Until the early 19th Century, the study of Latin was considered indispensable for training students to think. Today, when there is so much talk about teaching “critical thinking skills”, we need Latin more than ever before. It is organized, rigorous, and a wonderful training ground for thought, grammar, and derivatives (those many English words that come from Latin). What’s more, the study of any Romance language (Spanish, French, Italian, Romanian, and Portuguese) comes all the easier after exposure to Latin.
The most important reason to learn Latin, however, is so that you can enjoy Latin literature. Translation, particularly of poetry, can never fully capture the meaning and feel of the original. Without knowledge of Latin, we are unable to access the literature that formed the Western mind.
For students Seventh Grade and older, I offer Latin classes using Lingua Latina per se Illustrata – an immersion-method text gives students rapid success in reading Latin. You will need two books for this course (these are Amazon links, but they can be purchased wherever you choose):
Lingua Latina per se Illustrata, Pars 1
Classes meet weekly for 45 minutes.