Latin or modern languages for 4Y olds?

[Manoxlon]

I would like my kids to learn an additional language and I'm struggling with whether it should be Latin or a "more useful" (whatever that means) modern language such as Mandarin or Spanish. I am leaning towards Latin for the intellectual rigour and the potential ease with which the kids can pick a Latin-derived language of their choice to learn in their teens. The obvious argument against Latin is that it's dead and nobody speaks it, so ultimately what's the point.

If you really want to get your DC a head start in Latin, have them learn Romanian. It's the closest spoken language to it and having learnt it I can have a good stab at latin translation. It's also very close to Italian (Romanian speakers can generally understand Italian pretty well but not the other way round).

It is completely unnecessary to learn a difficult language at age 4.

If you're living in a different country and your DC spends lots of time playing with children who speak a difficult language, what a great opportunity. Otherwise, just carry on playing in your native language.

In countries where people manage to learn multiple languages and have general levels of educational attainment unimaginable in England, school doesn't start until age 6 or 7, eg Finland.

As for Latin, Caesar, Livy and Tacitus tend to appeal to teenagers whereas the Romans left us with no children's books. (Winnie Ille Pu and Asterix in Latin are jokes for adults and should remain so.)

Please don't teach Latin to 4 year olds. Classicists would be appalled by the idea. There are far better things to be doing at 4.

Latin definitely.

My local Wacky Warehouse insists on a basic grounding in Latin.