One of the most common questions classical educators face is the natural one:  “Why Latin?”  In arguing for a return to the disciplined study of Latin, we do not do so mindlessly, simply because Latin is old.  Some things improve with age, like wine, but other things do not, like pizza.  We would like to argue that Latin is in the former category.

The study of Latin is an integral part of a classical education.  From antiquity through the nineteenth century, western educators understood its power to sharpen one’s grasp of language and to teach clear thinking and speaking.  Today, moreover, Latin is of inestimable value in conveying an appreciation for western culture and history.  In sum, Latin contributes beautifully to accomplishing all the goals of the Trivium.

The study of Latin greatly enhances the young child’s grasp of the English language. Mastery of the English language is directly related to success in life, but a thorough mastery of English is dependent upon the study of Latin.  Since most English words are derived from Latin, an understanding of these roots increases the range and depth of a student’s vocabulary.  If someone learns the English word constitution, to take one example, he has learned one word.  But if he learns the Latin word meaning I stand, which is sto, he learns an important component of the English words constitution, institution, and restitution, along with many others.  If he has learned bene, meaning “well,” and dico, meaning “I say,” he can anticipate the meaning of benediction, malediction, valedictory, dictation, dictator, and more ad nauseam, which is also Latin. Mastering the subtleties and nuances of Latin grammar also aids in the comprehension of complex English sentences.   To embark on any complex English construction without the Latin Grammar is like trying to find one's way across country without map or signposts.  That is why so few people nowadays can put together an English paragraph without writing in a series of short sentences, like a series of gasps, punctuated only by full stops.  Latin study, therefore, contributes enormously to the grammar stage of classical education.

Latin is a complex but very systematic language.  Reading it requires more than just memorization.  It entails the comparison and analysis of subtle forms and differences.  It involves the practical application of rules and principles.  We see, therefore, that it teaches logical thinking. Latin is a more precise language than English, and the exercise of learning what the different case endings do (for just one example) encourages precision of thought.  A good education encourages such attention to detail in all things but especially in language.  The reason mental discipline is difficult is that we live in a fallen world.  Laziness and sin both make people want to coast downhill.  Work is hard, but it is also profitable.  But hard work and precision are not ends in themselves.  When we learn the importance of intellectual discipline, we can soon relate the value of that discipline to other tasks and from that point to the ultimate goal, which is the glory of God.

The study of Latin also involves the study of Latin authors and this capacity for literary appreciation is very important.  Many great literary works were written in Latin.  From Virgil’s Aeneid to Augustine’s Confessions, the Latin language has served a foundational role in world literature. Experiencing these authors means encountering the greatest writers and thinkers of two thousand years of western culture.  In teaching Latin, we are exposing our students to the best of the rhetorical tradition.  What better way to learn the art of skillful communication than from the masters of our own intellectual history?

The last reason for teaching Latin is related to the fact that classical Christian schools are Christian schools.  They are not pre-ministerial academies, but many of our future pastors are going to be graduates of these schools.  Moreover, many of their parishioners will have been their classmates.  A grounding in Latin will be a great benefit to the future of the church.  Ministers, who are well educated, preaching to souls who are also recipients of a thoroughly Christian education, will do a great deal to raise the standard above the current level.

Finally, we note that Latin is the linguistic soul of our culture.  Most of the languages of Western Europe evolved, to some extent, from Latin.  Over fifty percent of our own English vocabulary is derived from Latin.  Into the eighteenth century, moreover, the literature, the theology, the history, the science, and the philosophy of the West were composed in this language.  Knowing Latin enables the student to understand and appreciate this heritage.