Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1900-12-13
MExIcANs STUDY ENGLISH.
xoung Americans should Be Study.
ing Spanish, Says IN Next
can Paper.


The Mexican school authorities rec
ognize English and French as OF first
Importance to the student. after
Greek and Latin roots. Many of the
text books are in French and some in
English, the latter being constantly
on the increase. In the national pre-
paratory school, which FERNS the
stepping stone to the various colleges,
of law. medicine, engineering, etc.,
the course which lasts four years. is
divided into eight terms, of five
months each: four and a half for
study and two weeks for examina-
tons. Of these. two terms take in
the study OF French and English.
German. which was formerly includ-
ed, was abandoned three years since.
says the Mexican Herald.
One year seems n short time for
the study of a language. but in this
case it is merely the beginning: as
in the colleges the text book in Eng
lish or French demands constant die
tionary reference. and the study OF
the language goes on. English is
taught at Chapultepec military acad-
envy, and it was recently proposed
that a French text book be super
seeded by an English one. The reason
advanced is that the French book
gives theory alone. while the English
book submits a practical demonstra-
ton of given proposals. The Mexican
student has no difficulty with either
French or Italian. owing to a family
resemblance to his own tongue; and
though English is harder for him, he
masters it. too. in an incredibly short
time, showing a natural facility for
languages. The intelligent Mexican
who has not a fair knowledge Of
French is the exception; and the same
will soon be true of English for the
younger generation. There seems
nothing remarkable in the students
translating from a foreign language
into his own: but when it comes to
translating from one foreign language
into another, as French to English or
vice versa, as at least one young
Mexican of my acquaintance is fond
of doing. and that without ever being
outside his own country, it does de-
note 2 remarkable gift.
The action of Mexican students in
hui LC CO1iCSNS. L D
ing societies. and inviting their Amer
lean college mates to join a Spanish
class. cannot he commended too high
ly. For all who sincerely appreciate
beauty in language, the preservation
and extension of the Castiiian on this
continent are quite as vital as the
preservation and extension of Eng
lish. Spanish has long been an cleo
tive study in many northern schools
and colleges, and not a few Amer
leans become proficient in it: though
In the eastern states. without excep-
ton, the Spanish of Spain and not of
America is taught. Whatever may he
said for oil against one accent or the
other. this seems quite clear: We
require the language chiefly for in
t~ercourse with our Spanish speaking
neighbors, who employ it as do the
Spanish speaking residents of the Pa
cific coast. It may be advanced, in
this connection. that the speech OF
Cuba and Porto Rico is still indiffer-
emit; but as neither the Spanish of
old Spain nor of Mexico covers the
point. it is not pertinent. Sufficient
hat either one Is understood on the
islands. 1t is undeniable that CastiI-
ian. as spoken by cultivated M~eXicans,
gains in beauty what it loses in SON.
orousness. But more than all it
seems most fitting that Mexico. as the
leading Spanish-American city. should
be recognized as authoritative in what
pertains 10 the Castilian in America.