"This is all very enlightening about English word order, but so what?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, what's the point?"
"Point?"
"Weren't you going to tie this in to Latin?"
"Yes."
"Well, we’re waiting."
"Based on our conversation, can you make a guess?"
"About Latin, you mean?"
"Yes."
"Let's see. I would guess that it can help students with word order."
"And?"
"And that's all."
"But what is the import of word order in English?"
"Meaning?"
"Exactly. Without it, there isn’t any.”
“No, I meant, ‘What do you mean?’”
“I mean, Without word order, there isn't any meaning."
"But how does Latin figure into this?"
"Well, that’s the question. But it isn't just Latin. It’s a specific type of Latin."
"Which is...?"
"CAGSE's Latin."
"Aren't all Latin programs the same?"
"No. Our program is linguistic/language-acquisition-oriented.”
“Isn’t that a little narrow?”
“So it may seem. But our experience is that the power to communicate is critical for all students. The person who has control of language – not just vocabulary, but the manner in which that vocabulary is accessed and applied - is a force to be reckoned with. As such, the question becomes, What is the best vehicle for the acquisition of these skills? These communication skills? These literacy skills? The answer is, unequivocally, a linguistic approach to Latin.”
“How so?”
“Because we focus on the structure of words and their relationship to, and with, one another. With our program, students learn to take account of every component of every word. Each component of a word plays a role in establishing the word’s meaning. In turn, every word plays a role in a sentence. We show how elements fit together to form words, how those words fit together – how they relate to one another - to make sentences."
"Okay, but still, what’s the point?"
"The point is that it is CAGSE’s approach to Latin which particularly helps students develop an exacting awareness of, and facility for, English and how it establishes meaning."
"How?”
“By making the passive learning of language into an exercise of active awareness where every linguistic component is accounted for; by providing students with a scientific lexicon, a vocabulary, which enables them to become active understanders and practioners of language, not mere consumers.”