The Roman Empire has influenced the world in a lot of ways. The architecture, art, music, and poetry today were shaped through the civilization of the Roman Empire. But the contribution of this ancient civilization doesn’t only end there. The time of the ancient Romans was also the time when Latin was first used and spoken. Latin has evolved over the centuries and was even used for international communication.
But today, Latin is already considered a dead language as it doesn’t have any native speakers anymore. The fall of the Roman Empire and the complexity of the language are part of the reasons why Latin is no longer as prominent as before. But this status quo shouldn’t discourage you from learning Latin. In fact, it should motivate you to do the opposite.
According to a study, over 100 people sign up in a distinguished language school to learn ancient languages such as Latin. They usually do it because of the following reasons:
Latin Improves English Efficacy
There are over 1.5 billion people in the world who speak English. This number makes up about 20% of the world’s population, making English one of the most spoken languages worldwide. Aside from its popularity, learning English is vital as it can affect your success in life.
When you learn Latin, you won’t only have the opportunity to speak and write an ancient language but you will also improve your English communication skills through the following ways:
- Latin works as a foundation of learning: Latin might be ancient, but it’s still significant up until today. Terminologies and root words used in law, theology, philosophy, medicine, and art are usually in Latin. By learning Latin, understanding the terminologies and processes in these industries will come off easier.
- Latin improves your English grammar: The grammatical rules in English are influenced by the Latin language. Rules pertaining to the use of gender and number in a sentence are derived from Latin.
When you exert time and effort in learning Latin, you’re also pouring your resources to improve your English grammar. You’ll be surprised how the Latin language will boost your English grammar in speaking and writing.
- Latin makes you more conscious with the use of English: As mentioned, Latin is a complex and distinct language. For you to clearly express your thoughts using the language, you should be adept at seven noun cases and five verb conjugations. The Latin word you’ll use in a sentence will differ based on the mood, voice, and person. This entails one thing. Learning Latin grammatical rules can help you become a more careful English writer and speaker.
Latin Allows You To Interpret Literature Better
Many famous literary works use Latin words and phrases, but being an alien to the language will make it challenging for you to understand these. Sure, you might still get an idea of what these words mean by looking at the context, but nothing compares if you actually understand the words and how these words affect the story.
Learning Latin allows you to better interpret and appreciate literary pieces as you’ll be able to fully embrace the content of the material. You’ll engage yourself in the characters and plot of the literary piece as you won’t have to pause whenever you come across an unfamiliar Latin word or phrase.
The more focused you are in reading, the easier it’ll be for you to immerse yourself in the content of the material. The experience of a reader who has a background in Latin will be different from those who are clueless about how the language works.
Latin Develops Your Intellectual Powers
How your brain functions can make or break your productivity and success in life. Optimal cognitive functions can help you improve your performance in school or your ability to network with other people as an entrepreneur. Over time, this can result in higher productivity and more success.
Learning Latin allows you to develop your intellectual powers as this language affects your brain the same way math does. For many, math is considered as a difficult subject because it requires organization and logic. Your thoughts should be systematic, orderly, and cumulative in order to excel in math. All of these skills are interrelated, which means that mastering one skill allows you to easily master another.
Latin provides the same effects of math to your brain because this language is also systematic in nature. You can only use Latin if you’re already familiar with the basics of the language. For example, it’ll be challenging for you to progress in learning Latin if you don’t have any idea how its grammatical rules work.
English doesn’t provide this advantage as this is a lax and loose language. It can easily be bent to better fit the preferences of the speaker.
Knowledge Is Power
Although Latin is generally more complex than English, online courses and virtual classes are great platforms that can make the learning process easier. Learning Latin from these platforms is convenient and cost-effective.
If you’re planning to utilize these platforms to learn Latin, it’s best if you scout for options and research about the lessons offered. It’ll be easier for you to prepare if you already know what you’re going into.