Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-06-03
How English is Taught.

AS regards the result of such teaching of Eng
lsh as is given in some of our best schools and
academies, may be pardOned for referring to
my own observation. Since 1878, when Har-
ward college for the first time held an examina-
ton in English, have read from 900 to 5 900
compositions written in the examination room
upon subjects drawn from books which the can
didates were required to read before presenting
themselves. OF these not more than a hundred
to make q generous estimate-were credit
able to either writer or teacher. This year
did not read the books, but one who did makes
this report: Few Were remarkably good, and
few extraordinarily bad; tedious medOcrity
was every where" 1t is this tedious mediocrity
which has amazed me year after year. In
spelling, punctuation and grammar some of the
books are a little worse than the mass, and
some great deal better; but in other respects
there is Il dead level, UNMARRIED by fresh thought
or an individual expression. Almost all the
writers use the same commonplace vocabulary
"a very small one-in the same confused way.
One year, after reading two or three hundred
compositions on "The Story OF the Tempest"
found myself in such profound ignorance of
both plot and characters that had to read the
play to set myself right again. The authors of
these discouraging manuscripts were, almost
all of them,
"Just at the age 'twixt boy and youth
When thought is speech, and speech is truth"
They may be justly regarded as the picked
youth OF the country, many of them coming
from the best families in point of culture and
breeding, and from the best schools we have
They We're all boys with blood in their veins
and braihs in their heads, and tongues that
could talk fast enough and to the purpose when
they felt at ease. Many of them had enjoyed
1.-The TempeSt'-aS who that can understand il
does not?-but somehow the touch of pen or
pencil paralyZed their powers. If the dreary
compositions written by the great majority of
candidates for admission to college were cor
rect in spelling, intelligent in punctuation, and
uneXceptianabie In grammar there would be
some compensation; but this is SO far from being
the case that the instructors of English in
American colleges have to spend much of their
time and strength in teaching the A B G of
their mother tongue to young men of twenty
work disagreeablc in itself and often barren of
result. Every year Harvard graduates Il GER
tain number OF men - some of them high
scholars - whose manuscript would disgrace
lege cannot be blamed, for She can hardly
be expected to conduct an infant school for
adults. Is there any remedy Tor this state of
things? venture to say that there is, but it is
one that demands persistent and long continued
work and hearty cooperation on the part OF all
schools in any form and for any purpose. 1t re-
Quires intelligent supervision at one time, i'll
telllgent want OF supervision at another time
and watchful attention constantly. 1t requires
quick sense of individual needs and ready wit
TO provide for them as they arise. My plan is
briefly as follows: /, would begin as early as
possible TO overcome the mechanical difficult
ties of writing and would use all practicable
means and all possible opportunities to do SO;
z, i would not frlghten Il boy with ''compOSi-
tions, so called, till he could form his sentences
with tolerabIe correctness and use his pen with
freedom; but, 3, when he was set to work writ
Ing compositions he should be kept steadily at
II, and at the same time should be made to take
an interest in what he is doing, and should be
Impressed with the Importance of having some
an ineligible and q natural manner-Prot. 4,
IS, HUI, an HuTDeJS 1fu8I.inP.