I find Steve's "real-life" situation very interesting, although I
don't understand why the present Latin course offered doesn't work:
 
> We currently have a Latin course that is senseless.  We begin it too late a
nd
> don't cover enough content so it makes no  sense to us to inflict
> it any
> longer on our students who are already overextended.  We would like to stop
 
> teaching this course.
 
I encourage our undergraduates - a much older age group than Steve's
students - to do a year of Latin for the same reasons that he
expounds on so eloquently.  Those who take up my suggestion (a self-
selected group, no doubt) all tell me that they found the Latin
course of enormous benefit in developing their understanding of
grammar & syntax (the comparison between an analytical and an
inflected language is invaluable in encouraging a meta-linguistic
awareness, at whatever level).  As well, the students found that even
a one-year course helped their vocabulary development.  Last but not
least, they just enjoyed the course: a good teacher and attractive
pedagogical material is a must I would think.  Could the latter be
the problem at your school Steve?  I asked our (much-beloved) Latin
professor what she would recommend as a text for upper elementary or
middle school, and without hesitation she suggested the Cambridge
Latin Course (used both in Canada and the United States as well as in
Great Britain).
 
 
> If anyone has any constructive advice on how to
>
> construct a curriculum like the one I described above or any advice in this
 
> area at all, please let me know.  I will be greatly appreciative of any
> genuine attempt to _help_ me improve the language skills of the _young_
> children in my charge.
>
> Steve Cohen
 
I have no other suggestions, but I would like to add that in the age
of post-modernism (or at the end of the twentieth century if you
like), the idea that there is only one truth which we must all follow
and not listen to any other voices is both unacceptable and
undesirable.
 
Mieke
 
 
Mieke Koppen Tucker
Bishop's University
Lennoxville, Quebec, Canada