World Languages
Beginning in the sixth grade, all students attending St. Johns Classical Academy will begin learning Latin. This language will be offered from 6th through 12th grades. To graduate, two years of Latin in high school will be required. Since over half of the words in the English language are derived from Latin, a strong background in Latin will benefit our students for a lifetime. Listed below are a few solid reasons for classical language study in our school.
The Civilization of Greece and Rome Link us with Cultures of 57 Nations on Four Continents
A background in the classical civilizations makes students aware of customs, values and ideas that we have in common with Eastern and Western Europeans, and with North and South Americans. Many concepts in government, religion, art, literature and economics are shared. This cultural kinship of nations underlies such modern alliances as NATO, the British Commonwealth, and the Common Market.
Acquaintance with Ancient Cultures Promotes Tolerance and Understanding of Other Nations and Ways of Life
Aware of the rich and varied culture of the Greeks and Romans, one is more likely to accept the differing customs and values of other peoples today. For in the study of ancient civilizations, one encounters exotic and extreme customs which were not static but evolved over the centuries. Familiar with diversity, change and longevity in one’s own culture, a person is more inclined to respect the views, ideologies, religions and economic systems of foreign peoples and to appreciate their rich age-old traditions.
Latin Develops English and Solid Foundation of Other Languages
One’s reading, writing, and speaking of English is improved through learning Latin. Vocabulary is enriched, grammar is sharpened and a sense of organization is instilled in the student. Latin is the mother tongue of over 50% of all English words, so the study of Latin greatly enhances one’s English vocabulary. Often, just one Latin word is responsible for several English words. Take for example, the Latin word porto (“I carry”). From this word are derived port, portal, porter, porch, airport, import, important, transport, export, report, and portable. In this case one Latin word helps yield ten English words- a pretty good investment.Latin equips our students with the strongest single foundation for mastering Romance Languages, modern inflected ones such as Russian and German, and even non-related tongues like Arabic, Chinese, and Japanese. In addition, Latin gives one a grip on about 80% of the vocabulary of the Romance languages – French, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, and Spanish.
Latin Improves College Entrance Exam Scores
Students who study Latin in high school consistently score high on the verbal portion of the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) college entrance exam than both students who have not studied any foreign language and students who have studied other modern foreign languages. Studies conducted by the Educational Testing Service show that Latin students consistently outperform all other students on the verbal portion of the SAT.
The Civilization of Greece and Rome Link us with Cultures of 57 Nations on Four Continents
A background in the classical civilizations makes students aware of customs, values and ideas that we have in common with Eastern and Western Europeans, and with North and South Americans. Many concepts in government, religion, art, literature and economics are shared. This cultural kinship of nations underlies such modern alliances as NATO, the British Commonwealth, and the Common Market.
Acquaintance with Ancient Cultures Promotes Tolerance and Understanding of Other Nations and Ways of Life
Aware of the rich and varied culture of the Greeks and Romans, one is more likely to accept the differing customs and values of other peoples today. For in the study of ancient civilizations, one encounters exotic and extreme customs which were not static but evolved over the centuries. Familiar with diversity, change and longevity in one’s own culture, a person is more inclined to respect the views, ideologies, religions and economic systems of foreign peoples and to appreciate their rich age-old traditions.
Latin Develops English and Solid Foundation of Other Languages
One’s reading, writing, and speaking of English is improved through learning Latin. Vocabulary is enriched, grammar is sharpened and a sense of organization is instilled in the student. Latin is the mother tongue of over 50% of all English words, so the study of Latin greatly enhances one’s English vocabulary. Often, just one Latin word is responsible for several English words. Take for example, the Latin word porto (“I carry”). From this word are derived port, portal, porter, porch, airport, import, important, transport, export, report, and portable. In this case one Latin word helps yield ten English words- a pretty good investment.Latin equips our students with the strongest single foundation for mastering Romance Languages, modern inflected ones such as Russian and German, and even non-related tongues like Arabic, Chinese, and Japanese. In addition, Latin gives one a grip on about 80% of the vocabulary of the Romance languages – French, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, and Spanish.
