Comparison between Classical Chinese and Latin

But Chinese students are forced to learn Classical Chinese whatever major you choose. If you choose science, you still need to learn it.
If you choose language like French,Spanish,etc, you still need to learn it.

SJF Tue Aug 11, 2009 1:57 am GMT
Why should English, French, German, Spanish students learn Latin? Latin is the language of old Italia.
Chinese students are not forced to learn Classical Japanese either.


In Middle Ages, the Latin was a Written Language that was shared by the peoples of English, French, German, Spanish, Italy, etc., although they belong to different Language Groups. Most of the files, books, etc were written in the Latin writing. So their students learn some Latin to feel the past history.

Also in the Middle Ages, the Japanese adopted the Classical Chinese as their Written Language. So the Chinese students are not required to learn Classical Japanese.

<< I am English native speaker and living in USA. Our students here including me don't learn Latin. But my friends from China,Taiwan and Hong Kong always complain that their governments "force" them to learn Classical Chinese. >>

The word "force" here makes it sound like a bad thing, whereas I think it's an excellent thing to make Classical Chinese compulsory in China, as do I think that it should be compulsory for English pupils to learn Latin and Anglo-Saxon.

<< Why should English, French, German, Spanish students learn Latin? Latin is the language of old Italia. Chinese students are not forced to learn Classical Japanese either.
Some people make this topic concerned with human right, which is absolutely stupid. Don't you know the difference between language and politics? If you want to criticize, please don't act like fool in this forum. >>

I agree with you, it's got absolutely nothing to do with human rights, making it compulsory to learn languages! I can't agree with you about Latin though. Yes, the PLACE it was spoken was in Italy - but the languages which descended from it are spread all over Europe. All over the world, in fact. Spanish, spoken in Spain and Latin America descends from Latin.

In European Union there are 5 important languages: English, Spanish, French, German and Italian. Portuguese is also an International language. In Eastern Europe and former USSR, Russian is also very spoken.

So, there are at least 7 European languages very important and some other 20 also official.

Finally, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese and Hindi are very prestigious languages in a Global World.

The European students should study, at least 2 MODERN European languages and if they want another Asiatic, for example.

If you study Spanish, French or Italian the teacher can explain you some Latin roots, like an interesting thing, but there is not time to study Latin, an old language that is not spoken.

We are in a Global World. So, the situation for Chinese is similar. They should study MODERN languages.

"Caspian Wed Aug 26, 2009 8:58 am GMT
<< I am English native speaker and living in USA. Our students here including me don't learn Latin. But my friends from China,Taiwan and Hong Kong always complain that their governments "force" them to learn Classical Chinese. >>

The word "force" here makes it sound like a bad thing, whereas I think it's an excellent thing to make Classical Chinese compulsory in China, as do I think that it should be compulsory for English pupils to learn Latin and Anglo-Saxon.

<< Why should English, French, German, Spanish students learn Latin? Latin is the language of old Italia. Chinese students are not forced to learn Classical Japanese either.
Some people make this topic concerned with human right, which is absolutely stupid. Don't you know the difference between language and politics? If you want to criticize, please don't act like fool in this forum. >>

I agree with you, it's got absolutely nothing to do with human rights, making it compulsory to learn languages! I can't agree with you about Latin though. Yes, the PLACE it was spoken was in Italy - but the languages which descended from it are spread all over Europe. All over the world, in fact. Spanish, spoken in Spain and Latin America descends from Latin. "



In Sweden, students can be willing to learn Latin because it's optional. But in Taiwan, most students are unwilling to learn Classical Chinese because it's compulsory. So, I think they can be "forced". If Classical Chinese were optional here, no student here would curse pro-Classical professors from the back.

<< In Sweden, students can be willing to learn Latin because it's optional. But in Taiwan, most students are unwilling to learn Classical Chinese because it's compulsory. So, I think they can be "forced". If Classical Chinese were optional here, no student here would curse pro-Classical professors from the back. >>

I see your point, but some subjects must be compulsory. In Germany, Latin is compulsory. I think it's important that students learn Classical Chinese, because it's important for Chinese people to learn about the culture, language and tradition, I think it's sad that it's being lost. I would be happy if maths were not compulsory here, but I still believe that it's necessary to learn it, be it or be it not enjoyable!

