Letter: Latin is dead, long live English

Sir: Latin does not have the "practical use in the modern world" suggested by Trevor Cox (letters, 10 October) as a new language for the European Union. The EU realises that the world includes more than the north-west corner of Europe and that to do business with the 1 billion- plus people in India and the countless Chinese we need a modern, fluid and widely spoken language.

That language is English, the most widely spoken second language in the whole world. The British are famously bad at learning foreign languages but they do not care any more. The Internet is predominantly in English. Satellite TV is dominated by Rupert Murdoch, with most content in English. Dutch children learn to speak English as toddlers while watching sub-titled American cartoons.

The movement towards English is inevitable. Whether it is a good thing only time will tell but one thing is certain: Latin is dead and should only be considered for personal entertainment.

TERRY ROBINSON

London SE11