Why does she die?

[Episcopus]

"Latin has been in decline in state schools in particular in recent years. <br /><br />"Last year a total of 10,451 students sat GCSE exams in the language in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Only 958 took [Ancient] Greek. "<br /><br />Why is something that increases tolerance intelligence and awareness being deleted? That goes for Greek too, but I'm not fortunate enough to be able to study that yet. <br /><br />In Wales Latin is being taken out by Welsh, I'll warrant that only about 500 took Latin in this country - possibly less.<br />Welsh is not a modern language, but they try to make it thus. <br />I'm not saying Welsh to be pointless, but compulsory Latin nationwide would (I am certain) have a much needed positive impact on children. Instead of the language of the mobile phone. <br /><br />And in England there are just too many crazy people who prefer to push British rap to the forefront; they consider Latin to be for old stupid boring guys whose tones of voice change never. <br /><br />I like to discuss this it releases much anger which is good I suppose!

[Episcopus]

And this is even during the dramatic rise in Latin interest, primarily due to Kharry Potter (which is by the way NOT the reason wherefore I am here!)

[Emma_85]

Here in German Latin and Greek is in heavy demand, and interest has been increasing in the last decade or so. But whereas you still need Latin to take many university courses in Germany, you don't need Latin in the UK anymore. <br />I actually think it's a good thing you don't need it to get into certain university course anymore, because it you don't actually need to know Latin in order to be a good doctor for example, though I do think it's a shame that schools don't offer it anymore. <br />Nearly every school here offers it, and in many schools you even have to take it, though Greek.... well, my school is one of the only ones in the state to do Greek, there's only one other school I think. <br />But two years below me too many people choose to do Greek! They now have two Greek classes in that year, which compared to the year above me, where no one has Greek at all, is sensational. Before then, my year had been the one with the most Greek students. Before 2000 all the parents suddenly wanted their kids to learn Latin and Greek, but now not so many want to anymore (probably due to the bad economy).

[benissimus]

[quote author=Episcopus link=board=3;threadid=668;start=0#6332 date=1064066189]<br /><br />

<br />Welsh is not a modern language, but they try to make it thus. <br />

<br />

<br />compulsory Latin nationwide would (I am certain) have a much needed positive impact on children.<br />

<br /><br />Do you see a contradiction here?<br /><br />

<br />And in England there are just too many crazy people who prefer to push British rap to the forefront; they consider Latin to be for old stupid boring guys whose tones of voice change never. <br />

<br />I can never be sure about your sense of humor, but the type of music people listen to (I'm not even sure that many people listen to British rap) has very little to do with their educational interests. Latin has rarely ever been considered "cool", and now that it is rarely ever required and not even taught in most grade schools (where it was very often abhorred) people don't really take it much. The positive effect of this is that now almost everyone who takes it does so out of his own volition, and so you get a much more enthusiastic and zealous class. Of course, you will not gain this benefit if Latin has become so extinct in your area that you cannot even find a class, but hopefully whatever college you go to will offer it.[/quote]

[Ptahhotep]

I'm sure that if Latin became compulsory in schools again (worldwide) people would soon loose interest in it as soon as they finished school anyway. I hope I don't have to learn Latin to do a university course in art. Maybe at Grade 11 or 12 you should do Latin but only for scientific terms and stuff to prepare yourself for univesity. Or if you are deffinitely interested in linguistics or the field of science then Latin or Greek is essential and you should be offered a course while in matric. But i don't know about compulsory in elementary schools. Very intersting discussion, tho!<br /><br />PS. i think this topic should be on the open board

[Emma_85]

Benissimus, the school system probably won't allow Episcopus to take Latin, if the school he goes to now doesn't do it. Even if he did go to a sixth form college that does Latin A-Levels, he'd need a Latin GCSE first.

[Raya]

[quote author=Emma_85 link=board=6;threadid=668;start=0#6379 date=1064151414]<br />Even if he did go to a sixth form college that does Latin A-Levels, he'd need a Latin GCSE first. <br />[/quote]<br /><br />Probably true, yet ironic since, according to the A-level syllabus for classical languages (AQA at least), prior knowledge of Latin and Greek are not required to do the respective A-levels.<br /><br />I don't agree that classical languages should be made compulsory - at least, not for long. Forced exposure for some time might not be a bad idea - say, if everyone had to do a term of Latin and/or Greek before they had the choice to drop it - just as one is forced to study science in the early years of secondary school, although not forced to take it up towards the end. (So it is in the school systems I've experienced, at least.)<br /><br />I certainly think that those who wish to study classical languages should not be barred (for lack of opportunity or otherwise) either! Here, NONE of the schools offer Greek (I believe one offers Latin: it's a French-medium school, so out of bounds to me). I couldn't even find a qualified Greek tutor locally, so I'm working on it by correspondence with a tutor in America - which is less than ideal, but better than working on one's own.