"Caspian Sat Aug 29, 2009 9:38 pm GMT
I see your point, but some subjects must be compulsory. In Germany, Latin is compulsory. I think it's important that students learn Classical Chinese, because it's important for Chinese people to learn about the culture, language and tradition, I think it's sad that it's being lost. I would be happy if maths were not compulsory here, but I still believe that it's necessary to learn it, be it or be it not enjoyable! "


So, revolution is essential in Taiwan and that's the best way to end the life of Classical Chinese.

What can ppl do with Classical Chinese? Technology? Biology? Science invention?

Oh, nothing! If you talk about literature, we have modern languages to use, not Classical Chinese.

It's foolish and stupid that people learn how to use the ancient toillet(Classical Chinese).

To: Tai-oan-lang

Are you pretty sure that Modern Chinese absolutely has nothing to do with classical Chinese, as much as I know, Taiwan people prefer to speak and write something related to classical Chinese more than Mainland people. And when it comes to your native language Minnanese (Taiwanese), there are far more ancient remains which are mostly derived from classical Chinese in it than Mandarin. Would you be able to cut Minnanese or Mandarin completely off from their ancestor classical Chinese, and if classical Chinese was a toilet, then what should we regard Minnanese or Mandarin as? A very different modern toilet? Please remember that, in your conversation and articles, you could hardly avoid classical elements that have already melted into modern Chinese languages for centuries. 做人不能太激进！

"Tionghoa Sun Aug 30, 2009 4:04 am GMT
To: Tai-oan-lang

Are you pretty sure that Modern Chinese absolutely has nothing to do with classical Chinese, as much as I know, Taiwan people prefer to speak and write something related to classical Chinese more than Mainland people. And when it comes to your native language Minnanese (Taiwanese), there are far more ancient remains which are mostly derived from classical Chinese in it than Mandarin. Would you be able to cut Minnanese or Mandarin completely off from their ancestor classical Chinese, and if classical Chinese was a toilet, then what should we regard Minnanese or Mandarin as? A very different modern toilet? Please remember that, in your conversation and articles, you could hardly avoid classical elements that have already melted into modern Chinese languages for centuries. 做人不能太激进！ "



"Taiwan people" doesn't mean "all Taiwanese". I know there are too many bad scholars in Taiwan who like to use "classical students" to bump up all students day by day. But finally they will be despised by the future generation soon after they know "ancient toillet" can be used in modern day.

< Tionghoa Sun Aug 30, 2009 4:04 am GMT
To: Tai-oan-lang
Are you pretty sure that Modern Chinese absolutely has nothing to do with classical Chinese, as much as I know, Taiwan people prefer to speak and write something related to classical Chinese more than Mainland people. >


The Taiwan's schools provide a very large teaching hours in the Classical Chinese course than Mainland's schools. In Mainland's schools as your posting that said:

"In the Mandarin textbooks for high school, several Classical articles are sandwiched as an introductory study, so that Chinese students won't fall into the condition of knowing nothing about Classical Chinese. "


The Taiwan's Written Mandarin is the so-called Baihuawen which begin in 1920s; some colloquial Mandarin mixed with some Classical Chinese. Now, the Mainland's Written Mandarin is written in the pure colloquial Mandarin that is the so-called Modern Standard Hanyu which begin in 1950s.

> Tionghoa Sun Aug 30, 2009 4:04 am GMT
> To: Tai-oan-lang
> Would you be able to cut Minnanese or Mandarin completely off from their ancestor classical Chinese,

The English speaking people adopted the Written Latin as their written language in Middle Age, so the Modern English is full of Latin elements in it. But we can not say that Latin is the ancestor language of English.

The Classical Chinese is an ancient written language, which is not the "ancestor language" of Minnanese or Mandarin. The ethnic Minnanese and ethnic Mandarin just also adopted this written language in different times of past history.

The English, Minnanese and Mandarin also have a native colloquial layer and a non-native written layer in them.