The Problem of the Non-Specialist Student of Latin

Extract

The non-specialist student of Latin has been with us for a long time, but he has become a somewhat imposing problem nowadays. When Latin was a compulsory subject for matriculation, he partook of the nature of the seed which fell by the wayside or on stony ground, and his subsequent growth frequently proved to be as chancy as his habitat; but now more interest is being taken in him and his particular needs, perhaps because Latin has once more the opportunity of becoming a subject in its own right. The pride of place which it has lost in the school curriculum ought not to be regretted, for it was based on false values. Tradition, in its loosest and worst sense, may be said to have kept Latin alive; and, paradoxically, tradition, in terms of methods and convictions, has very nearly strangled it. Now that it has been freed from its unenviable position, the time is ripe for a reconsideration of its proper function.