What is a Latin Teacher?

A Latin teacher is a person who teachers Latin. He may instruct those with little-to-no knowledge of the language as well as those who have been studying Latin for an extended period of time. Depending on his preferences, education, and training, a person may teach Latin to children in elementary, middle, or high school, or he may instruct students who are in college.

When most people think of language teachers, they probably think of Spanish, German, Italian, English, Japanese, and other languages that are in current use around the world. Latin teachers instruct their students in this ancient language despite the fact that it isn’t spoken anymore, with the exception of those who speak it in the Vatican City in Rome. In fact, Latin is often referred to as a dead language. Many people still consider it worthy of learning and teaching to others, however, as it is the basis for so many current languages.

Latin’s origins extend back to ancient Rome. A Latin teacher may wish to share it with his students because of its importance in history and its connections to so many other languages. Many of the languages people speak today have roots in Latin, including English, French, Italian, Spanish, and others. As such, many people believe learning Latin will make learning other languages easier. They even assert that the language can make the study of grammar and vocabulary more effective, even increasing a person’s standardized test scores.

A Latin teacher may cover a wide variety of topics when teaching his students. For example, he may teach them the history of the language and demonstrate how Latin is related to languages that are widely spoken today. He may cover spelling, grammar, sentence structure, and writing. He may also instruct his students in translating from their native languages to Latin and vice versa.

The path a person takes to become a Latin teacher may depend on where he wants to work. In many places, Latin teachers are required to have bachelor’s degrees at minimum, and colleges may require master's degrees or Doctors of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees. Some schools or educational authorities may only hire prospective Latin teachers who have bachelor’s degrees in Latin while others may hire those who have degrees in other subjects, as long as they have taken significant coursework in the Latin language. Typically, a prospective Latin teacher must also meet the requirements for licensing or certification in his region. This may involve completing required teacher training, taking tests, and submitting to criminal background checks.