Side-effects of learning latin/greek

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Reemas
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Side-effects of learning latin/greek

Post by Reemas »

Has anyone noticed while learning one of the two languages, that their general usuage of grammar has become noticable?

For example, I sometimes find myself stoping and thinking about how I am going to write or say something. Even reading general material from different sources, I seem to find myself finding mistakes in other peoples grammar. I seem to sound more like my english teacher from way back in school.

The bad side of being analytical with grammar is that I find myself getting confused more often with material that has bad grammar, or when people speak with poor grammar. :?

Although people who are learnign english at an advance level seem to have a better grasp of the grammar then a primary speaker of the language.

What do you guys think?

Raya
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Post by Raya »

I do notice myself being more aware of my English grammar (e.g. now I understand the difference between 'who' and 'whom': 'who' is nominative, 'whom' is accusative). But having said that, I don't think it's an offshoot of the fact that I'm learning Greek so much as that I've been taught linguistics within my Greek course.
I see Linguistics as a very separate component from Language; indeed, I often feel I'd have been much happier if I didn't have to bother learning all the linguistic jargon and spent that time and energy, instead, on gaining a more natural (as opposed to this distant, 'academic') feel for the language.

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klewlis
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Post by klewlis »

I've always been anal about grammar. It began long before I started learning Greek and Latin. :)

I get really angry when people say "there's" instead of "there are" or when they use adjectives instead of adverbs (eg, "she sings beautiful"). I can often be found grumbling and yelling at the tv or at news articles.
First say to yourself what you would be; then do what you need to do. ~Epictetus

Emma_85
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Post by Emma_85 »

I wouldn't know if learning Latin or Greek helps you with grammar in general or not, but one side effect is that you really learn to look at sentences properly and analyse them, because when translating something you really have to think about the sentence and you take your time. So it helps you when reading difficult texts in any language as it teaches you to pay attention to detail.

Episcopus
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Post by Episcopus »

I personally love the academic intense rather harsh approach to Latin grammar adopted by all older books. I detest newer courses attempting to make Latin fun and interesting (CLC etc.). This way I believe is necessary for grasping well the structure of a language. I do feel that I have a certain Latin Sprachgefuhl despite what Raya says about such an intensive acquisition of a language's grammar being unnatural.
I suppose it depends on the book, and D'Ooge happens to rule!

I was able to write grammatically correct prose prior to my studying Latin; now however I scatter somewhat egotistical yet effective Latin phrases about my writing. I also use more obscure very archaic sentence structures knowing them to be right. This was true before but more so now I suppose. Also in essays I can write Greek derivatives in the Greek alphabet which petrifies the teachers, but that's not really due to Latin study. It's funny that I do know more technical poetic devices than the English teacher, he did not know zeugma. Messing with them is funny. And whilst other people ask "Why the duck is iron Fe like? he he Einstein dunno 'ow ta spell iron like he he" I chuckle.

Evito
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Re: Side-effects of learning latin/greek

Post by Evito »

Reemas wrote:Although people who are learnign english at an advance level seem to have a better grasp of the grammar then a primary speaker of the language.

What do you guys think?
I think you need to become more advanced. ;) Lol

no well I think you're complete right, I noticed myself doing it a couple of times. You know, I didn't use to so picky and I made a few errors myself back in the days. But studying Latin I got an insight into the structure of grammar; what it is we actually do when forming sentences, what it is we say when we speak. I notice errors of my own and others right away most of the time. I don't see that as a problem though. But I go to school in Amsterdam, which makes it worse, because people don't take grammar seriously there. Literally translated, "Them have" and "more as" is very common here.

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