Please consider Text 02 to answer the question. Remember, there is only one answer.

Text 02 - The Influence of Latin

We live in a bilingual and multilingual world. From both a contemporary and a historical perspective, bilingualism or multiculturalism is the norm rather than the exception. It is fair, then, to say that throughout history foreign language learning has always been an important practical concern. Whereas today English is the world’s most widely studied foreign language, 500 years ago it was Latin, for it was the dominant language of education, commerce, religion, and government in the Western world. In the sixteenth century, however, French, Italian, and English gained in importance as a result of political changes in Europe, and Latin gradually became displaced as a language of spoken and written communication.

(Source: Richards and Rodgers. Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching. p.4.)