The article discusses why Classics is important and why its study benefits not just university students but also young children. It was runner-up in the Intermediate Category for a Classical Association competition in 2025. The article explores the value of Classics as a wonderfully diverse subject involving the study of history, archaeology, architecture, art, and literature. Classics enables students to study over a thousand years of history, to uncover cultural values, to discover how language operates, to develop critical analysis skills, and to delight in its timeless literature. The article explores how the study of Classics can benefit young students’ reading and writing proficiency and can be especially beneficial for those with special educational needs. It explores how Latin translation builds code cracking and cognitive skills, not only developing grammatical knowledge but also encouraging problem-solving suited to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)-based subjects such as computer science and maths. The article looks at the interdisciplinary nature of the subject and the benefits of learning Latin and Greek vocabulary for language learning and science.

A response to the Classical Association’s Write | Speak | Design Competition 2025. A short essay presenting an argument which passionately asserts the centrality of classical education as providing the tools to make sense of the world at a pivotal socio-economic and political juncture, from the perspective of the author, a 16-year-old state school student in a school without classics provision. Emphasising the continued relevance of Classics in modern life through its relation to critical thinking, social mobility, and cultural capital, this essay advocates for the prioritisation of Classics in the modern curriculum. The author argues that the skills developed through the study of Classics, such as linguistic analysis, debate, and source criticism, are essential in providing tools to navigate misinformation and political polarisation. The essay highlights the cultural and intellectual legacy of Ancient Greece and Rome, asserting that lack of access to this education limits students’ cultural capital by decontextualising their understanding of literature, art, and history. Furthermore, the essay addresses the author’s experience of gendered and classist disparities in Classics education, highlighting the urgency for an increased advocacy and resource allocation to make Classical studies more accessible and inclusive in mainstream education.

This manifesto was originally submitted into and went on to win the senior category in the 2025 Classical Association ‘Write | Speak | Design’ competition. Through a mix of research and my personal classics journey, it argues that the contemporary relevance and remote accessibility of classical subjects, along with the academic joy they encourage in learners, make the study of the ancient past as important as ever and highlights ways these areas could be harnessed to increase the importance of classics further.

The teaching of Ancient Greek texts presents a unique opportunity to cultivate students’ critical thinking by encouraging deep analysis and interpretative engagement. Nevertheless, the instruction of Ancient Greek texts often remains formalistic and exam-oriented, emphasising grammatical and syntactical analysis at the expense of critical exploration and textual appreciation. This approach limits students’ ability to explore the deeper meanings and timeless messages embedded in these texts. This study proposes a teaching methodology that, within the Greek educational context, moves beyond a language-centred approach, integrating interpretative and extratextual elements to promote holistic, critical engagement with Ancient Greek texts. Classical texts should be approached not only as linguistic structures but also as dynamic systems reflecting the society that created them, allowing students to develop a deeper understanding of both antiquity and the modern world. By emphasising reflective inquiry and meaningful exploration, this methodology enhances students’ analytical skills while making the learning process more engaging. Ultimately, this approach reinforces the role of students as critical thinkers, equipping them with essential cognitive tools for academic and professional success.

This article presents a case study of an undergraduate workshop at Oxford University which, using the Corsi Collection of the Oxford University Museum of Natural History, focused on the identification and appreciation of coloured marbles, of the sort seen in ancient sculpture and architecture. Grounded in object-based learning (OBL), but conducted within the constraints of a predominantly text-based and classroom-bound curriculum, the workshop employed direct object engagement to foster observational skills, material literacy, and critical reflection on ancient resource use, offering students a chance to interact directly with Roman decorative materials. It aimed to demonstrate the pedagogical value of tactile engagement with artefacts in developing historical understanding, enhancing student enthusiasm, and embedding experiential learning within a traditionally text-centric curriculum. Drawing on theoretical frameworks developed by Hannan et al. and Laurillard, this paper argues that the integration of material-focused pedagogies can meaningfully boost student engagement and learning outcomes, while also contributing to broader institutional discussions about teaching excellence and student success. The outcomes demonstrate the significant pedagogical potential of object-based learning (OBL), especially in disciplines like Classics where material culture is often under-represented. In reflecting on outcomes, challenges, and broader applicability, the article advocates for wider adoption of OBL within Classics and outlines practical ways in which it can complement standard university teaching.

This article introduces the special collection Teaching Late Latin: Past and Present, Challenges and Prospects and sets out a deliberately innovative, contrastive agenda for this issue of the Journal of Classics Teaching. While clearly programmatic in nature, this article advances a central claim: that examining the teaching of Latin in Late Antiquity and the early Middle Ages alongside the teaching of Late Latin today offers a productive lens through which to rethink Latin pedagogy across time. The special collection is structured around two dialoguing sections, Ars docendi antiqua and Ars docendi nova, which place medieval and contemporary classrooms side by side. In both contexts, teachers respond to shifting sociolinguistic landscapes with methodological creativity. By foregrounding these parallels, the volume challenges the widespread equation (still prevalent across much of the education system) of “Latin” with a narrowly defined Classical norm. At the same time, it calls for closer dialogue between philology and pedagogy, between historical transmission and present-day practice, and between scholars who research Late Antiquity and those who teach it. Our aim is not to offer definitive solutions, but to initiate a conversation. If this editorial has a programmatic edge, it is because we believe that reflecting on how Latin was (and is) taught is inseparable from reflecting on what kind of subject Classics wishes to be.

