In the early part of the 20th century, more students took Latin than all other foreign languages combined. Now, fewer than 4% of all high school students study Latin. In 2023, 4,500 students took the AP Latin exam, down 31% from 2010.
Unfortunately, I am not completely surprised by these trends. As a high school student studying Latin, whenever another student asks me what foreign language I study, I am often met with a huff and a response somewhere along the lines of, “Why do you study Latin? Isn’t it a dead language?” Currently a five-year Latin and classics student, having experienced my first classics course in eighth grade, and now enrolled in AP Latin IV as a Junior, I have grown to anticipate and, quite honestly, appreciate this question.
To an outsider looking in, the value of studying Latin and the Classics might not be so clear. Latin is technically considered “dead” -- it is no longer spoken by anyone as their native language. However, labeling Latin as “dead,” couldn’t be further from the truth. It is still very much alive and embedded in the world around us. It never died; it just evolved. You just need to know where to look to find it.
A classmate of mine and I developed a Web app called Latin Learner in an effort to consolidate and communicate a myriad of statistics and fun facts regarding the continued importance of Latin and the classics. Best viewed in a Chrome browser, Latin Learner uses trivia, awards, and Roman music to educate students on the role Latin and Roman culture have had in shaping Western civilization and the modern United States. It succinctly demonstrates the many places that Latin and antiquities still surround us on a daily basis, and it shares the value of studying these areas academically.
We are hoping that middle and high school teachers, curriculum advisors, and student groups might consider using Latin Learner to help persuade more students to select Latin and the classics as their foreign language and elective options. Equally as effective, it can help arm new students with their own ammunition for answering the inevitable “Why do you study Latin? Isn’t it a dead language?” question.
● The US Constitution contains approximately 4,500 words; Latin is the only other language included besides English
● America’s Founding Fathers created America’s government system including Separation of Power, the U.S. Senate, and elections -- all modeled after the Roman Republic
● The Capitol Building, White House, and Lincoln Memorial were all inspired by Roman and Greek style architecture
● The U.S. one dollar bill includes 3 Latin phrases on the Great Seal of the United States
● 80-90% of multi-syllable words in English are derived from Latin