Dead Languages: Do They Really Go Extinct?

By Jonathan P. Smith

Published April 23, 2018 at 8:00 AM EDT

Why learn Latin or ancient Greek? We’ll hear from two teachers about the value of learning a language that hasn’t been spoken in millennia.

Guests

Barbara Weiden Boyd, professor of Latin and Greek at Bowdoin College
Phuc Tran, teacher of Latin at Waynflete and co-owner of Tsunami Tattoo

Resources

Bowdoin College classics department
Why study Latin?
The Guardian: Why you should learn a dead language

Tags

Jonathan P. Smith

Jonathan was born in Monsey, New York. A field trip to Washington, DC when he was in 7th grade started him on his circuitous path to a career in public radio. The trip inspired a love of politics and led to his desire to one day call DC home. After graduating from Grinnell College, he worked on a couple of campaigns in Iowa (presidential and congressional) and moved to Washington, DC.

See stories by Jonathan P. Smith