Mike Farris:
Teaching Latin can be pretty intimidating for homeschooling parents to think about. Christian archaeologist and homeschooling mom Amy Barr joins me on Home School Heartbeat today to talk about learning Latin. Amy, why should we study Latin and Greek, and what’s the best approach?

Amy Barr:
Well, first of all, Latin and ancient Greek are alive and well in many modern languages, not the least of which is our own English. So knowing Greek and Latin has always been a hallmark of the complete and well-rounded education. Now, while the current trend in public schools is to eliminate them entirely, Latin and Greek are still valued as a part of a good education by many homeschool families and by many universities.

But many families underestimate the challenges and either end up so discouraged that they give up, or they drag out the process for years, often focusing entirely on drills and tables, without ever reaching the point where they’re rewarded for their efforts. So the process of learning the language is not an end in itself. Students should aim at proficiency, which is the obvious goal when you’re learning a spoken language. We all know learning a language isn’t easy. Greek and Latin are no exception. So our advice is this: take the language seriously, and use a variety of tools, not the least of which would be a person willing to tutor you or your children. Find a tutor for your co-op; check out the junior college classes in your own community.

Mike:
Amy, those are really good ideas. Thank you so much for sharing. I’m Mike Farris.