Latin is a language…

Posted by Barbara on August 2, 2021 in Blog, Education, Lockdown | 2 comments

I’ve just been looking at the response to our esteemed Education Secretary’s announcement that Latin will be taught in state schools.

Before we start to dissect and offer opinions on this, I would like to point out that Latin is already taught in a number of state schools.

The study of Latin introduces the student to the structure and function of another language, which happens to be one of the root languages of English. Much research has been carried out on multi-lingual people and the effect on brain function. People who speak more than one language are reported to have improved memory, problem-solving and critical-thinking skills, enhanced concentration, ability to multitask, and better listening skills. They switch between competing tasks and monitor changes in their environment more easily than monolinguals, as well as displaying signs of greater creativity and flexibility. If that weren’t enough, as we age, being bilingual or multilingual also helps to stave off mental and cognitive decline.

I can’t prove any of the above, but as someone who has spent many hours of her life trying to master a number of languages, I can confirm that it definitely makes the brain work hard. My children are probably best placed to comment on the mental ageing and decline bit!

We also know that learning more than one language from birth is the easiest way to become multilingual. However, not all of us are fortunate enough to be born to multilingual parents, and therefore have to do it the hard way, with nouns, verbs, tenses, gender and so on, not to mention subjunctives and conditionals.  And no matter how may languages your parents may speak, I feel pretty confident saying that they won’t include Latin, so forget the ‘at mother’s knee’ approach in this case.

Now back to our super brainy Education Secretary. Based on his mighty achievements during the pandemic one would assume he had studied and mastered numerous languages. Except that there haven’t been any achievements or wins – only losses. There was the fiasco over the A-level algorithms last year, then the impossible-to-follow messaging about schools opening and closing, apparently at his whim, then the universities mess, and now this year’s GCSE and A level results – due in a few weeks and no doubt the source of more chaos.

So let’s see exactly what Tarantula Man actually said, and I quote:

‘We know Latin has a reputation as an elitist subject which is only reserved for the privileged few. But the subject can bring so many benefits to young people, so I want to put an end to that divide.

There should be no difference in what pupils learn at state schools and independent schools, which is why we have a relentless focus on raising school standards and ensuring all pupils study a broad, ambitious curriculum.’

At face value his comments are of course laudable, but we all know the reality of reductions in the budget for schools in real terms since 2010, and post pandemic there are many more urgent problems to fix.  And just to show I am not just taking aim at the Tories, the study of modern languages in state schools has declined since the requirement to take one at GCSE was removed by a Labour government in 2004.  I of course would like to see that reversed.

So bring on the Latin, and the French, and the German, and all the other languages, because in the end it doesn’t really matter which you choose, as long as it is properly taught… and funded. Quod Erat Demonstrandum.