Should i take spanish or latin in high school ?

Question

i i want to be a doctor and i heard Latin helps for that and SAT s but i think it would be good to know Spanish because Americas second language is spanish and i did take spanish in 7th and 8th grade and i know 2 languages already.

Answer 1

Too bad you can't do both. I would do Spanish first, then later on learn latin. Sounds like you'll need it later on!

Answer 2

If you want to be a Doctor, Latin is helpful because so many of the medical names and terms are derived directly from Latin. While Spanish is NOT America's second language any more than French or Greek, it is a language that you will run into in many places and it would be helpful to know. Maybe you could take Spanish in High School and Latin in College. or the other way around. It is always good to know many languages!

Answer 3

This question depends entirely on the asker. In your case you are very good with languages and therefore you should take Latin. Not only is latin the basis for many of our words as well as those of so many other languages, but it will help you in biology and medical science. Add these benefits to the fact that Spanish is considered one of the easier languages to learn for someone who already speaks and reads English (which means you can pick up spanish later); and the inverse argument is that as a tougher language you should learn latin while you are younger (now!) because for most people learning lanuages is more difficult as we get older.

Also you sound like you might be interested in language and knowing latin might be fun for you as you can probably find latin in the other languages you know as well as, obviously, in English.

And you know how cool it is to be able to speak with someone in a language that no one else around you understands? Latin....

And you'd be ready to travel back in time (Dr. Who? - check wikipedia...) when that is possible. They would certainly need a latin speaking doctor. ;-)

Yes, Latin is dead and many, many Americans will be speaking Spanish by the time you become a doctor. But seeing that you already speak 3 languages you'll have no problem picking up spanish after a quick 3 or so years of latin.

And that guy Vato is so right about the effects on your vocabulary. Seriously, taking latin first is like adding a turbocharger to many of your other language skills.


Just my 2 cents!

Answer 4

Latin, as many languages are derived from Latin including English. Once you learn Latin, other languages (Spanish, Italian, Portugese, French) are easier to learn as you will already know the etymology of these words. In addition, English words that you don't know (especially scientific words) are easier to decipher. If you ever plan on becoming a Lawyer, Doctor, or even a nurse, Latin is even more important.

Examples:

Habeus Corpus
Intravenous
Caveat Empor

The study of Latin does confer certain benefits. First, Latinate vocabulary is very important in English, it is widely used both in literary contexts and in modern scientific nomenclature, to the extent that a person with a good knowledge of Latin automatically has an extended English vocabulary. Greek along with Latin is the basis for virtually all English scientific terms, both languages have been used for scientific vocabulary for centuries and dozens of new terms which are being coined from Greek and Latin roots every year. Behind this lies the need for standardization in a world which employs many languages. Since the Classical languages claimed universality for hundreds of years, their use has been accepted throughout the world as the basis for a standard scientific vocabulary.

Answer 5

It all depends on what you want to take. Spanish is a lot more useful in life today since you hardly ever hear people speaking latin anymore. You can use spanish in your daily life but not latin. I am a high school student as well. I know that studying latin may increase your score on the SATs. But all you need to know for the SATs are the main pre/suffixes. You do not need to take Latin to get a high score on the SATs. Good Luck!!

Answer 6

Spanish would be more useful. The Latin used in science/ medicine/law is quite restricted and all significant medical research is published in modern languages. In any case, Spanish like English is partially derived from Latin so a bit of imagination, thinking about a similar word in Spanish or English and a reference book or the I'net will often tell you what a Latin term in medicine means.

Answer 7

Spanish is easier and morn useful now days...and latin is useful for the sat's but, studying for an extra couple of hours can be more helpful than taking a whole class to help you out on the sat's...the more languages that people actually speak, and that you know those languages equals more money, and better job opportunities...

Answer 8

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Latin. She'll never regret it. I studied Latin and it's an extremely rewarding course that I am so grateful for to this day. I actually studied French during high school though, and have barely spoken it since. Like Spanish, it's a beautiful-sounding language but unless I actually travel to France or a French-speaking country, I simply don't get the opportunity to use it much. In my youth I harboured high hopes of securing a French lover I think! Sadly it never happened and I met a very nice Hungarian one instead! Latin, however, is a cornerstone of much of our traditional learning. As you're an English major, you would be well aware of its usefulness in helping us understand many of the roots of our language, and lots of subtle nuances in the evolution of meaning. It's useful in law and medicine, and it's absolutely essential in the study of ancient history (in any depth) too ... the ability to read ancient classics in the language they were actually written in is incredibly rewarding. It's a really beautiful language to learn, and I've always thought there's something way cool about being able to speak a dead language. As you have already noted, all the smart kids take Latin. At Universities, it does have a certain elitist status she may come to be grateful for when she's maximising her opportunities too. I hope your daughter takes Latin. Unless she has some particular reason for wanting to learn Spanish and thinks it may be useful for some specific future purpose she has in mind, I do feel Latin will be of much broader use to her. And it's fun to learn!

Answer 9

i wish i would have taken latin in high school, but i am glad i took spanish. learning spanish has helped me to get a better grasp on other languages as well.

if you have already taken 2 years of spanish -- take the latin if you want to learn something else, but if you want an easier grade take the spanish.

Answer 10

I would def. take spanish and Im not saying that because its easier or anything I have taken both. I took them both for two years and to be honest spanish is so much more interesting and fun to learn latin is very boring and you can't really use it in the world today because latin is a "dead" language I suggest taking spanish.

Answer 11

I would say Spanish. I wish i had a good Spanish teacher in H.S. All we did in Spanish class was sit there. The teacher didn't teach us anything. Where i live in Chicago i cant even get a good job without knowing Spanish. No one will hire me. The lady that lives across the street from me is a teacher and got fired because more and more of the students didn't speak English and she was unable to teach them because she didn't know Spanish. Its a tough world out there and the people that speak Spanish are moving in. In a few yrs all other races might be minorities.