Latin

Course summary

Every time you get a bus or spot an ambulance or pram, use a credit card or debit card follow somebody’s example, see the doctor etc …. you are using Latin. It’s there in everyday language: far from dead, it’s very much alive. Latin was the language of one of the world’s most extensive, powerful and long-lasting empires. After the fall of the Roman Empire, it became the language of learning and the Christian Church, used in the corridors of power and as the language of faith for centuries. It also changed, gradually becoming the modern Romance languages we are so familiar with today: Italian, Spanish, French, Portuguese and Romanian. Through these languages it influenced English. People who study Latin find it helps with their English grammar, vocabulary and spelling; it gives an insight into modern languages; it helps with scientific terminology and stretches the mind with puzzles and poetry. Above all, it gets you to the heart of the Roman and medieval mind. With Latin, you can read ancient and medieval literature in their original. Latin A level enables you to study the language to a high level and to read some of the world’s greatest literature in the language in which it was written.