As someone who learned Latin at a bog-standard comprehensive in Sunderland, it was both cheering and depressing to read of Arlene Holmes-Henderson’s work to keep classics in the classroom (‘They see it is living’: Durham professor’s mission to get more pupils into classics, 2 January). My school was lucky in its classics teachers precisely because Durham produced such good graduates who could stay and work in the area.
In the north-east, we were surrounded by the Romans, and learning Latin made more sense to me than learning French, where the chance to use the language beyond the classroom seemed much less likely than for Latin. But learning French (and every language I’ve attempted since) was benefited by the understanding of grammar that Latin instilled. I went on to use my Latin professionally, so it also gave me a career and a future – but even if it had not, the mental discipline and inherent interest involved in learning Latin laid down skills that have lasted a lifetime.
Prof Lesley Smith
Oxford
