St. Ambrose Academy requires all students to study Latin as an essential element of their classical education. Because Latin is an inflected language – where not only verbs but nouns have different endings depending upon their function in the sentence – it teaches not only a “foreign” language but teaches students about language itself. 

A student who has mastered Latin is well prepared to study any other modern language with ease. Latin is, likewise, the language of many other disciplines – science, medicine, the law, etc. Much of the English language is derived from Latin, and students are able to expand their English vocabulary from knowing the Latin roots. Finally, Latin is the language of Mother Church, and over the course of their studies students will commit to memory many of the most traditional prayers of the Church in Latin – Gloria, Ave Maria, Pater Noster, Credo, Agnus Dei, Sanctus, Tantum ergo, Salve Regina, et cetera! By graduation, they are as comfortable praying in Latin as in English.

Following our patron’s noble advice “when in Rome,” students are taught a classical pronunciation when reading the classical texts and an ecclesial pronunciation when learning prayer or reading Scripture. Our classroom uses the oral method of Hans Ørberg where students are taught to hear and speak in the Latin language, just like any other language course. The oral method coincides perfectly with the classical method of questioning and dialogue. Teachers incorporate many other activities from playing “Go Fish” in Latin to putting on puppet show versions of popular films in Latin.

Junior High Latin A and B are designed to be the equivalent of the Senior High Latin I class. Students successfully fulfilling the Junior High Latin requirement are ready to begin Latin II in Senior High. Please see Graduation Requirements for more information.