Latin, school and you.

[Brazen]

Boris Johnson is addressing the Conservative conference and took the opportunity to highlight London schools teaching Latin, apropos of having a dig at David Cameron's inability to identify the meaning of Magna Carta.

I went to a very old-fashioned grammar school where if you were good at your first foreign language you were offered a second plus Latin. I did two years and hated it - I'd hold my breath and hope I'd faint! The only detention I ever got was for trying to do my Latin homework in class the day it was to be handed in. It's been useful on and off, if only for answering University Challenge questions.

What are your experiences of learning Latin?

[Josquius]

My college had latin, was a very niche subject though, just 5 or so wannabe lawyers did it and the school only offered it because one of the classics teachers was also a latin teacher.
I don't know much latin at all beyond the occasional famous phrase, backwards engineered French, etc....

[jimmy olsen]

Does college count? I had 3 semesters in college.

[katmai]

This here is 'merica. Unless you are grumbles age or went to some
Jesuit school odds are low of even having chance to take Latin.

[Camerus]

My school began suddenly offering Latin when I was in grade 12 (back then, we had 13 grades).  I took it up, and had great fun with it.  The textbook was perhaps the highlight of the class, as it was rife with innuendo and intriguing stories.  I used to show up 20 minutes late to class every day, though the woman who taught - something of an ineffectual though kindhearted fuddy duddy - let all slide due to the fact that I was getting 100 in it. 

I've studied a number of languages over the years, but Latin will always have a special place for me.

[katmai]

Unless of course like Timmay said if college counts then you get goofy fucks like him.

[Brazen]

Does college count? I had 3 semesters in college.

Option 2 

[Phillip V]

None.

American schools needs to start teaching foreign languages starting in kindergarten.

[Syt]

No Latin at school. In Germany you had "classical gymnasium" (with Latin & Greek) and "modern gymnasium" (living foreign languages) to get ready for uni. A lot of university courses (history, many humanities) require(d?) Latin, thouigh, but universities usually offered crash courses.

I haven't had Latin at school, but would love to learn it at some point (though the courses I took at uni emphasized that to understand a Latin text properly you will have to know what period it's from and which rules/meanings applied at the time ). I still have my "Latin for Dummies" book.

[CountDeMoney]

Unless of course like Timmay said if college counts then you get goofy fucks like him.

HEY NOW

I took 5 semesters in college.

[Eddie Teach]

No, I took Spanish.

[Darth Wagtaros]

Took three years in High School.

[Brazen]

I thoroughly recommends Latin For All Occasions by Henry Beard for a fun introduction to the subject. Where else could you learn the phrase: "Me transmitte sursum, caledoni."

[CountDeMoney]

I sit back in meetings and try to figure out the best time to drop "quod erat demonstratum" on IT people.

[katmai]

Unless of course like Timmay said if college counts then you get goofy fucks like him.

HEY NOW

I took 5 semesters in college.

I REST MY CASE YOUR HONOR.