Who keeps Latin alive these days other than niche uses like this?
When I was in high school the top three languages were Spanish, French, and Latin. We had more students take Latin than German and other languages!
To me it has usage in understanding the bases of words and scientific terms. It makes guessing the meanings of things whenever you're visiting a country that uses a Romance language easier. Other than that I'm not sure why this is taught so widely in American schools.
Don't get me wrong, I'm very glad it is since I took Latin for six years and was an active participant in state Certamens, Latin club, and JCL events. I'm just amazed that students would even choose that over a living and more productive language.
When I was in high school the top three languages were Spanish, French, and Latin. We had more students take Latin than German and other languages!
To me it has usage in understanding the bases of words and scientific terms. It makes guessing the meanings of things whenever you're visiting a country that uses a Romance language easier. Other than that I'm not sure why this is taught so widely in American schools.
Don't get me wrong, I'm very glad it is since I took Latin for six years and was an active participant in state Certamens, Latin club, and JCL events. I'm just amazed that students would even choose that over a living and more productive language.