Some people may think of Latin as a dead language, but in more than a dozen schools in Vermont, it’s very much alive. Even middle-schoolers are conjugating verbs, memorizing vocabulary, and exploring ancient history and literature. Teachers say that’s helping kids master their own language, and learn new ones.
VPR’s Charlotte Albright has been sitting in on some Latin classes in the Northeast Kingdom, where the subject has been taught continuously for at least a century.