance to take Spanish in high school (once they go to school). We are taking up languages, but not dropping the old ones.

 

Best wishes

 

Laura

[Alison in KY]

Which is easier, latin or greek?

[H.S. Burrow]

I apologize for asking so many foreign language questions lately. I still don't know which way to go. Can someone help me look at the bigger picture and make a decision?

 

I'll be starting something with a 10 year old, and my 8 and 6 year olds may or may not be along for the ride. Whatever I choose will have to be shorter on lesson time, or easily adapted so I can shorten the lesson times. Also, simple for someone with no experience to implement. I'm also re-learning grammar, so it can't be too tough for either me or my son in the grammar arena. I'm pretty sure we are required to have a foreign language in high school (for college entrance, correct?). But I don't really care if I go with one thing now and then something different in high school.

 

I know at some point I would like to cover Spanish.

 

And I know the Greek Alphabet Code cracker looks really cool.

 

I also don't want to invest hundreds of dollars on a program that I'm not sure I'll like.

 

Is it a good idea to try and do both latin and greek (but not at the same time)? I was thinking if I could squeeze in a few years of each, then we could cover spanish in high school. I just can't figure out the timeline. My son will be starting 4th grade soon.

 

Also, if I tried to do all three languages, would I try two years of each, or three? Right now he shows zero interest in learning a foreign language and I'm really not that eager myself, but I know it will help him in the long run.

 

Help me please :confused:

 

Alison in KY

 

 

And here's another perspective. :)

 

I would do 2 years of Latin before beginning Spanish. French, Spanish, and Italian are all Latin based languages. This is the reason that I would study 2 years of Latin before beginning another language.

 

We like the Latina Christiana I & II programs and use the DVDs and Flashcards. I am learning Latin along with my kids.

 

I agree with another poster (Laura, I think) in that I would not do 2 years here and there of different languages. Our plan is to continue Latin all through high school. DS10 will add in Greek this fall and DD14 just started (at her request) French. She will add Spanish into her foreign language studies in 10th or 11th grade and continue all languages until she graduates.

 

DD14's foreign language schedule will look like this:

9th grade Latin & French

10th grade Latin & French (may start Spanish, we'll see)

11th grade Latin, French & Spanish

12th grade Latin, French & Spanish

 

 

The Greek Alphabet Code Cracker is lots of fun! DS is using it now....but it is only the alphabet...just wanted to be sure that you knew that. DS will start Elementary Greek year 1 this fall.

 

HTH:)

[H.S. Burrow]

Which is easier, latin or greek?

 

 

My opinion is that Latin is easier.

 

In Greek, you must learn a completely different alphabet. Latin is the same alphabet minus the letter 'W'.

[Alison in KY]

I didn't know that about the alphabet. Is it confusing then doing our a then a latin a? In a weird way I think latin would obviously be easier to write the letters but much harder to remember the sounds because they look like ours...and vice versa for greek.

[Terabith]

For an adult, yes, learning Latin will make learning modern languages easier.

 

However, the older we get, and especially after puberty, the "window" for learning conversational languages fluently closes rapidly. We can still learn to speak a language, but it is unlikely that one will gain fluency, and it will take much more effort than if begun earlier in life.

 

Latin is useful in that it teaches vocabulary that is common to MANY Romance languages, so if you plan to learn Spanish and French and Portugese and Italian, etc, Latin would be a handy fundamental. But I would still start a modern, spoken language, aiming towards conversational skills, and later add in Latin, perhaps in middle school. Greek would be way down on my priority, and I wouldn't start it until two years after I started Latin. But, I would plan on continuing my modern language studies through high school. If your kids take four or five years of Latin and get through some translation work, then I might let them drop it. It would have served its usefulness in teaching thinking, vocabulary, grammar, and shaping the mind.

 

I definitely would not alternate one year on Latin and one year on Greek. Nor would I do two yrs of this and two yrs of that. There is no time for mastery in that scenario.

 

The other advantage of starting with a conversational language (in which your six year old may well have the advantage), is that you do not have to worry too much about teaching grammar while you work hard on your understanding of and teaching of English grammar.

 

I know the Latin centered folks would disagree with this, and I can totally see their points. But I would hate to not take advantage of the natural brain and ear orientation towards speaking languages at this younger age.

[Beth in SW WA]

Whatever I choose will have to be shorter on lesson time, or easily adapted so I can shorten the lesson times. Also, simple for someone with no experience to implement.

 

We started w/ Latin and now are phasing it out and bringing Spanish to the forefront. Latin was a great foundation, but not paramount in importance if your are not determined to read Latin texts at some future point.

 

I regret my older kids have not had more experience with Spanish as younger students.

 

Alison, if time, energy and budget are of no concern, I would say start w/ Latin. If time, energy and budget ARE a concern, I would start -- and stick w/ Spanish.

[Tree House Academy]

My older son is going straight to spanish. My younger son will not start foreign language until 2nd or 3rd grade and he will begin with Latin, then moving on to something else (likely French or Italian).