Carpe diem, et cetera… These Latin expressions are constantly used by the French. But do you really understand their meaning? Check your knowledge of this dead language with our Planet quiz in our slideshow below.
Every year, many college students choose to enroll in Latin classes. Indeed, according to the Statista polling institute, 16.7% of fifth graders took this option in 2021. There are 13.6% in fourth grade, and 13.5% in third grade. But in high school, teenagers seem less attracted to this language. Thus, in 2021, only 3.3% of students continued or chose to study Latin. They are only 2.8% when they arrive in first general and technological. In terminale, 2.9% are enrolled in Latin classes to take it to the baccalaureate. If this ancient language seems neglected by some teenagers, others even test their knowledge during competitions. But where does this disparity come from?
In 2021, the Ministry of National Education and Youth published a statistical study on high school education. This report reveals that Latin is the second most followed education among the optional options. The ancient language is found just behind the LV3 subject (third optional living language). Nevertheless, there is a disparity around the choice of this option depending on the institution.
In college, learning Latin is much more common in private schools. Indeed, 18.8% of students choose this option in private colleges, compared to 14.3% in the public sector. But according to the ministry, “the study of Latin remains strongly linked to social origin. Thus, in college, only 9.7% of students from disadvantaged social backgrounds learn Latin, compared to 25.1% of students from highly favored origin. For high school, the situation is similar. The choice of this optional option would therefore be influenced by the socio-cultural context.
Whether you took this option or not, you can test your knowledge of Latin expressions in our slideshow below.
