Learning English?

You can talk about anything here

Moderator: Global Moderator

wicked_assassin
N3O Member
N3O Member
Posts: 668
Joined: Sun Jan 11, 2009 11:27 pm
Location: Belgium

Re: Learning English?

Post by wicked_assassin »

[quote=""luukje""]
So yes, latin doesnt have any practical uses, but at the same time, its idealy suited to start training kids in other languages.
[/quote]

Bs,

1. you sett your brain at work with learning an other language.
2. Learning spanish would be for me also learning from scrath.
3. if you whant something totaly new study japanese.
4. Kids are to much forced to choose latin by their parent.
Image
User avatar
luukje
Honorary Member
Honorary Member
Posts: 553
Joined: Fri Nov 23, 2007 5:21 pm

Re: Learning English?

Post by luukje »

It's hard to explain in english wicked, but it's not the same, because it's a dead language. If you learn spanish, french, arab, chinse, the education is much more orientated on conversation and normal practical use.
Studying Latin is truly analyzing the components of language and doesnt only teach you the language, but a very deep understanding of how indo european languages function.
It wont make you smarter, but when you start learning a second, third language, it will come easier.
Japanese might do the same, it could, but maybe it's to different from our common languages, so you will learn things that dont really help for all the indo european languages.
And last but not least, studying latin gves you a great understanding of the ancient roman culture and how it has influenced the way we think, act, write, speak.... Reading poetry 2.000 years old is weird. On some of the strangest subjects availabale. Or just on love or erotics. Like poets do now these days. Or orations from 2.000 years old politicians, like cicero and catalina and comparing them with those from Obama, Kennedy and martin Luther King.

I think parents make all the choices for their kids up to 14, 15 years of age. No kid will study math for fun. Or latin. Or religion. Or in my case music or creative arts.

I would never force my kids to study Latin, but I dont regret havin studied it intensely for six years of my life.
User avatar
Kaiser_von_Nuben
Honorary Member
Honorary Member
Posts: 2186
Joined: Fri Jul 04, 2008 11:40 pm
Location: New York, NY USA

Re: Learning English?

Post by Kaiser_von_Nuben »

I agree with Luukje here. Latin is useful because it teaches you the components of language-learning. Learning a language is an acquired skill. It's much easier to do once you've done it once. And because Latin has influenced almost all European languages, it makes learning them that much easier. I mean, I started learning Latin when I was 13. After that, French, Italian and Spanish came easy because I recognized all the Latin roots in the words.

I never sat down to study Portuguese. But if I did, I'm sure it would come to me very easily: Just another cousin on the Latin family tree.
"The German Army will not stand for it!"

-Colonel Bockner, King Solomon's Mines (1985)
wicked_assassin
N3O Member
N3O Member
Posts: 668
Joined: Sun Jan 11, 2009 11:27 pm
Location: Belgium

Re: Learning English?

Post by wicked_assassin »

I still think it has more useful to use your time studying something else. Also latin is not the main sources of the germanic languages. It's like studying gothic, Low Frankish, etc...

The difference between these 2 examples and latin is the aspect religion, nothing more.
Image
Post Reply