LATIN

Pupils at Cavina School begin their study of Latin in Form IV, thereafter, pursuing it all the way to Common Entrance. 

The pragmatist may here interject; ‘Why learn a language that no one in the world speaks anymore?’ Well, it is true that Latin is no longer spoken, but the voices, opinions, and sentiments of those that did speak it remain alive in the copious literature that they left us. In their writings are preserved some of the choicest fruits of human genius, and a record of many a virtuous deed nobly done and worthily spoken. 

But to satisfy the pragmatist’s quest for the useful and practical, here are some material advantages that this dead language confers upon its votaries: 

Latin is the basis of most modern European languages, particularly Spanish, Italian, French, and Portuguese, so an understanding of Latin will be of great help in learning these others. 

Latin has had a huge impact on the development of English, so much so that even a rudimentary knowledge of it proves a great boon to those seeking to understand English grammar and to make some sense of its unpredictable spelling. Learning Latin involves a detailed understanding of general grammatical concepts, which can be a great benefit in learning languages with no apparent relation to it such as Mandarin or Arabic. 

The pursuit of Latin is an enriching experience; one which, though it fits pupils for no specific calling, grants them the wherewithal to excel in anything they put their minds to, thereby enabling them to play a worthwhile role in society, and to write a beautiful chapter in the history of humanity.