Veni, Vidi, Vici …  I came, I saw, I conquered … one of the most enduring exultations in history. Uttered 2000 years ago by Julius Caesar, society’s love of Latin remains abiding, says Ms Marnie Foster, Head of Languages at Newington. 

‘Latin is the building block of modern language which is why every student learns Latin at Newington with one semester of Latin in their first year of senior school.’  

‘And because many of our Year 7 students become fascinated by the language and its relevance today, many continue with their Latin studies throughout school, curious about its ties to modern languages, literacy and history. This year alone, more than 20 of our Year 12 students sat Latin for the International Baccalaureate or Higher School Certificate.’ 

Some Year 7 students do initially question the relevance of learning a language not spoken since the Roman Empire, says Ms Foster.  

‘Some walk into their first Latin class and say, “Why are we doing this?”’ 

‘What they don’t realise at first is Latin is a root language, the source of so many modern languages, particularly European languages and because of this, you can look at many English words and trace their origins directly back to Latin. This makes it a very accessible language.’ 

Indeed, with more than 60 per cent of English words derived from Latin, this makes it a great teacher. 

‘We do a lot of work in the early years around parts of speech like verbs and nouns and understanding the grammatical elements which can be very helpful as many don’t students fully grasp how they work in English.’ 

Culturally and historically, Latin is also an eyeopener for students, continues Ms Foster. 

‘The way we teach Latin is very story based so Year 7, 8 and 9 Latin students read stories about ancient times which is when they get very interested in the Gladiators and the Roman world, and it’s a world they really enjoy uncovering. They get hooked because they love the cultural exploration of Latin and how issues like slavery, politics, geopolitical and societal relationships are still as relevant today. It makes for very healthy classroom debate and discussion.’ 

Also, the ability to begin reading Latin in Year 7 is helpful in equipping students to learn another language. 

‘We find that students who are also learning a modern language, benefit from their study of Latin because being able to make comparisons of words and drawing on that knowledge of how to do that from Latin is incredibly helpful,’ says Ms Foster. 

‘That’s particularly the case with the romance languages but I teach Chinese and there is a lot we can draw on from the Latin experience in looking at how a Chinese word works in Latin. In any language there are always things you can draw on from Latin; it’s a great basis for any language.’ 

Ms Foster explains Latin also enables Newington students to reference the past to understand the present. 

‘We look closely at the history of this ancient language and civilization, and this helps students understand that the modern world is not dissimilar in many ways, and to comprehend lessons we have learnt, or not learnt, from the ancient world. For example, we make comparisons between great orators like Augustus and Caesar to famous leaders of today, and their speeches. It’s a fascinating way to investigate common threads that run through history.’ 

In their senior years, students at Newington read and translate sources from Latin poetry, history, philosophy and culture. This is particularly advantageous should they decide to pursue legal, medical or scientific qualifications after finishing Year 12. 

‘Latin still accounts for much of the terminology across the legal, medical and scientific professions so having proficiency in Latin equips our students to apply this understanding in their further study and workplace careers.’ 

Every other year, many Newington Latin and other language students embark on the College’s Classics Tour to ancient landmarks and significant cities across Europe and the Mediterranean.  

‘Discipline, logic, curiosity and patience are all required to learn Latin or any language in the senior years,’ says Ms Foster.  

‘Having the opportunity to visit countries and ancient sites such as Pompeii, The Colosseum and Olympia that were around when Latin was spoken is so vital in bringing Latin to life for our students today.’ 

Newington College has an acclaimed Languages department, offering six languages in Years 11 and 12.  

In addition, students at Newington Lindfield Prep learn Chinese. At Wyvern Preparatory they learn French, and at our senior Stanmore campus, students can study Chinese, French and Latin from Years 7 to 12 in both HSC and IB pathways. They can also study Modern Greek Beginners in HSC and Italian and Spanish ab Initio in IB.  

‘We also support students choosing to study other languages externally, which means that students can continue to learn their mother tongue or another language they are passionate about,’ says Ms Foster.  

‘Newington College’s 13 language teachers reflect the diversity of our program. Some are teaching their native language, while for others it is their second or third language.’ 

With no native speakers of Latin, the College’s three Latin teachers have first-hand experience of being inspired by the words, characters and literature of the ancient world.  

‘Regardless of classical or modern language, as teachers we are always learning and developing our language skills,’ says Ms Foster.  

‘Learning languages opens our minds to new ways of thinking and being, and equipping our students to better understand themselves and the world around them is what inspires each of our language teachers every lesson across all of our Newington campuses.’