In Voice of America Special English io ha trovate un interessante texto:

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Latin language teaching

Latin was the language of the ancient Roman Empire. It was the main
language of western Europe for hundreds of years. Seventy years ago,
many American students studied Latin in school. Then, over the years,
the subject lost popularity. However, now it has become very popular
again.

Public and private schools are trying to find more people who can teach
Latin. It is unclear exactly how many young people in the United States
are studying Latin. However, officials say about
one-hundred-thirty-five-thousand students are taking a test called the
National Latin Exam this year. In nineteen seventy-eight, only
six-thousand students took the test.

The National Junior Classical League is an organization for students
interested in Latin and Greek. It has grown one-hundred percent in the
last twenty-five years. It has more than fifty-thousand members in the
United States, Canada and Australia.

Latin has not been spoken as a language since the early
fifteen-hundreds. However, educators say there are good reasons for
students to study it today. For example, knowing Latin can help people
understand their own language better. Many modern and scientific terms
came from Latin. Most words in Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and French
had their beginnings in Latin. People who know Latin can read ancient
books like the "Aeneid" by the Roman poet Virgil. Some experts say young
people who have studied Latin do better in college.

Methods of teaching Latin in American schools have changed. Older
Americans who learned Latin as children spent a lot of time repeating
different forms of the words. They read books in Latin about ancient
battles and wars.

Today, however, many Latin schoolbooks tell about the lives of young
people in ancient Rome. Students learn about Roman culture while they
study the language.

Some schools offer special activities for their students. For example,
the public schools of Chicago, Illinois hold a yearly event called Latin
Olympics. It takes place at the University of Illinois. Students take
part in three competitions, depending on their age. Competitions include
written tests in reading Latin, Roman life and history. Other
competitions offer awards for the best Roman art and clothing.

This VOA Special English Education Report was written by Jerilyn Watson.


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