The discovery of Priscian’s Institutiones Grammaticae brought a new perspective to the grammatical analysis of the eighth and ninth centuries, as it heavily relied on the commentaries on Donatus’s Ars Minor and Ars Maior, and many scholars of the time were not entirely aware of Priscian’s contribution to the scholarly discussion within the didactical framework. Entwining Priscian’s interest in metalanguage and definitions into their studies, scholars brought the methods of dialectics into the study of grammar. As such, we refer to a few relevant figures within the medieval framework who played a relevant role. Between the eighth and ninth centuries, scholars such as Alcuin of York started to determine a theory of definitions rooted in dialectics by observing and commenting on the use of definitions in Donatus and Priscian. This is also the case of the glosses and lexica written in the Middle Ages that shed light both on the need for definitions and on the relationship between Latin metalinguistic definitions and Germanic languages. Among the works concerned with metalanguage, the glosses from St. Gall hold a special place. The teaching methods used in the Abbey of St. Gall survive in the translations and commentaries of the monk, scholar, and teacher Notker Labeo, whose didactic purpose is evident in his work.

This paper investigates the extent and modalities of Latin and Greek teaching in early medieval British monastic communities by examining the indirect evidence offered by the manuscript known as the Liber Commonei, part of the composite manuscript Oxford Bodleian Auct. F.4.32. Using the patterns and nature of Latin and Old Welsh glosses as they appear in the manuscript, it is argued that, as expected, the monks would learn Classical Latin with the aid of Vulgar Latin and vernacular glosses and that they would tackle texts of a gradually higher complexity, conversely reducing their reliance on glosses. They would then proceed to learn Greek, using biblical excerpts (in Greek and in Latin script) as reference material; by analysing these texts, it is argued here that these British monks in the 9th century worked with the help of a Greek-speaking teacher.

Scholarship on Scandinavian linguistics has long recognised an indigenous metalinguistic tradition, rooted in runic writing and skaldic poetry, that developed independently of Latin influence. This tradition coexisted with Latin learning in a dynamic interplay often termed ‘two cultures’, culminating in the Icelandic grammatical treatises (12th to 14th centuries). While debates persist over the treatises’ indigenous versus foreign influences, the methods of Latin teaching in medieval Iceland remain underexamined. Though recent work has addressed Latin textual presence and educational structures, the pedagogical techniques themselves – how Latin was taught – have yet to be explored. This study aims to fill this gap, analysing methods and techniques of teaching Latin in medieval Iceland and offering new insights into the negotiation of vernacular and Latin traditions.

In a world where the teaching of Classical Latin itself is increasingly at risk, introducing Vulgar Latin at secondary school level could be an opportunity to revive pupils’ interest in studying this language and increase awareness of their linguistic heritage. The ideal way to stimulate this effect is through classwork on epigraphic documents, which undoubtedly provide students with a unique opportunity to get to know the Latin-speaking civilisation from within. In recent years, this teaching strategy has gained international attention, stimulated by the need to renew Latin teaching methods to make them more effective and meaningful for both teachers and students. In this contribution, I will offer a review of a personal experience including the reusable sample of a Vulgar Latin workshop for high school students, and I will reflect on the role schools and universities should play in specifically promoting the teaching of Latin through epigraphy.

This paper presents four case studies exploring how Latin is taught and positioned within Catholic secondary schools and colleges in Northern England. While Latin education is often debated in terms of class and elitism, this study adds a religious dimension, examining how Catholic identity, ecclesial values, and liturgical politics influence curricular choices. Using qualitative data from interviews with Latin teachers, the research investigates how schools interpret papal calls to preserve Latin. The findings reveal a varied landscape: in selective or fee-paying schools, Latin is linked to prestige; in more inclusive settings, it is framed as cultural enrichment. Yet, across all cases, institutional backing is limited, with Latin instruction often depending on dedicated individuals rather than policy or Church direction. The tension between inclusive education and doctrinal identity further shapes how Latin is taught. Additionally, the decline of Latin in liturgy weakens its status in the curriculum. By focusing on the intersection of faith, market dynamics, and ideology, the study highlights both opportunities and constraints for Latin’s revival in Catholic education. It concludes that Latin’s future in these schools cannot rest on tradition alone but requires nuanced, context-specific engagement.

This article traces the history of teaching Vulgar and Late Latin (LVLT) at Finnish universities from the mid-19th century to the present, focusing on the University of Helsinki. Drawing on archival sources, we examine changes in teaching programmes, degree requirements and thesis output. We show how LVLT was gradually integrated into Latin studies through philological renewal, Romance philology and epigraphic research, peaking in a ‘boom’ from the 1960s to the 1990s. Key figures such as Veikko Väänänen and Iiro Kajanto were central to embedding LVLT in teaching and research. However, recent structural reforms and cuts to staff and courses have contributed to a decline in LVLT instruction.

The article examines current challenges in teaching Vulgar and Late Latin (LVLT) at the University of Helsinki, the institution with the longest tradition of teaching LVLT in Finland. Based on structured interviews with researcher-teachers and doctoral students, as well as the author’s own didactic experience, the study identifies institutional, teaching-related, and learning-related challenges for effective LVLT instruction. The key institutional challenges stem from significant reductions in degree requirements and teaching staff, limiting students’ exposure to LVLT. Teaching-related challenges emphasise the need for improved alignment between teaching methods and intended learning outcomes, while learning-related challenges concern declining Latin proficiency and academic skills among graduate students. Despite the difficulties, interdisciplinary and student-centred approaches have proven effective in LVLT teaching. The study highlights the importance of the linguistic, philological, and historical contextualisation of LVLT texts, especially original documents, as well as the necessity of independent study to supplement formal instruction.