Latin To Be Introduced At 40 State Secondaries In England

[naomi24]

//£4m scheme will form part of government effort to counter subject’s reputation as elitist//

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2021/jul/31/latin-introduced-40-state-secondaries-england

A difficult one. I tend to think that teaching modern languages is more beneficial to the majority - but I would welcome teaching Latin selectively - which makes it elitist. No?

[andres]

There are lots of words and sayings that people use every day without even realising they are speaking in Latin. However I can't see many of todays schoolchildren rushing to attend Latin classes. Perhaps those going on to careers in the Sciences or Medicine would benefit.

I always found Latin to be very enjoyable and interesting but it is not everyone's choice . Spanish, Russian or Chinese would probably be more beneficial in this modern era.

[pixie374]

Modern languages are all still options. Unless the law has changed over lockdown (which it may have done)... Latin is not a substitute for other languages... but for other options.

[The Builder]

Iceland was in a Union with Denmark when the War started.
So I can't understand how Iceland remained neutral when Denmark was occupied.

Don't quote me, but soldiers from many occupied countries fought alongside us. So you'd think he would be welcomed as a member of the Danish kingdom.
On the other hand, Iceland was neutral........... ???

[THECORBYLOON]

Iceland was neutral when it was invaded by the British and neutral Denmark had been invaded by the Germans in the previous month.

I couldn't find anything specific about Icelanders enlisting but I mind on reading about another neutral country's citizen not being allowed to enlist with UK forces due to neutrality.

That might have been UK policy as I understand citizens of a neutral country living outwith that country can enlist.

[pixie374]

Thank you very much, both of you. They did move to England at the time. Is it safe to say, he wouldn't have been allowed to enlist?

[The Builder]

It's all supposition Pix.
It's hard to imagine the British Govt. turning down willing hands.
Maybe he told the Brits he was Danish.
Maybe they gave him false papers and sent him off to battle anyway.
Maybe he was killed, but un-traceable due to his artificial status.

If he just spent the War here in a reserved occupation or somesuch, then why was Gran so secretive?

No one will ever know Pix (except perhaps War Office Records.)
But I do feel a movie script coming on ;o)

[pixie374]

I'll start one :-). Genuinely, thank you- as none of us know. We just got the story that he never came back from the war... so, I just wondered x

[Jackdaw33]

I found Russian very easy to learn. It is also a heavily inflected language and my knowlege of Latin helped enormously as I already knew all the grammatical terminology.

[pixie374]

JD, one of my friends did A Levels in English, French, German and Russian- and said Russian was easily the hardest :-)

[pixie374]

She hadn't done Latin, if that makes a difference.

[ichkeria]

... although Russian has difficulties for non-native speakers which Latin doesn't have, aspects being notorious for one.
Speaking personally, I am not sure learning Latin helped me much at all.
I think it's possibly a mistake to compare Latin with living languages: the fact that it is no longer spoken is arguably an advantage, as it doesn't change, but it's not learned to be spoken (normally) so in that respect it is a different sort of discipline in many ways.

[Theland]

In my opinion, no language studies should be compulsory, but available to those interested.

[Jackdaw33]

I agree aspects can be a bit of a stumbling block in Russian, likewise verbs of motion.

[ichkeria]

Yes a nightmare.

[webbo3]

We should teach some of the population of this country to speak, read and write English.

[pixie374]

We do, webbo. I was honestly surprised that my 5 year old granddaughter, was being taught cursive already. I don't think I leant that, until I could already right. Certainly literacy seems much better nowadays, in general.

[pixie374]

Learnt and write.... honestly, I learnt something :)

[Canary42]

The PM's idea no doubt, he loved Latin Quotes.

So will they also teach trashing restaurants ?

[nailit]

Lets teach council house estate kids to speak a dead language...
Thats REALLY going to help them to make more of themselves.

[pixie374]

Nailit, "Council House kids" go to the same schools- and deserve the same education?