The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1903-09-18
LANGUAGE STUDY.
Science of Interpretation an Indiss
pensable Part of the Train
ing of a Student.

An indispensable part of truly lib
efal education consists of training in
the science and art of Interpretation.
Language Is the distinctively human
means of communication. A knowl-
edge of language which is essentially
different from that possessed by the
fluent speaker of several languages is
absolutely essential to the precise and
satisfactory Interpretation of any Ian
guage, says the Forum. Language is
the form in which the highest express
sions of human thought and feeling
come to the individual man and to the
succeeding generations of men. Ian
guage is, therefore, the essential form
of what we call literature, in the widest
meaning of that word The interpreta-
ton of language is the use of the key
that unlocks the treasures of literature.
Therefore language must be studied as
a training in the science and art. of in
depreciation, or else the accurate and
comprehensive knowledge of the best
thoughts, feelings and activities Of hui
manity is shut out of the mind.
To acquire the science and art of in
depreciation, the prolonged and careful
study of some one language is absolute
ly indispensable. Such a study of one
language is not only indispensable, but
it is sufficient for the average college
student. For this purpose it is even
far better to concentrate upon one Ian
guage than to divide the time among
three or four languages. He who knows
one language in this way knows some
thing which cannot be otherwise ac-
quired about all languages, about Ian
guage as such. He is prepared not only
to acquire with large increased facility
any language which he chooses to &C
quire, but to use that language intelli-
gently and skillfully as the key to un-
lock the stores of literature which It
may contain.
Such study of language as shall re-
suit in training in the science and art
of Interpretation cannot easily be con-
Quoted otherwise than in a language
foreign to the student. Indeed, l very
much doubt whether it is possible to i'm
part any considerable degree of this
kind of culture without compelling that
careful attention to words-their mean
ing, their position in the sentence, their
value, etc.-which unfamiliarity and
the consequent compulsion to make a
serious attempt at learning, of neces-
sity bring about. He who is compelled
to study series of words that at first
mean little or nothing to him, must
somehow make shift to discover what
they do mean. He must become an in
vestigator, an explorer, an expert
menter and discoverer in this foreign
land. The attempt to force this way of
investigating ones own familiar and
native speech, when the way has not al
ready been prepared by training in some
be successful. English, therefore, can
never be substituted for the classical
languages.
Among all foreign languages the
classical languages are for us best adapt
ed to use by the teacher for training
in the science and art of Interpretation.
This is due to the very structure of these
languages, to the fact that, being dead,
they are the more foreign, and, especial
ly, to the exceedingly elaborate and gen.
orally admirable apparatus of gram
mars, leXiconS, annotated editions, his
torical and antiquarian illustrations,
ETC., with which several centuries of dill
igent research and careful scholarship
have provided these languages.