Urgent: Classics Field Faces Pedagogy Crisis – New Initiative Aims to Revitalize Ancient Language Learning
PARIS, FRANCE – November 8, 2025 – A quiet revolution is brewing in the world of Classics. Recognizing a critical gap in how Ancient Greek and Latin are taught, a consortium of leading universities is launching a coordinated research effort to apply modern Second Language Acquisition (SLA) principles to these foundational languages. This breaking news comes as scholars increasingly view these languages not as relics, but as vibrant, learnable languages deserving of contemporary pedagogical approaches. This is a big deal for anyone interested in history, linguistics, or the future of humanities education – and it’s happening now.
The Problem: A Pedagogy Stuck in Time
For generations, teaching Ancient Greek and Latin has relied heavily on traditional methods – rote memorization, grammatical analysis, and a focus on literary texts often presented as inaccessible to beginners. While valuable, these approaches often fail to foster genuine communicative competence. “We’ve been operating on anecdotal evidence for too long,” explains Theodosios Polychronis of Aix-Marseille University, a key organizer of the initiative. “Despite encouraging signs from experiments, there’s been no large-scale, systematic research into how people actually learn these languages.”
The field of Second Language Acquisition (RAL2) boasts decades of research into effective language learning strategies. Yet, until recently, this wealth of knowledge hasn’t been systematically applied to Ancient languages. This isn’t simply an academic quibble; it impacts student engagement, comprehension, and ultimately, the survival of these crucial cultural cornerstones. The lack of a unified theoretical framework and international collaboration has left progress fragmented and localized.
A New Seminar Series: Building a Research Roadmap
The impetus for change stems from the 2024 conference “Reading Classics? SLA and The Pedagogy of Ancient Greek and Latin.” Building on that momentum, a seminar series, beginning November 12, 2025, will serve as the launchpad for a coordinated research plan. Hosted via Zoom and organized by Aix-Marseille University in partnership with universities in Lille, Clermont Auvergne, and Massachusetts, Boston, the seminars will focus on:
- RAL2 Theory: A deep dive into the principles of Second Language Acquisition.
- Vocabulary Acquisition: Exploring effective strategies for building a robust lexicon in Ancient Greek and Latin.
- Curriculum Design: Evaluating existing textbooks and resources, with the goal of creating new materials inspired by successful foreign language teaching methods.
Beyond Textbooks: A Holistic Approach to Ancient Language Learning
The seminar schedule, packed with presentations from leading scholars (see full list below), signals a shift towards a more holistic approach. Topics range from the practical – appraising existing textbooks – to the theoretical – exploring input processing and frequency vocabulary. One particularly intriguing session, led by Chr. Cochrane of UMass Boston, will examine how “Input Processing Theory” can be applied to classical language textbooks. This theory suggests that learners benefit most from comprehensible input – language presented in a way they can understand, even if they don’t know every word.
The initiative also recognizes the importance of listening comprehension, often overlooked in traditional Classics education. Sessions like S. Walker’s “Latin out loud: Listening Comprehension and Language Acquisition in the Latin Classroom” highlight the need to move beyond simply reading texts and actively engage with the spoken language (or reconstructed pronunciation). This is a game-changer, as it acknowledges that Ancient Greek and Latin, while no longer spoken natively, can still be *experienced* as living languages.
The Future of Classics: A Call for Collaboration
The ultimate goal is to establish an international working group dedicated to collecting data, analyzing results, and developing evidence-based teaching materials. This isn’t just about improving pedagogy; it’s about ensuring the continued relevance of Classics in the 21st century. By embracing the insights of Second Language Acquisition, scholars hope to unlock the potential of Ancient Greek and Latin for a new generation of learners. This initiative represents a vital step towards a more dynamic, engaging, and effective approach to teaching these foundational languages.
Seminar Schedule Highlights: (Full schedule available at [email protected])
- Nov 12, 2025: T. Polychronis & J. Carlon – “Teaching Ancient Greek and Latin: Past, Present and Future Perspectives”
- Nov 26, 2025: P. Leclercq & A. Edmonds – “A Brief Introduction to the field of Second Language Acquisition”
- Feb 4, 2026: K. MacFarlane – “Theory and Practice of Vocabulary Development”
- Mar 25, 2026: M. Adam – “How to use transparent words for vocabulary acquisition?”
Stay tuned to archyde.com for further updates on this developing story and the evolving landscape of Classics education. We’ll continue to follow this initiative and bring you the latest insights from the forefront of this exciting field.
