Reply to Latin - what are the benefits?

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[quote=Anonymous]My undergraduate degree is in the Classics with a major in Latin.  It was the first foreign language I took in high school (foreign language was only offered in HS in my district).  Prior to Latin, I had no experience/exposure to foreign languages.  As a PP noted, conjugating verbs and declining nouns was very difficult - in the beginning.  Once I understood why and what I was doing, it made a lot of sense and really opened my eyes to what was happening in a sentence - not just in Latin but also in English (and eventually every other language I learned).  I am fluent/proficient in 6 languages (including English) and Latin is the only one that is not currently spoken.  When people ask me what the point of studying a dead language is, I tell them it's not just about a language, it's:

-understanding the derivation of words and the nuances that lead you to choose one over another
-understanding politics, economics and history
-analyzing and understanding how politics, economics, religion, etc influence thought and writings
-understanding relationships between politics, economics, military, culture, etc.
-understanding context

Albeit, you're not getting all this the first year you study Latin.  But, it's provides an incredibly well rounded education and, if you have good teachers and stay with it long enough, you will truly become 'literate'.  On standardized tests for verbal/written skills, I typically score in the 97-99th percentile.  Ironically, my profession isn't related to this in the least.  I've got an MBA and work in IT.  Yet, I believe that because I studied the Classics, I bring more to an employer than is typical.[/quote]

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