The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-09-24

~ - AA4%A4 ANA&A~s
Il ia fact well understood BY teachers
d language, and one which has not e.
capped the observation Of Others, that
children from siX 70 twelve years Of age
vii acquire . knowledge Of . liriA7 Ian
guage, in les time, and learn 10 speak il
more accurately and Auently, than will
those who commence the study Gt 9 more
Sge. II proof OF this assertion
were needed, It would only be necessary
TO cite the case Of foreigners, ior instance
Of adult age, who arrive in this
country without 3 kpoEeledse Of the
English language. Such rarely GcQuire &
coTTec, pronunciation OF the language,
and with difficulty learn TO Construct
English sentences correctly. Not %,
with the German child. Il, in
veFJ brief time, learns 70 speak the Eng.
lish language with little or no foreign &C.
cent Is il not iAir 10 presume that the
same principles prevail, and that like re.
suits follow, In SECURING knowledge d
the German language? NJ OWL o6serT.
alton and judgment serve 10 convince me
that the instruction should commence low.
er down in the primary grades than i
provided for in the plan adopted BY the
Board. And an more fully confirmed
in this belief By the practice in other
cities, In which the Germso has for years
held Z conspicuous place 10 the school
curriculum In the public schools Of ST.
Louis the subject receives probably more
attention than in the schools Of any Other
city; and the instruction Is there uu1Oubt.
edly followed By bette. and more positive
practical results And It b 3 fSct worthy
Of notice, that the instruction is made 70
commence in the 9Th, or very lowest
grade Of the Primary or district schools.
In this grV3e the instruction is confined
70 object Lessons, In the Cincinnati
schools, too, the German has : place in
the T OF lowest grade OF the primary
Il il s notable fact, thst from
ten 70 twelve thousand pupils, more than
half the number belonging 70 The schools,
are found in the German classes Were
the matter left 70 my judgment, l would
have the instruction il our schools com.
menee IN the lower C grade; and in this
grade l would have It confined, almost
exclusively, 10 object and conversational
Lessons By this method the pupils Of 40
entire room could be taught with the
same facility Is 8 class ol half dozen.
In the next higher grade would hsTe
the object and conventional instruction
continued, and add thereto card lessons,
and printing upon slate and blsck. board.
After arriving at the lower B grade l
would plsce IN the hands Of the pupils
the German First Reader, continue object
and Conversational lessons, and teach TO
make the script characters OF letters with
pencil and crSyon. In the higher grade
Of the B Division the German Second
Reader should be used, and in this grade
the pupils should commence 10 write with
the pen. The object and Conversational
instruction, particularly the latter, should
be continued through the entire course
In The two grades OF the A Division, the
higher Readers should be used, and wit.
ing and trsnslsting thoroughly taught
By the means indicated, the matter Of
the German in our schools would be sys,
tematized, the number instructed Wo1ld
be largely increased, and 8; no greater ex-
pense thAnis At present incurred, and By
far more satisfactory results wo1ld be 81.
tanned After the system is fairly in1ugurs.
ted the instruction could be made 70 cease
With the c0nrse in the A Division. Pm.
pills having commenced the course In the C
Division would then have given three tull
years TO the study; and it Is but reasonable
10 presume that, having gone through
with the course designated, tbey would Be
likely 10 hsTe good PnGeeo1l knowledge
o!the language. By . practical knowledge.
/ simply mean such . knowledge as would
enable them 70 speak, read, and write i;
with freedom And this, il Is presumed,
Is al tbs; the most ardent sGTocstes Of
the German Instruction IN the schools
have anticipated 0: desired.
Tie reasons in f2To- Of the plan iniics-
ted may Be summed up as follows:
!. The Instruction would commence
with tie proper grade.
2. 4 larger nunber Of pTP;.s To1li en-
Ter upOa the study.
3. Aost OF those commencing the study
would Be Likely 10 continue At school long
enough 10 fni.h the course.
1 The matter wolld BE- reduced 70 q
Iystem which could not well fail oil sccom.
p!ishing the objects sought
). The instruction being confined 70 the
several grades Of the Primary Schools,
there would be less interference and clash.
ing with the English Glasses than there il
under the existing plsn-
8. While the instruction would be more
sad practical, the expense would
not be necessarily any greater than under
the present system
The foregoing is not intended as an ar.
gument either for or against the policy Of
making the German language . branch
Of study in the schools and it must not be
50 construed. Ny position on this sub
jet has been repeatedly defined, and is
well understood By Teachers, Members q
the Board and Others. And, waving auy
discussion Of the question upon it's mef.
iu, may be suffered To say, that the
Board having given this branch conspic.
uous place in the school curriculum, il
becomes my duty 70 advise such plan o:
instruction as would, in my judgment, be
best calculated 10 secure the object sought
By its instruction. The plan already
adopted hes at no time met nv hearty
and cannot refrain from saw.
ing tha; i:hss not as yet proved nor will il
be likely in future 10 prove, successful.
In the first plSce it lacks Isateui, and in
the pe1t place the instruction is not suf.
tered 70 commence at It's proper place.
The plan which is herein recommended.
would, l feel confident, not be liable 70
these objections And it Is not vet too
late 10 put it in successful operation for
the current year, should the Board deem
il wise 10 adoptiL
As stated in the outset, l have felt a de.
gree Of reluctance in discussing this sub.
iect, and would not now have done 30.
but Of the instance Of the worthy Chair.
man oil the Committee on the German
Language, and from sense OF duty.
There are other subjects to which /
desire to invite the attention Of the Board.
but owing to the length to which this %.
per has already been extended, these will
be made matter for future commnnira-