einforcement of reading and writing skills, which remain the primary emphasis in most Latin classrooms.
"A third significant change in Latin teaching," Sienkewicz adds, "is the increase in instruction of Latin in elementary and middle schools and the development of textbooks geared to younger students."
One benefit of the study of Latin, Pontone tells Education World, is that "it provides some intellectual discipline." Moreover, "in conjunction with discipline comes the knowledge of grammar. This is more necessary than ever because so little grammar is taught in our schools today."
"In addition," Pontone continues, "Latin literature is worth reading for its own sake -- it is one of the great literatures and [is] unsurpassed in beauty and scope."
Pontone acknowledges that he teaches Latin much differently than his high school teachers taught him. First, since he's teaching in middle school, he can't move as quickly through the material as his high school teachers did.
Second, he says, "unlike my own high school teachers, I put a great deal of emphasis on history and culture -- on the Romans themselves. I think the main difference is that I am a well-trained classicist and bring all my background to the classroom. I think my extensive background is put to good use even in a middle school classroom. I find that my students really appreciate having a teacher who, as one of them says, 'knows stuff.'"
Pontone goes on, "I think it important to emphasize that teaching Latin should never be the same as teaching a modern language. Latin teachers should be well trained as classicists and have good backgrounds in their subject.
"I don't think it should be made into a game," Pontone says. "Latin is serious business, and I find that even middle school students respond well to Latin taught as a serious discipline and not as a series of vocab building drills or toga banquets with roast chicken, grapes, and grape juice. The Romans were serious people, and they should be approached with respect and affection. Rome provides kids with wonderful intellectual opportunities that are challenging and serious. Latin class should be made interesting through a teacher's broad background and not with gimmicks."
"For me, the study of Latin was focused in three arenas: the language, the literature, and the history. The language helped me to become a more articulate person, with a deeper understanding of how to manipulate language and to better communicate my ideas. ....The literature helped to broaden my imagination. Additionally, because I was exposed to epic poetry, myth, satire, and early novels, I am better able to understand literature in general, to see the interconnectedness of story themes across time and how they relate to the human condition, and to understand what artistic frameworks in literature foster greater productive creativity. The history helped me to understand my place in time, the eternal challenges that face humanity, the heritage that modern culture owes to the past."
Another of Sienkewicz's former students, Kelly DiDonato, is a reference librarian for Lake Villa District Library in Lake Villa, Illinois.
"As a reference librarian, I draw on my knowledge of Latin frequently. I often get calls from people who have come across a word in a book but don't know what it means. Either I can figure out the meaning from breaking down the Latin roots of the word, or I can find it more easily in the dictionary because Latin has given me a better grasp of English spelling. Latin is also invaluable when patrons are inquiring about medical conditions with lengthy names. I feel like I can better appreciate the English language because of Latin. For example, the word conspiracy takes on deeper shades of meaning for me because I can mentally break it down into con -- 'with or together' [and] spir -- 'to breathe.' So conspiracy is literally "breathing together." Thanks to Latin, I can better appreciate the richness of the language in the books that surround me."