[Episcopus]

Welsh is not a modern language, but it is promoted so much here to an extent where many welsh people are sick of it.<br /><br />I would never force kids to learn Latin - I just said that it would make kids more intelligent. I have spoken to thousands of kids and their hobbies obviously do reflect what they choose to learn. It may be different elsewhere. <br /><br />And put it thus: I don't know of any school near to me that offers Latin, and if there were, I would not go thither for it is not possible that I travel far and move school now. School remains a place for learning nothing whereas my time is a time for progress. <br /><br />But 958 for Greek Nationwide that is a tiny amount...

[Emma_85]

Well, 60 people a year end up with the equivalent of Latin GCSE as my school and Greek, well... the number is always changing...<br />There should be about 600 learning Latin at my school and 70 learning Greek (but I'm not too sure...)

[mingshey]

It's bad that we in Korea have no greek or latin course before you go to colleges. And there's no requirements for them except to some college students who major in western classics or those who go to theology schools. I've started greek out of my own interest, and had to concentrate in more 'practical' studies. It's like a secret cult that, if you say you study greek to your closest friends, they think you have so strange a hobby, if not an idiot. <br />I don't know much about other Asian countries, but I don't think they bother about greek or latin.<br />

[Keesa]

But, Episcopus, if I understand you correctly, your school at least offers Latin and Greek. None of the schools around here do. (I don't attend the schools personally, but two of my friends are teachers.)

[Episcopus]

[quote author=Keesa link=board=6;threadid=668;start=0#6442 date=1064237203]<br />But, Episcopus, if I understand you correctly, your school at least offers Latin and Greek. None of the schools around here do. <br />[/quote]<br /><br />Qué?!

[Emma_85]

Posted by: Keesa Posted on: Today at 03:26:43pm <br />But, Episcopus, if I understand you correctly, your school at least offers Latin and Greek. None of the schools around here do. (I don't attend the schools personally, but two of my friends are teachers.) <br /><br /><br />I'd be very surprised if it did....

[Keesa]

[quote author=Episcopus link=board=6;threadid=668;start=0#6456 date=1064251345]<br />[quote author=Keesa link=board=6;threadid=668;start=0#6442 date=1064237203]<br />But, Episcopus, if I understand you correctly, your school at least offers Latin and Greek. None of the schools around here do. <br />[/quote]<br /><br />Qué?!<br />[/quote]<br /><br />The schools around here don't offer either Latin or Greek. I don't even think that my cousin's school does, and it's a large public school in Birmingham (our largest and most cultured city.) <br /><br />Learn Latin yourself, encourage other people to learn it, and teach it to your children, and Latin will never die. <br /><br />As long as two people speak a language, it may die officially, but it can't be quite dead.

[Episcopus]

:-* I thought myself to have made it as clear as the 1st conjugation present that there is no school in South Wales qui teaches Latin. <br /><br />I am also confident that there are no, or at best a couple, non-christian Welsh schools that offer Latin. Unless the school has a history thereof and there are not many thereof ;D

[Emma_85]

No even most private schools in Britan offer Latin now ...

[Episcopus]

As if I might go to a private school! poof!

[Emma_85]

Well, yeah... who'd throw their money down the drain for a private school...<br />But quite a few of the private schools used to be old grammar schools and so they're the ones that normally offer Latin (due to their history), but now even those schools aren't all offering Latin anymore. I could go on and on about how rubbish private schools are...

[Keesa]

[quote author=Emma_85 link=board=6;threadid=668;start=15#6758 date=1064430465]<br />I could go on and on about how rubbish private schools are... <br />[/quote]<br /><br />No need. :-\ I went to a private school once, and it nearly killed my love of learning. :'( I could say a few things on the subject of private schools, myself.

[Episcopus]

Here they are awful. Truly terrible. Aesthetically and educationally.

[Keesa]

Wow...we agree on something! They're rotten here, too.

[klewlis]

Kees, I think your experience of one school may have tainted your perception of all the rest ;)<br /><br />I also attended a private school... in fact, I've done private, public and homeschooling, so I have a good variety. The best education I received was in the private school.

[Keesa]

That's very possible. My experience was not a good one...for me, homeschooling has been the best.