Association for the Reform of Latin Teaching
The Association for the Reform of Latin Teaching was founded in the United Kingdom in 1913 by the distinguished Classical scholar W. H. D. Rouse. It is now known as the Association for Latin Teaching.
History
Origins
It arose from Summer Schools which Rouse organised in order to train Latin teachers in the Direct Method of language teaching, which entailed using the language in everyday situations rather than merely learning grammar and syntax by rote. Summer Schools remain the chief activity of this organisation. A journal entitled Latin Teaching reported on the Summer Schools and included articles on practical teaching of Latin. Contributors included Dorothy L. Sayers.After WWII
After the Second World War three developments deeply affected the ARLT:- The Universities of Oxford and Cambridge ceased to require proficiency in Latin as a qualification for entry. This meant a sharp reduction in the numbers of school pupils learning Latin.
- The Cambridge Latin Course brought many of the principles espoused by Rouse and the ARLT into the mainstream of Latin teaching. This led ARLT to adopt a more supportive, rather than campaigning, approach, offering general encouragement for all Classics teachers.
- Three Classical organisations, The Classical Association, the Orbilian Society and the Association for the Reform of Latin Teaching, joined in founding an umbrella organisation: the Joint Association of Classical Teachers.