Leveraging Latin for modern language proficiency and ancient world escapism: the hidden advantage of a “dead” language in the digital age

This paper highlights the advantages of learning Latin in the digital age while challenging its perceived uselessness as a "dead" language. Firstly, it investigates how Latin can provide a robust foundation for understanding the structure, vocabulary, and etymology of Romance languages, thereby improving students' language competence. Furthermore, this benefit extends beyond Romance languages to other modern languages, particularly for English learners. Although English is not a Romance language, its substantial Latin influence through Roman and Norman conquest causes it to often behave more like Latin than German, its close Anglo-Saxon relative. Additionally, students of Latin gain a deeper understanding of German inflection, genders, and related linguistic features.

Secondly, Latin can serve as an escape to the Ancient World. Escapism often involves the creation of new worlds, frequently accompanied by new languages, which transport readers into immersive universes. The richness of Roman history, combined with the popularity of fantasy book series and modern video games inspired by Roman mythology, has rekindled students’ interest in learning Latin.

This paper demonstrates, through a pilot survey and secondary data, how students exposed to Latin acquire linguistic competence at increased rates when learning modern languages. This underscores the role of Latin as a potential linguistic springboard. Contemporary language learning pedagogy can embrace this function and re-evaluate the role that "dead" languages such as Latin can play in a hyper-connected, digital society.