I’ve recently started learning Latin and thought this forum would be a great place to ask questions and find inspiration. To tell you a bit about myself: I studied English literature at university and always fancied delving into the classics, but never seemed to find the time. Just recently, my daughter’s school suddenly cancelled her Latin class, saying there wasn’t enough interest. This has spurred me on to find a private tutor for her so she can continue with Latin, and to take it up myself as a hobby.
I’m starting with Duolingo, but can see that the Latin course there is pretty short, so once I’ve finished it I plan to move on to N.R.R. Oulton’s series ‘So You Really Want To Learn Latin’, which was recommended by Harry Mount in his Five Books interview on Latin. Clearly I have a couple of years’ work ahead of me, but I’m determined to get to the point where I can read Horace in the original language. (Harry Eyres’ book ‘Horace and Me’ is another inspiration).
I live on the England-Wales border and I’m in my 40s. The only other language I’ve learned as an adult is Welsh - not part of the Latin language family, but very different to most western European languages, with a verb-subject-object sentence structure and a strange type of inflection that changes the beginning of words rather than the ending. Hopefully that experience will stand me in good stead with Latin.
I look forward to reading your posts in the year to come.
Welcome Richard! I joined just today too. My upbringing was not too far from the Welsh border - Worcestershire. I studied Latin at WGGS in the 1950’s. Life intervened afterwards, so I’m almost a newbie now as I seek to relearn everything.
Have you thought of launching an appeal against the cancellation? If you got a petition going, and canvassed other parents, such precipitate and short-sighted decisions can sometimes be reversed. And how about the board of governors? A word in the ear of a sympathetic board member might just be enough. And you should most certainly enlist the support of the Classical Association (what used to be the Association of Classical Teachers, responsible for the admirable JACT publications). Contact them and sound them out on possible actions. Of course, you’ll have to act fast, and it may be too late. But interest in Latin is actually growing.
My wife is learning Welsh, her grandmother’s and aunts’ secret language, and yes, the verb is linguistically fascinating. My first teaching position was at Cardiff University, but to my shame I never learnt the language.
Now I’m retired and no longer live in the UK, so I’m now in no position to pull strings. But I slum it on this site, where you and/or your daughter will find people are eager to help.
Good luck!
Michael
Worcestershire’s a lovely part of the world, Merrie. I look forward to visiting it more when we have a bit more freedom.
Thanks Piekarski and Michael on your suggestions for keeping my daughter’s Latin going. I did complain to the school when they withdrew the course, but to no avail. My hunch is that the new headteacher is against anything ‘elitist’ in education, and rightly or wrongly, she sees Latin that way. But we’re lucky to have found a good local tutor whose fees are very reasonable.