Editing Neo-Latin (section)

====Latin in school education, 1500–1700====
Throughout this period, Latin was a universal school subject, and indeed, the pre-eminent subject for [[elementary education]] in most of Europe and other places of the world that shared its culture. Schools were variously known as [[grammar school]]s in Britain, [[Latin school]]s in France, Germany, the Netherlands and colonial North America, and also [[Gymnasium (school)|Gymnasia]] in Germany and many other countries.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}}

Latin was frequently the normal medium of education, both for teaching the Latin language, and for other subjects. Fluency in spoken Latin was an objective as well as the ability to read and write; evidence of this includes the emphasis on use of diacritics to maintain understanding of vowel quantity, which is important orally, and also on the use of {{lang|la|Colloquia}} for children's learning, which would help to equip the learner with spoken vocabulary for common topics, such as play and games, home work and describing travel. In short, Latin was taught as a "completely normal language",<ref>{{harvnb|Leonhardt|2009|pp=223}}</ref> to be used as any other. Colloquia would also contain moral education. At a higher level, Erasmus' Colloquia helped equip Latin speakers with urbane and polite phraseology, and means of discussing more philosophical topics.<ref>{{harvnb|Leonhardt|2009|pp=222–224}}</ref>

[[File:Colloquia Familiaria 18. Gratia. Giving Thanks..webm|thumb|left|One of the simpler sections from Erasmus' {{lang|la|[[Colloquies|Colloquia Familiaria]]}}, explaining how to say thank you in Latin.]] Changes to Latin teaching varied by region. In Italy, with more urbanised schools and Universities, and wider curricula aimed at professions rather than just theology, Latin teaching evolved more gradually, and earlier, in order to speed up the learning of Latin.<ref>{{harvnb|Knight|Tilg|2015|p=227}}</ref> For instance, initial learning of grammar in a basic Latin word order followed the practice of medieval schools. In both medieval and Renaissance schools, practice in Latin written skills would then extend to prose style composition, as part of 'rhetoric'. In Italy, for prose for instance, a pupil would typically be asked to convert a passage in {{lang|la|ordo naturalis}} to {{lang|la|ordo artificialis}}, that is from a natural to stylised word order.<ref>Black, Robert ''School'' in {{harvnb|Knight|Tilg|2015|pp=222–223}}</ref> Unlike medieval schools, however, Italian Renaissance methods focused on Classical models of Latin prose style, reviving texts from that period, such as Cicero's ''[[De Inventione]]'' or [[Quintilian]]'s {{lang|la|[[Institutio Oratoria]]}}.<ref name="Knight 2015 224" />

Teaching of specific, gradually harder Latin authors and texts followed rhetorical practice and learning.  In Italy, during the medieval period, at different periods, Classical and Christian authors competed for attention, but the Renaissance and Neo-Latin period saw a decisive move back to authors from the Classical period, and away from non-Classical 'minor' authors such as [[Boethius]], whose language was simpler.<ref>Black, Robert ''School'' in {{harvnb|Knight|Tilg|2015|p=225}}</ref>

[[File:John Calvin Museum Catharijneconvent RMCC s84 cropped.png|thumb|right|John Calvin was among the promoters of reform of Latin education, working with Corderius.]] The changes to schooling in Northern Europe were more profound, as methods had not evolved as quickly. Adopting Italian innovations, changes to the teaching of grammar and rhetoric were promoted by reformers including [[John Calvin|Calvin]], [[Philip Melanchthon|Melanchthon]] and [[Martin Luther|Luther]].<ref>{{harvnb|Knight|Tilg|2015|pp=228–9}}</ref> Protestants needed Latin to promote and disseminate their ideas, so were heavily involved with the reform of Latin teaching. Among the most influential of these reformers was Calvin's Latin teacher and educational collaborator [[Corderius]], whose bilingual colloquies were aimed at helping French-speaking children learn to speak Latin.<ref>Backus, Irena in {{harvnb|Knight|Tilg|2015|pp=336–337}}</ref>

Among Latin schools, the rapid growth of [[Jesuit]] schools made them known for their dedication to high attainment in written and spoken Latin to educate future priests. This took place after the Catholic church affirmed their commitment to Latin in the liturgy and as a working language within the hierarchy at the [[Council of Trent]] in 1545–63. Jesuit schools were particularly well known for their production of [[Jesuit drama|Latin plays]], exclusive use of spoken Latin and emphasis on classical written style.<ref>Black, Robert ''School'' in {{harvnb|Knight|Tilg|2015|pp=228–9}}</ref>

However, the standards ultimately achieved by the whole school system were uneven. Not all students would acquire Latin to a high standard. Even in this period, an excessive focus on grammar and poor teaching methods were seen by reformers as a barrier to the acquisition of Latin.{{sfn|Waquet|2001|pp=7–40}} [[Comenius]] for instance was credited with significant attempts to make Latin more accessible through use of parallel Latin and native language texts, and more interesting through acquisition of vocabulary and the use of modern and more relevant information in texts.{{sfn|Leonhardt|2009|pp=234–236}}  Others worried whether it was appropriate to put so much emphasis on abstract language skills such as Latin poetry composition. As time went on, the difficulties with Latin teaching began to lead to calls to move away from an emphasis on spoken Latin and the introduction of more native-language-medium teaching.{{sfn|Waquet|2001|pp=7–40}}