Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-02-19
Wafrhnran G cgnnrnaL
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1879.
Teaching Latin and Greek.

the WATcHMAS by its author;
Mr.. Presidem:-You understand some G
my views as to the Linguistic course i
colleges. From my interest in the subject
think it proper to make you few remark
in writing, While think modern gran
mars of the Greek and Latin are needless
burdensome and repulsive to the student
unless he has a taste and proposes to max
himself an expert in the theoretical curiosi
ties of the modern grammars of those Ian
guages, | still appreciate the need o
thorough knowledge of the real grammar o
those languages in order to any successful
study of them, and of the literature which
they embody. With what the student ha
learned in his fitting course, | think tn,
course of instruction in Freshman yea
should be such as TO give him sullicen
knowledge and mastery of the grammar o
the language, to enable him to go on through
the rest of his course in the study OF tn,
language for the sake of the literature, with
out having drill in the grammar made con
tinually prominent.
In this view, aud to this end, wish tC
say sharply, that think the lessons in the
Latin and Greek textbooks during Fresh
man year should be so short that the stu
dent can go through with studying the
translation, and have left ample time tc
thoroughly study up and master the gram
mar of the lesson, including thorough
study of, and making himself familiar with
the meaning OF the words. And | think the
recitation should be largely given to drill on
the grammar of the lesson, and the meaning
of the words-the dictionary of the lesson
| know that, as general thing, the lessons
given out in the text books are so long that
nearly all the time allowed for the study of
the lessons is required in working out a
passable translation-the student being thus
scrimped of time needful to study up the
grammar of the lessons-and of time needful
to enable him to work up his translation
thoroughly and satisfactorily, and to famil-
iarze himself with the meaning of the
words. One of the principal causes of
failure in mastering those languages so as to
make the reading of them anything but a
burden and dissatisfaction is the failure to
master and remember the meaning of the
words. You know how few persons at the
end of the college course can read ordinary
classic Latin or Greek without constant use
of the dictionary to find the meaning of the
words, and how much fewer ever improve
in that respect, after getting out of college.
| attribute this mainly to the fact that the
instruction has been so given as to cause
the student to feel the study to be unsuccess-
full and unsatisfactory in its prosecution (;
and hence he is caused to neglect the pur.
suit of it after being absolved from the re-
quirement upon him as student in college.
| repeat, then, that the lesson in the tex
book should be short, that it may be thor
oughly studied for the grammar involved,
and for the meaning of the words-things
to be made familiar and fixed in the men,
ory for use for all ensuing purposes without
the need of repeating the same processes of
reference to the grammar and dictionary as
were necessary in the early stages of college
studentship.
In the fitting course, and in Freshman
year, the student is not studying Latin and
Greek for the historic, scientific, or literary
knowledge contained in the text he may
read, but to master the language sufficiently
TO enable him thereafter in the residue of
his college course and of his life to read the
language Tor the sake of what it contains
historic, scientific and literary. 1t is i'm
portant, then, that during those early stages
OF studentship, not that he should go over
large quantities of the text of classic auth
ors, but that he should be trained in the
language used by classic authors, so that
he may read and relish and be improved
by it. According to my idea, as above
indicated, student may be enabled and
may be made to accomplish much more
towards a use and mastery of the languages
in lessons of ten lines than of fifty or more,
in the early stages of his college course-in-
creasing progressively as shall best serve
that purpose-so that by Sophomore year,
the text and what it contains, of the auth
ors in hand may have prominence, rather
than the grammar and dictionary, to secure
expertness in which the text had mainly
been the subject of the previous study.
OF course, what is thus said is upon the
assumption that students are pursuing the
study of the languages for the benefit re-
sulting from the study, and from such a
knowledge of the languages as will enable
them to read with facility aud appreciation
the works of the authors who used those
languages. have in mind that it may be
said that short lessons in the text would
give occasion and opportunity for students
who are disposed to shirk as much work as
they can and pass along to graduation, the
more easily and the more largely to shirk
But to this two things are to be replied
namely; First, that the interests of studious
and faithful students should not be subju
| gated to the interests of shirking and un
faithful ones. The course and manner o.
instruction should be devised and carried
out in service of the interests of those who
are disposed to be studious and faithful
Second, by proper requirements, and b,
proper manner of handling the students il
recitation, short lessons in the text could b
made the occasion of as much study il
quantity, aud more beneficial in results will
shirking and unfaithful students, as lesson