About
Established in 2015 in Gangnam, South Korea, Emerson Latin offers a variety of accelerated programs in the Latin language and classical literature and prep courses for international contests. Our students attend international, boarding, and public schools from Korea, the US, and the rest of the world. Private and small group classes of 4-8 students are conducted online in English solely by the teacher, founder and creator of Emerson Latin's programs.
Latin
5th-12th graders study a rigorous Latin curriculum from the beginner to the AP level with greater efficiency and at a faster pace than other schools. While our main program focuses on developing reading skills supplemented by grammar, we also offer tutorials using the natural and grammar-based methods. Our students have consistently been awarded top prizes year after year in a variety of international Latin contests while competing against students from around the world.
Classics
8th-12th graders discuss books and write critical essays in English in our reading and writing program called the Classics, which is divided into two tracks. The Literature Focus track explores the greatest works of fiction from Homer to Ishiguro. The Philosophy Focus track investigates the timeless works of thinkers from Plato to Sartre. Our students develop the critical thinking and writing skills necessary to compete and win prizes in international writing contests.
We believe that Latin is fundamental to the liberal arts and to our understanding of Western literature, society, and culture, just as mathematics is fundamental to the study of the natural and physical sciences. The teacher uses the Socratic method by asking leading questions to elicit responses. Students are taught to use reason to support their opinions and conclusions.
A Liberal Education
'Liberal' comes from the Latin word 'liber' meaning 'free.' We foster the growth of individual minds free to express their thoughts independently arising from their own unique perspectives and to connect ideas from the texts in multiple ways that allow for fresh interpretation and insight. We seek to form the well-rounded individual, the deep thinker, and the cultivated scholar.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
"The secret in education lies in respecting the student."
In his lifetime, Ralph Waldo Emerson became the most widely known man of letters in 19th century America, establishing himself as a prolific poet, essayist, popular lecturer, and an advocate of social reforms who was nevertheless suspicious of reforms and reformers. Emerson preached that the core of a liberal education was for students to learn the process of thinking for themselves. Using the Socratic method to elicit responses while being receptive to a student’s inner voice, we seek to recognize the wisdom of the child as something to be honored and nurtured.