This September, an unusually high demand for third-year Latin led the department to raise the enrolment cap for the first time to accommodate extra students. In 2008, a fourth section in the first-year introductory Latin course was added. The Classical Association of Canada says more college and university students across the country are taking Latin, reported the Globe and Mail last week.
According to professor Alison Keith, chair of the U of T Classics department, most students are first-timers to the language, but some took it in high school and can skip to intermediate classes.
While the numbers are modest, they are steadily increasing. Keith attributes this increase to several factors.
Latin was traditionally taught as a language that builds critical reading, writing, and analytical skills, which can be applied to the study of literature, law, medicine, and other professional areas. Keith said she has taught students from various areas of study, from chemistry to political science to women’s studies.
She also noted Latin is relevant to the study of any romantic languages such as French, Spanish, and Italian, since these are all derived from vulgar Latin. (Vulgar Latin means “spoken Latin,” used by the masses, as opposed to “written Latin,” which is what is now studied. The difference had a profound effect on the evolution of the romance languages.)
Romance languages are not only based on the syntax of vulgar Latin, but also on the morphology, phonology, and lexicon. Latin gives birth to the sounds used to impart meaning in words, the words themselves, and how they are used in sentences to express ideas.
“I’d say the Romans have never gone out of fashion, but the convergence of all these media on ancient Rome is particularly terrific for generating student interest in Latin,” Keith said, citing pop culture as a potential influence. Media ranging from movies and novels to comic books and video games have established a greater awareness and interest in learning the language and culture surrounding ancient Rome.
As interest increases, Latin still faces difficulties in recognition.
“I wanted to enroll in introductory Latin, however, I thought Spanish would be more useful than Latin since more people speak it,” said Alan Wu, a Master’s engineering student who had considered taking Latin as an elective during the last two years of his undergraduate degree.
Echoing this sentiment, U of T’s Classics department has struggled to place Latin back on as a “teachable” at the Faculty of Education, which removed it several years ago. Aspiring education students must have two “teachables,” or subjects of expertise.
Starting next year, York University will be adding Latin as an accepted teachable for its own teacher’s college.
