This may come off as somewhat of an odd question, but...

[KentaRawr!]

To people here on EoFF who are multilingual, how valuable do you think Latin would be as a language to study as a gateway to studying more languages?

[~*~Celes~*~]

from what I can remember, it would be pretty helpful cause a lot of the roots are the same. In fact, I bet if I would have studied Latin before French, I probably would have done better.

[Old Manus]

Skip useless Latin and go straight to learning more languages.

[Raistlin]

Skip useless Latin and go straight to learning more languages.

[Rantz]

I would skip Latin too, unless I was planning to learn very many languages.

[Mirage]

I would skip Latin too, unless I was planning to learn very many languages.

[Shiny]

I learned some Latin during English class and I didn't find it particular helpful for the SATs, but the teacher said it would be.

[Mirage]

Maybe it would be useful for understanding like really advanced things, but SATs are just so easy that a donkey could pass.

[scrumpleberry]

You guys have probably not studied Latin, to be saying that it's useless. It won't instantly make everything zomgeasy, but it's a beautiful language, it's really fascinating, and I promise you that you will find a lot of connections with european languages. My comprehension of languages that I don't speak has been helped greatly by it.

If you have any interest in linguistics you will find it fascinating. It's gorgeous because it is so methodical and perfect. I love it majorly.

I think it's a useful thing to know about both separate from and together with the languages you intend to study. So I'd say go for it. But I am a huge classics nerd

also these guys are pretty much the authority in basic latin. Have a poke around and see if it piques your interest. There are activities hidden there somewhere.

edit: Oh, I wouldn't put learning languages on hold until you have a knowledge of Latin. Learn it alongside other things! You won't get it mixed up, the words and patterns are very distinctive. I used to mix up French and Spanish when I studied them together, but never with Latin.

[Raistlin]

I'm not saying it's useless, but I am saying that it's not worth it just to be able to understand some other language you want to learn (unless you want to make a career out of studying languages or something). It's much more efficient to just study the language you want to learn in the first place.

[JKTrix]

Latin's not gonna help you learn Japanese, that's for sure.

[Aerith's Knight]

Latin's not gonna help you learn Japanese, that's for sure.

Actually, it would. In some minor degree, at least. Japanese doesn't have a lot of grammar, but what little it does, is easier to understand for someone who has had Latin, at least, that's what I understand from this conversation I held once:

"These Japanese nouns, jeesh, I usually just go by what sounds right, but it's annoying."
"Oh, that. You didn't have Latin, did you?"
"No, thank god."
"It's the same for Latin, I understand most of it."
"I see you've got an edge there. HERESY!"

Then I kill everyone.

[Goldenboko]

Anyone who says learning Latin is useless or a waste of time has never studied Latin, or never stuck with it long because they found it difficult. No matter how much I say I hate Latin, or wish Latin didn't exist, the fact of the matter is I've enjoyed learning Latin, reading original portions of Hercules or the Aenied as it was written, with lower amounts of "lost in translation" has been enjoyable, which is more then I say about French. Even if it's been frustratingly difficult for me at times (I'm not great at foreign languages). I can't comment on it's overall value on learning foreign languages (I've yet to purchase Rosetta Stone ), but I've comprehended somethings I wouldn't have without it in random discussions.