New-York tribune., 1906-04-25
THE Study OF ENGLISH.

Wouldn't il be as well to study English and
to teach it as 10 reform" it, We hear much
about the difficulties of the language, its cum
brous spelling its lawless pronunciation, its in
tricatp grammar and what not. 1t is hard for
foreigners to learn II, and, of course our Ian
guage together with all other institutions, ought
TO be subordnated 10 the pleasure and conven-
ience of Ellis Island while even our chill
dren. TO the manner born, find it by no means
easy TO master il and at the same time to pay
proper attention 10 football Sanscrit and COM
narrative psychology Therefore, TO abate these
intOlerable hardshipS must have richly en-
dowed societies for the reform Of our poor old
mother tongue, and snail not know saliva
ton unless we spell busy with ~"
We must, however beg leave to challenge one
premise of the argument If ii be rue-and
we fear il is. 10 far too great an eXtent-that
the English language is not being properly mas
tered by pupils in our schools, it is by no means
certain that this is because of its intrinsic diff
ficuItics There is reason to suspect that it is
rather because of insufficient teaching. With
the amount of time spent over the spelling
book we need not concern ourselves. for the
reason that correct spelling is generally not
learned in that way. but rather through famil-
iarizing the eye and mind with the forms of
words in attentive general reading But let us
consider grammar, in the broad sense-that is
10 say, tn0Se exercises Wucn are IundlmentaI
TO knowledge of the language How much
attention is given To English grammar in the
grammar schools: 1t is authOritatively reported
that il is confined 10 three periods week. Of
40 minutes each. or 120 minutes a week At
the same time 50 minutes Il week given 10
physics, 50 10 manual training and 300 TO some
foreign language. Now. natural philosophy is
a valuable study. and knowledge of French,
German Spanish is often useful. while il is
not always a waste of time To teach girls TO hem
handker hielS and boys tn build beaches But
cannot ,Oncede that any of these or, indeed.
all Of them combined surpasS in Importance an
accurate and efficient use of the vernacular. In
deed. we are inclined 10 believe that the aver
age child would be better served by the school
an1 better equipped for the duties and labOrs of
life with Il thorough knowledge of his mother
tongue and none at all of these other things
than with the Smattering of them which is all
that at best the common school can hope 10
give and an imperfect and inaccurate ac-
quaintance with his mother tongue For with
a proper knowledge of the language the sub
sequent learning of other things will be much
facilitated while there is no assurance that
one viii ever learn anything correctly If he
has not an accurate mastery of the medium
through which nearly all knowledge is neces
sarily acquired
Before, therefore, we can admit the impeach
ment OF language too difficult 10 learD
in its present form must insist that il shall
have fair trial by being intelligentlv tauphr
during adequate term OF school work We
cannot agree with DOgberry that TO write
and read comes by nature; no, nor that they
should thus come II Is necessary TO study even