Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-07-10
THE SUMMER SCHOOL OF LANGUAGES
Opening Exercises at the Howard Opera
House.

House.
The opening exercises of the Sauveur |
Summer College of Languages were held |
in Howard Opera house, Monday night, |
in the presence of II large audience of the
pupils of the college and citizens of Bur
lington. The stage was occupied by the
faculty of the college, President Buckham
of the University, Robert Roberts, Esq,
and others. After prayer by Rev. NJ.
ID. Jump, President Sauveur intro
duced as the first speaker President Buck
ham of the University
President Buckham welcomed the pupils
of the college on behalf of the citizens of
Burlington and the University. You have
paid us he said, II high compliment by
your unanimous choice of Burlington rs
the place where the college of languages
should be established. We also have paid
you compliment in opening to you our
homes. The University. too, extends You
Il heartfelt welcome, and u somewhat
more liberal hospitality than it was en-
aDled to offer NOu last year. President
BuCkham then alluded to the increased
facilities and advantages of the Uuiver-
sity, including the new dining hall and
reminded the members of the college that
much of the fund subscribed for
the construction of the dining
hall was given by the tradespeOpe
of Burlington. But the school itself, said
our interest. Our community is interest
ed in intellectual pursuits, and while you
are here we enjoy something of the bene-
fits of foreign travel. OF the Sauveur
method President Buckham said that any
method of teaching must be tested by its
results in the hands of average teachers
and that he had not yet seen the Sauveur's
method in the hands of average teachers
but that the method in the hands of DR.
Sauveur and his colleagues was decided
and brilliant success. The secret of the
success of the college, he thought,
was that it combined in the proper pro
portions, recreation and study President
l}uckham closed by wishing the pupils of
the college great success in both of these
pursuits.
President Sauveur then introduced
Robert Roberts, Esq. Mr.. Roberts said
that our people hHd heard So much of the
advantage of Burlington ~ Il college town
and seat of learning. that they had come
almost to believe it unrvaIled. The al
umni Of our University have praised its
natural advantages; but, coming from
the surroundings which are peculiar to
most of thcm~thelr praise may perhaps he
partial. not only our material but
our social prosperity. is closely CON
nected with the educational institu-
tions established here, and it be-
hooves us to support to the best of our
ability not only those which now exist
here but Others at our doors Mr.. Roberts
then explained how the scheme of a
dining hall, instead of large boarding
house, was evolved. AS to the character
and woTk of the Sauveur school, he said
that the reputation of the school was ITS
: own endorsement. The method of teach
ing has this advantage, that it brings the
pupils face to face with living language.
a person can never learn to speak a
language tuently. he said, unless he has
learned to speak, 1t by speaking it. The
speaker closed by extending II further
welcome from the citizens of Burlington
to the pupils of the school,
President SauVeur then took the floor,
and held it for an hour or more. He spoke
at length of his own estimation of the
school, and of the estimation in which it
was held by distinguished American edu-
Gators expressed III their own words tC
him. The success of his school and of its
method of teaching he attributed largely
To- personal spration.-his own and that
of the members of his faculty. He con
trasted the advantages of the Sauveul
method with that pursued by the regular
classical institutions, and challeng
ed comparison of the work done by him
self and his colleagues in six weeks
with that accomplished by other
institutions in the entire year. DR.. Sau
veur then gave the following items OF
practical advice to his pupils; Do not
study too much. Get your recreation
from each others society, and in quiet
ways, Improve your outdoor opportun
tiles. Avoid social dissipation, especially
dancing. DO not try to study too many
languages at once. Two, if unfamiliar tC
single SESSION. DO not study German and
French together, for the first time. Like
the nations they represent, these Ian
guages are militant. Aim to acquire the
pronunciation and train the ear. This
alone would be worth coming to the col
y nNT hon hnI H.,