Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-01-14
FOLLY OF GRAMMAR.
A WESTERN PROFESSOR WISHES TO
STOP TEACHING 1T.
English Grammar an Artificial Abstraction
which Never Helped Anybody To
Write or Speak Good English.
Cincinnati Tlmes.star.)

| The Male Teachers Association held an
interesting meeting lately. Professor Al
bert f. Kuersteiner OF the Hughes High
/ School, read the following interesting
paper on the study Of English Gram
mar" As the Professors Views are Tar
out OF the ordinary, almost directly OPP
posed 10 the present system all over the
country. they are given almost In full De-
low:
The place OF English grammar. beyond
the most elementary definitions. Is the
grade Of high school. Three distinct rea-
sons lead to this conclusion: l. Inc SUD-
ject is too abstruse and difficult. 3 II Is
unnecessary 3. IL is chaotic state.
Grammar is the science Of philosophy OK
language. The grammarlan dudying ,ic
speech OF a people as IL Is found IN lts
literature and as II Is spoken by It's cul-
tured class. tries TO discover by series
OF inductions from many examples tho
general laws governing the use ana iorhs
OF words. The cancellations are by no
means easy 70 make, as language Is
/ complex and intricate thing, and wheh
made they are often hard TO understand,
You may, for instance, tell ehild OF 10
years that the infinite often completes
+ the meaning of q verb, but doubt very
much whether II will understand. or, tell
the pupils that the possessiVe case de-
notes source as we'll as possession ana
how many do you think can penetrate
the meaning OF your remark, even though
I you explain III
And YOU yourselves know what endless
discussions may be aroused by some or
the subtleties Of analysis. and I venture
10 assert that could find sentences when
would tax even the sharpest or you. Is II
! reasonable to expect children or i 70 IL
wears OF age to understand that about
which their elders dispute? The study OF
grammar demands acutenesS OF intellect
A wide and extended knowledge OF the
facts OF language, and the power OF In
/ ference and correct reasoning. This power
! OF inference and correct reasoning is
very essential requisite. The multitude
which IS not cultured constitutes vast
majority before which, in the end, every
grammaran must bow. This multitude
sometimes makes mistakes, and reasons
~ false analogy, and hence It comes to
pass that 1t IS me" IS daily gaining
ground, and how shall a student not
strong in reasoning discover the iallacy!
WHAT IT DOES NOT DO.
Two years ago one OF the questions for
admission 70 high school was, what -
the use Of studying English grammar
or "NVhy do you study English grammar
II do not recall the exact words), and the
universal answer was: 1T teaches YOU 70
Use the English language correctly II
| there IS one thing which the English
grammar does not DO, IL IS 20 teach the
correct use OF the English tongue. AZ tho
German Teachers National Convention
held n few years ago In this city, one OF
I the speakers discussed the office or gram
mar and in the discourse OF his remarks
he uttered a sentence which LETT an III
dclible impression upon me. TO give an
adequate translation IS exceedingly unh-
cult, and | shall, therefore. first quote the
ORIGINAL. and then translate 1t as we'll as
can. Die grammatik soil daS sprache-
/ fuehl yum Sprachbewussesein erheben.'
| Grammar is TO develop the ieelhS CT Cor-
RICHNESS Of speech into the consciousness
Of correctness OF speech" This Is gospel
[ truth. first comes the feeling OF correct
ness, and then the consciousness or correct
ness. / appeal TO your own experience.
Every child learns 20 talk by imitation,
/ \ child coming from a family or correct
speakers will acquire the habit OF correct
gnoech. And how Is this habit. Ike other
habits In children. fOrmedT BY conscious
application OF rules and lawsE Never
Have YOU ever-you who have heard the
English language from the day OF your
birth-haYe you ever, do you ever In
speaking English. consciously apply ina
rules OF grammar
Can English then be acquired WITHOUT
the knowledge OF grammar? Most as
suredly. 1t is a matter OK history that
English grammar was not taught IN the
schools OF either England or America
until the beginning OF this century.
Shakespeare and Milton and the trans
lators OF the King james version OF inc
Bible. which TO this day IS a modei OF
English, Bunyon, and Addison ana cold
smith. Dryden, and Pope, were never
taught English grammar Yet VINO 80
bold as 20 question their EnglshE
UABITUAL IMITATION.
Correctness OF speech Is due 10 habltual
imitation. The conscious application oil
rules "a difficult, even to a mature mind,
az any one OF you who have begun iof
eien language late in life will TESTIFY. l
Law down this automatic truth, that II II
easier 70 acquire language among peo-
! rIe that speak IL correctly than II Is 10
acquire Il by the rules OF grammar. W y!
BECAUSE imitation Is always easier than
conscious application OF rules. why shali
our children 10 made 10 suffer from !
method, which, In the teaching OF an
other living languages, has been declared
obsolete?
English grammar, Ike logic and ethics
e a study for the mature and rejecting
mind IL is a culture study, not a heces-
sity.-a luxury. as 1t were
I have said that English grammar Is
mt necessary 20 the acquisition OF Goou
rnelish. 90 one step farther. | declare
tbat II studied IN calldhood It "a ant 20
nrove a positive dcuiment 10 correctness
81 speech. This may seem en- extreme
statement. but I believe II can lie sl3-
stantiated. A quotati~p may not be a1niss
here Richard Grant White IN MS
'r,verv-Day English" says: Il believe that
80. eject of the study Of English gram
mar f. 10 crImp the free acton
~ tho mind: 10 bcwilder and confuse
where Il does not enfecble and formalize;
TO pervert the perception OF The true ex-
callence OF English speech, and, In brier
to substitute the sham OF dead form
Tor the reality Of living spirit To
those remarks, II they be restricted 70
;hc formative period Of youth, | say
"Amen." But, pit us not indulge In gene
ralitles. let US specify. l have heard pe1-
ple. who made some pretcnce TO school
Ing. say: "You look happily to-day" Ion
look hungrily." II feel badly" They be-
gan sharply at o'clock" He works
cneaply." and I have known the ques-
ton TO be seriously discussed which was
correct II arrived safe" or Il arrived
safely"
DEFIED AUTHORITY.
What possible excuse had these people
for such mistakes! They had never seen
such an expression I'm classic, yet mind
ful OF the rule IN the grammar that a
word modifying n verb is an adverb they
ian counter 10 their own instincts; they
d fed the authority of the best English
authors They meant, you look happy"
"You look hungry" II feel bad" "They
began at o'clock sharp" He worked
cheap" q. .. at a low prce.) Do not say
that I am fighting a man OF straw, for l
heard teacher in Cincinnati criticise in
the presence OF a class the expression Il
feel bad" on the very grounds that have
mentioned. Had these persons first
learned 10 speak correctly. and had then
studied their grammar. It had been better
for them.
There is a third Indictment to be made
against English grammar. il is in a
chaotic state. 1T US take a glance at a
few grammars and see how they treat the
commonest points / have selected the
English grammar, which serves as an In
PRODUCTION to Harper and BuTgesss Latin
Primer now In use In our high schools