WHY LATIN?

At Holy Name Catholic School children have the unique opportunity to learn Latin! Starting in 3rd grade, students meet once a week to delve into this beautiful
language. Over the course of years at Holy Name they will learn over 10 Latin prayers, various hymns, around 400 vocabulary, grammatical concepts, as well as an overview of Roman history.

In this day of computers, and the triumph of science and technology, when there is so much to learn and so little time, why study a dead language? Why not study something practical and useful? Like Spanish, for instance. While we agree the study of Spanish is a very good thing, we propose to show you that there is no subject more useful, more practical, and more valuable than Latin.

1. About 60% of English words are derived from Latin and 90% of English words consisting of more than two syllables come from Latin. Latin builds English
vocabulary.

2. Students of Latin earn higher SAT scores, better college acceptance rates, and earn higher college GPA’s.

3. The increased vocabulary and understanding of grammar gained by studying Latin enables students to write and read with greater ease and clarity.

4. It assists in the development of the brain and its discipline, structure & abstraction. The study of Latin is an ongoing practice in linguistic puzzle-solving that generally helps students to become close and thoughtful readers and writers. Many scholars believe it also hones the mental faculties, cultivating careful analysis and attention.

5. Latin never truly died, but rather evolved into French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, and Romanian (the Romance languages). About 90 percent of the
vocabulary of these languages comes from Latin. To learn Latin is therefore to begin a study of 6 languages at once.

6. It is the official language of the Roman Catholic Church and still used in the sacred liturgy as well as official documents of the Church.

7. It improves the knowledge of ancient histories and cultures, is the foundation of western civilization and allows direct access to key documents of the western world.

8. Latin prepares students for many important professions that are steeped in Latin terms and phrases or in English words derived from Latin. These career fields include law, medicine, science, music, theology, philosophy, art, and literature.

9. Deciphering the “secret code” of Latin and learning how to puzzle-solve, see the meanings behind words, and read great authors in their own tongue is a pleasure that will last students a lifetime.

10. As you can see, studying Latin is a way of performing advanced study in multiple subject areas simultaneously. It is a master art that enables students to in turn master other skills and other subjects.