Teaching Latin

Written by Mike Farris

Editor’s Note: The following interview between Mike Farris, president of Patrick Henry College, and Dr. David Noe originally aired on the radio program "Home School Heartbeat."

What’s So Important about Latin?

Mike Farris:

Latin language study is on the increase as it rides the wave of classical education's resurgence. My guest today is Dr. David Noe; he's an Assistant Professor of Classics at Patrick Henry College. David, welcome to the program.

Dr. David Noe:
Thanks, Mike, for this opportunity. I appreciate it.

Mike:
David, why do you think it's important for students to study Latin? After all, don't most people think of it as a dead language?

Dr. Noe:
Well, in one sense, of course, that's true. You know the old saying, "It killed the Romans and now it's killing me." Hardly anybody today uses Latin for conversation. But in another sense Latin is very much alive. It's hard to conceive of the modern world without the language and culture of the Romans. Latin was important to the Founders and their work in establishing this country, as they looked to biblical principles and to the history of Greece and Rome in terms of how to govern a free people.

One of the immediate benefits for studying Latin is this: it will help increase your SAT scores beyond what you could get from studying modern foreign languages. That's a pretty well-documented fact. Latin is a very powerful and flexible language; it gives students a great clarity of expression and a tremendous power to their argumentation. Finally, the classical authors—they really make you love liberty and hate despotism, and who could argue with that?

Latin in the Elementary Grades

Mike Farris:
David, do you think that elementary aged children can benefit from the study of Latin?

Dr. Noe:
Absolutely. Every parent knows that young children have this uncanny ability to memorize a tremendous amount of material—they have those absorbent little minds. When they're young is an ideal time to start laying the foundations. Once they understand English, their mother tongue, and know something about grammar, is the time to start their study of Latin.  The storehouse of classical literature is filled with interesting and edifying stories that will entertain them and promote virtues like courage, wisdom, justice, and self-control. Now, of course a parent has to use discretion at a tender age like this—there's a lot that's not appropriate for little ears. So as Paul says, you have to hate what is evil and cling to what is good.

Mike:
How would you suggest that parents teach Latin at this introductory level?

Dr. Noe:
Well, Mike, I think there are several important things to keep in mind on this question. First, a parent ought to look for some reliable and accurate resources. There's a lot of material on Latin out there and not all of it is that good, so make sure you have a solid starting point. It's going to take some perseverance and some creativity—you want to find ways to integrate their knowledge into other aspects of their lives. So use Latin numerals at the grocery store or at the baseball game—whatever it takes to keep their interest stoked.

Latin for College Students

Mike Farris:
David, a large percentage of Patrick Henry College students take either four semesters of Latin or Greek. Why do you think Latin is such a critical component for students in college?

Dr. David Noe:
That's a great question, Mike. Any discipline that is involved in leading the nation and shaping the culture is going to need to know something about Western tradition. Where did we come from? How did we get here? The rule of law, the importance of the individual as made in God's image—all these things are pressing issues. If you study Latin, you know something about Roman history, and you'll be better equipped to confront a host of errors on this point.

Mike:
How do you make Latin come alive for your students? How do they respond?

Dr. Noe:
I try to show that human nature apart from God's grace is remarkably predictable. The Romans could be tremendously brave and noble one minute; then they were bloodthirsty and brutal the next. I also try to use a little levity—some satire and humor, whatever God has given me. That's one of the great things about Latin; you learn some great puns. I also poke fun at our modern silliness and try to help the students see their lives in the larger context of history. If they get out of hand, then I actually make them serve as a rower on a Roman galley, and that solves the problem.

Mike:
David, I know that my daughter, Jessica, considers your Latin course to be one of her favorites at Patrick Henry College. I want to thank you so much for making Latin come alive for her and the other students.

Books and Resources

Mike Farris:
David, I think you've convinced our listeners that learning Latin is a great idea and it's worthy of their efforts, but where do they start?

Dr. David Noe:
Well, for a difficult subject like Latin, confidence is an important element for success. So parents should make sure they have someone that they can turn to with reliable knowledge in a pinch. Don't be afraid of the secular Latin textbooks in terms of a resource—what's used at the colleges and universities—but of course you have to use them with discretion.

PHC offers a distance-learning course in Latin that's been quite successful. It takes you right through from the fundamentals to a fairly comprehensive knowledge of the language. Of course, we don't shy away from integrating this knowledge with an unabashed Christian worldview, so I've written a study manual that shows some of the important connections between the classical and Christian way of looking at life.

The Internet has a wide variety of resources, and of course some are better than others. You can always consult Patrick Henry College's classics professor if you need to.

Mike:
David, I'd like you to talk about a book that you've recently written to help younger students with Latin lessons.

Dr. Noe:
Well, thanks for asking. We've got several things in the works right now: an audio series, an essay on the moral imperative for studying Latin, and an elementary curriculum that some of our students have collaborated on. The newest project should be out about now; it's called Three Blind Mice (Tres Caeci Mures). It's a moral tale, so to speak, in Latin with full-color illustrations and an audio track in Latin and English. It's available from Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers.

Mike:
David, thanks so much for being on our program. Soli Deo Gloria.

Interested in teaching Latin in your homeschool? Are you interested in receiving Home School Heartbeat's daily e-mail transcript? To request a helpful Latin resource sheet, or to receive daily transcripts, visit www.homeschoolheartbeat.com. Or call 866-338-8614. For more information on Patrick Henry College, visit their Web site at www.phc.edu.

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