By way of introduction, it should be noted that there are several overarching goals for introducing our middle school students to the study of Latin. Latin instruction is intended both to enhance the students’ linguistic skills in English and to facilitate their eventual study of a modern foreign language. The study of Latin, with its obvious and identifiable structures, provides them yet another valuable tool for further language study. Among the goals for Latin study, are:
expansion of English vocabulary through familiarity with Latin roots
greater understanding of the various properties of the different parts of speech: e.g. gender, number, case; person, number, tense, voice, mood;
subject-verb agreement
syntax
sentence structures: simple, compound, complex
distinguishing patterns in verbal expression
demonstrating through translation how words relate one to the other
The cultural and literary components likewise give them a glimpse into the ancient world and introduce them to various mythical stories and personages they will encounter in later world literature studies.