Latin Improves College Entrance Exam Scores
Students who study Latin in high school consistently score high on the verbal portion of the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) college entrance exam than both students who have not studied any foreign language and students who have studied other modern foreign languages. Studies conducted by the Educational Testing Service show that Latin students consistently outperform all other students on the verbal portion of the SAT.
Allison Kane, Latin Instructor
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Allison Kane is a second-year Latin teacher at St. Johns Classical Academy. Raised by a military family, she graduated high school in Pensacola, Florida. She competed with her high school Latin Club, placing at the Regional, State, and National levels. Ms. Kane also participated in the National Latin Exam, National Classical Etymology Exam, and National Roman Civilization Exam, earning awards on all three exams. Ms. Kane attended the University of Florida. She graduated cum laude with a degree in Classical Studies, specializing in Teaching Latin, and a minor in Education. During her time at the University of Florida she was a member and president of Eta Sigma Phi, the Classics National Honor Society. Ms. Kane volunteered with the Florida Senior Classical League, helping to organize and manage Latin competitions for middle and high school Latin students. After earning her B.A., Ms. Kane attended graduate school at the University of Florida. She received a Master of Latin degree. She served as a teaching assistant for courses in World Literature, Classical Mythology, and Ancient Egypt. She served as the instructor of record for a section of Latin 1 and Latin 2. Ms. Kane helped to plan and run a graduate student conference on translation, adaptation, and interpretation of ancient texts. Ms. Kane has been teaching at St. Johns Classical Academy since August 2018. She sponsors the Latin Club, which she will take to competitions later this school year. She is an active member of the American Classical League and the Classical Association of Florida.
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Raoul Elola, Latin & French Instructor
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Mr. Elola is a second-year Latin teacher and first-year French teacher at St Johns Classical Academy. He was born and raised in Burkina Faso (West Africa). He has been married since 2016 to Katrina Elola (Real Estate Investor) who was born and raised in Kansas. They welcomed a baby boy in January of 2020. Mr. Elola began learning Latin at the age of twelve at a seminary school where ecclesiastical Latin was used on a daily basis at church and classical Latin was used in the classroom. After receiving his diploma in Philosophy and French literature from the University of Ouagadougou, he received the award of best writer in French literature. He was accepted to the University of Ouaga II Law School (Burkina Faso), where he earned an academic scholarship to continue law studies at the University Paris I Pantheon-Sorbonne Law School in France. He graduated with his LL.B (Bachelor of Laws Option Private Law) and received an award for being the best academic young student and the 3rd Place Award for the best non-lawyer with pleading skills in French. Mr. Elola serves an inactive member of the Burkina Faso Bar Association since 2014 and an active member of a political party called ‘’Union pour le progres’’ (Union for Progress and Change) created in March 2010. He was a participant of the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, which is the flagship program of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) created by the U.S. government. His passion for travel and desire to pursue a degree from an English-speaking country brought him to the U.S. In 2014, he started to learn English fully at New York University and later at Wichita State University, where he worked as a volunteer French speaker for the Department of Modern Languages. He taught Latin and French to local schools (part time) in Burkina Faso and Paris while attending law school and was an adjunct French instructor at Southwestern College in Winfield, KS (2016-2017). In addition, he worked as a legal assistant in local law firms, specializing in immigration, taxes, and divorces. He enjoys finding uses for Latin in daily life, from its benefits in law school to its role in improving overall language skills. He is a multi-lingual speaker, speaking French, Dioula, Moore, Fula, Gourounsi, Bamana and English. Mr. Elola is a co-author of a manual titled “Passport pour le bac” (a guideline on how to write effective philosophical essays in French), which was published in 2013. Furthermore, he is a recipient of an achievement's recognition award in International Child’s Protection to include children’s rights in theory and practice from Harvard University ( July 2018). Mr. Elola is currently attending law school pursuing his Juris Doctor law degree.
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