You might begin to wonder, what’s the importance of learning Latin? If it’s a dead language, how does it even help with a career?
There are numerous benefits you can gain from learning Latin. It may be a dead language, but it’s still very much prevalent in many careers today. When you have a little background on this language, it helps you become more proficient in your chosen career.
Learning to speak Latin widely helps you improve your vocabulary. This enables you to strengthen your grammar and other English skills for communication across all careers. As it is the basis of many languages, such as English, Spanish, Italian, and French, learning to speak the so-called dead language can help prepare you for a global career.
That said, here are the top five careers where learning Latin can help give you that competitive advantage:
- Education
Preparing for a career in teaching also means that you put an effort into trying to learn Latin. There are many careers in the field of education that you can be successful by studying Latin. You can be a history, literature, or even a social studies professor. Particularly with literature, some written works can be challenging to comprehend even if they’re written in the English language.
Through studying Latin, you’re analyzing the complexities of the written word. As mentioned, studying Latin helps you master English. In fact, many words in English also come from Latin. Students can also have broader access to old and formal English writing when they understand Latin since citations were mostly in this dead language.
If you’re looking for a master’s in any of the fields of communication or literature, then studying Latin is to your advantage.
- Archivist
Archivists don’t just archive or file works and documents, but they help preserve pieces of history. Everything that you see in museums and libraries is a product of the hard work of the people working behind the scenes. Archivists have studied the best ways to preserve pieces of history that are important and very delicate.
As an archivist, your work is mostly focused on preserving information. You can go a step further by converting it to digital information.
But, the only way for you to clearly understand the meaning of the written work and challenging pieces of history is to have a deep understanding of the written language, Latin.
The job functions of an archivist include:
- Preserving and maintaining various collections
- Promoting classical work through exhibits
- Medicine
The field of medicine is not replete of Latin terms since medical terminologies are derived from Latin. This can include both procedures and medicines. Unfortunately, it can be tough to remember and memorize these terms when it’s the very first time that you’ve encountered it. Through learning Latin, it becomes much easier.
- First, as constantly mentioned above, Latin forms the root word of many terms used in the English language. It’s easier to piece together and remember complicated terminologies when you understand the root words.
- Second, the terms in gross anatomy mostly spring from Latin. Anatomy is one of the most challenging subjects in medical school, but it’s also one of the most important. After all, you’ll be dealing with the human body for almost the entirety of your career.
- Third, when you understand Latin, it’s easier for you to become a skilled practitioner and advance your career. It’s easier for you to interpret abbreviations and complicated Latin terms without always referring to a book.
- Heritage Manager
Heritage managers need excellent communication skills and a firm grasp of history. First, you’ll be communicating with a lot of people to help balance the needs of preservation and public interest. Second, there’s the need to understand the meaning and the value of pieces of history that needs to be preserved. Studying Latin helps you achieve this.
You can only assume the definition of a site you wish to maintain when you have a more profound sense of how it was used many years back. Often, these are written in deep English and Latin.
Other job functions might include:
- Generating income from commercial activities, such as film locations
- Dealing with various researchers working along with the preservation of heritage sites
- Organizing and monitoring building conservation works
- Keeping up to date with historical and present research
- Creating new ways to present attractions to visitors by understanding its relevance in the past
- Law
Latin and law school go hand-in-hand. You can better prepare for the complexities of law when you’re used to a deeper level of comprehension and analysis. Success in studying Latin proves that your mind is capable of in-depth thinking and critical attention to detail.
There are numerous concepts and phrases in the law that uses Latin in cases and hearings. You can only understand the full definition and depth of these phrases when you know how to interpret these phrases. It’s more than just memorization; it has to do with really analyzing each term.
Examples of legalistic phrases that are based in Latin:
- “Certiorari” – to be more informed
- “Ad litem” – for the suit
- “De novo” – a new
- “Ex parte” – from the part
- “Habeas corpus” – to bring or have the body
Conclusion
Latin is a dead language, but it’s slowly on its revival. It’s one of the classical languages of the world, whereby even if it’s dead, it’s still very much in use across numerous jobs and many different places in the world. It may no longer be a widely spoken and native language, but it’s still spoken and is studied for many compelling reasons.
With Latin, you’re becoming multilingual. This helps you become competitive in many careers, like those mentioned above.
