A Cambridge academic and teacher said he uses Taylor Swift and Disney songs to keep his Latin students interested.
Steven Hunt told Sky News using pop music can help keep students interested and inspired to take on Latin, which is often thought of as a ‘dead language’.
Latin Fan Fiction And Pop Songs
Hunt’s new textbook Teaching Latin, mentions a university lecturer asking students to translate the chorus of Taylor Swift’s hit song ‘Bad Blood.’ He also suggests that students can improve their grammar and vocabulary through reading and writing their own Latin fan fiction.
Most pupils across the country began their learning of Latin with the Cambridge Latin Course textbooks, which featured a character called Lucius Caecilius. Hunt, however, feels ‘horrified’ that he once taught stories about Caecilius’ family which he said trivialise slavery and stereotype female characters.
He said: ‘Students need to see themselves in the textbooks and they also need to see the other – the marginalised, the little heard and little seen.’
Hunt explained that at school level, there are ‘three main challenges’ when teaching Latin. These are: increasing access, attracting and retaining a more diverse body of students, and to improving the representation of the diversity of the ancient world itself.
‘The challenge for teachers in the years to come will be whether they are prepared to grasp these opportunities to present the subject differently, and widen the appeal for students, or whether they prefer to stick to familiar routines,’ Hunt stated.
Is Latin An ‘Elitist’ Subject?
In 2020, a British Council survey revealed that in the UK, Latin is only taught at key stage 3 in 2.7% of state schools compared to 49% of independent schools.
In July 2021, the Education Secretary announced a new £4 million programme which will give more students the opportunity to learn the language.
Gavin William, the Education Secretary, said: ‘We know Latin has a reputation as an elitist subject which is only reserved for the privileged few. But the subject can bring so many benefits to young people, so I want to put an end to that divide.’
‘There should be no difference in what pupils learn at state schools and independent schools, which is why we have a relentless focus on raising school standards and ensuring all pupils study a broad, ambitious curriculum.
‘Latin can help pupils with learning modern foreign languages, and bring broader benefits to other subjects, including maths and English,’ he continued.