Taking Latin at CHS is about far more than acquiring a language. It is also about developing cultural literacy by delving into ancient history and mythology and learning about Roman civilization and daily life.
Unless you are going on to fluency and plan on taking four years of a modern foreign language, you will quickly forget most of what you learn. With Latin however, while you may forget how to decline a Latin noun, the knowledge of history, culture, word roots and grammar you learn along the way will remain with you. It may also help test results, since there is evidence suggesting a direct link between taking Latin and improving your ACT and SAT scores.
Also keep in mind that colleges are not just interested in academics; they also want to know about your extra-curricula involvements and achievements. Here Latin will help you too, for the Latin program at CHS also offers students numerous opportunities for boosting college applications, many of which are not available in the other language programs.
There are local competitive events such as the Memphis Fall Festivus and the University of Memphis language fair, as well as the Junior Classical League State Convention. We also offer optional national exams in etymology, vocabulary, mythology and Roman civilization, providing ample opportunities for making your college applications stand out from the rest. All students also take the National Latin Exam, along with students from across the world. In common with the other languages, the Latin program also provides the opportunity for gaining the seal of biliteracy as well as AP credit in your fourth year of study, which can save you time and money when you get to college.
Besides our lively Latin Club, we have a weekly Certamen club, which is like a Latin knowledge bowl, where you can prepare for potentially representing the school in local and state level competitions.
The pages under the "Why Latin" tab above will further explain the advantages of taking Latin.