The Washington times., 1895-06-19
HOW ENGLISH is TAUGHT.

The last ten years have seen remark
able change in the attitude OF the schools
OF the whole country toward the study
OF English For years the requirements Of
the colleges really decided the kind and
amount of work to be done in the high
schools, and since the colleges made
little or no demand for proficiency in
English, the secondary schools gave their
energies TO Latin, Greek and mathematics.
Formal logic ana rhetoric were taught
from text books with occasional exercises
in composition. English literature was stud
led from Shdw's Manual, or other sim
liar texts which gave the history OF the
author, but very little Of his work. In
the vast ma iurity Of schools there was
absolutely no vitality in the study OF
English. College examinations showed a
disgraceful inability on the part OF the can
dfdates TO write even reasonably correct
English, and lack or logical thinking
that was alarming.
In the meantime the secondary schools
realized that they did not exist simply for
the college boy and girl, but for all, and
that as far as they went their work should
be Symmetrical. Children must be taught
to think accurately, logically, and to ex-
press themselves easily and correctly. More
than that. if the schools Were to produce
the best results, the pupils must be taught
that their language is capable of express
ing every shade of thought, that it is a
thing so flexible and sympathetic that ex-
preston can be a delight as Well as
necessity. To accomplish this, English
must be first, not last. Everything must
be made subsidiary to il. What is the
purpose of all study, Latin, Greek, mathe-
matics, history, science, but to develop the
mind symnetTically? What is the meas
ure OF that development but the power to
express the results in clear, finished
English?
The washington High School was a
leader in this, as in all progressive edu-
cational work. 1t decided that if the
pupil is TO think clearly and to talk freely
he must have something about which he
cares to think and talk English liter
ature supplies this need and the English
course in the High School consists of
four years study Of the masterpieces OF
English and American literature as a
basis for study OF expression.
In the first year the classes study Tenny-
sons "Idyls OF the King Dickens Tale Of
Two Cities or "Old Curiosity shop" Mac
aulay's warren Hastings" and selections
from the group 0 poets that distinguish the
early part OF this century. Closely con-
nected with this is the study OF the three
forms of composition: Description, nara
tiOn, comparison, much stress being laid
on oral expression.
The second year is devoted TO the study
Two noufS week. OF The comedies or
Shakespeare and aTgunientative discourse.
In the third year early literature is begun
with ChauceT's "P Prologue" and knights
Tale" In naddition the tragedies of Shakes
peaTe and minorpnemS of Milton are studied
with comprehensive history of the liter
ature from Chaucer through the EliZabethan
period.
The fourth year pupils make a careful
study Of the development of two units of
literature, the essay and the novel. They
also complete the history of the literature.
Constant exercises in expression accom-
pany the entire course. As is readily seen,
the main aim is accuracy of thought and
clearness aud ease OF expression. That must
come first. Much practice actually ac-
complishce this in the majority of cases
Side by side with this is a study OF the
works of the greatest writers and the
history oftheliterature. Toacommendable
degree these three lines of work are
successful But there is much to be de-
sired still.
No school can arrange a course that shall
with four recitations week for four years
make its pupils wide readers, and give
them the culture that comes from close
cOmpanionship with the best that English
thought has TO give. The culture can
only come when pupils realize that liter
ature is in all seriousness an Interpretation
of life, that it is not to be judged hastily