Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1908-05-27
Entered Dec. s, 1902, at Wlllmar, Minnesota, az
second class matter. under act OF N ar 3, 1879. ]
VICTOR E. LAWSON, Editor and Manager
WEDNESDAY, MAY 20. 1908.
WHY NOT TEACH SCANDINAVI
AN IN OUR HIGH SCHOOL?

Americans are poor linguists.
The native American who can speak
another language than his own is a
rare bird. 1t is not that we do not
study other languages in our
schools, but that we do not pursue
the study far enough and have lit
tie opportunity to put what knowl
edge we do acquire to the practical
test that means facility. In En-
rope, where the language changes
every few hours as you speed along
in a corridor train, linguistic &C.
complishments are common enough.
An educated European always
speaks at least one other language
than his own, and often two or
three.
The value of such accomplish
ments is rather moderated in Anne
RIGA. And yet there are few sec
tions of this country in which abil-
ity to speak some foreign language
would not be Of great value to a
business or professional man. We
have so many Americans in the
making who are more or less help
less for lack Of knowledge of Eng
lish, that the man who can talk
with them even brokenly in their
own vernacular has a distinct ad-
vantage in a business way. A Chi
cago physician built up a fine prac-
tice by acquiring a little Hungari-
an, so that he could talk Of their
ailments with his patients in their
native Magyar.
The Scandinavian languages and
German are naturally very useful
in the northwest. More attention
ought to be paid to studying them
and acquiring some little conversa-
tional facility. The study of either
Swedish or Norwegian makes the
acquisition Of the sister language
easy, so much do they resemble one
another. In each there is large
and valuable literature that would
repay study. One who can read
Ibsen's plays in the original, for
instance, sees many beauties denied
to those who know only the English
versions. But the actual dollars
and-cents value of ability to speak
Norwegian or Swedish even a little
is such that one would think more
attention would be paid to the
study Minneapolis Journal.
The above editorial contains a
suggestion that has often been dis.
cussed but never acted upon to any
purpose in our community. Eigh.
ty-hve per cent of the pupils at.
tending the Willmar schools are OF
Scandinavian paren tage. They
might acquire a good and correct
knowledge of Swedish or Norwe.
gian languages with the greatest
ease. But instead of encouraging
and assisting the pupils in cultivat.
ing the language which they might
so easily acquire without in any
manner sacrificing their English or
other studies, the tendency has sc
far been to discourage the use OF
the same. 1t is the exception tc
find a young person of Scandinavian
origin in the city who has even a
fair knowledge of the language of
his fathers. And yet this language
and the vast storehouses of litera-
ture which it unlocks is one of the
most precious legacies and birth
rights these young people possess.
Why then threw it away?
Some parents labor under the
mistaken idea that to require their
children to learn two languages is
a hardship. With the facilities
the community gives for speaking
these languages, the study of. the
written language is comparative
ly easy matter which the average
pupil would have no difficulty in
taking. 1t is safe to say that those
children in whom a love for the
language and traditions of their
fathers have been instilled, will in
their mature years never cease to
call their parents blessed who in
sisted that they should give these
subjects some attention in their
schooldays.
We are not condemning the
study of other languages, but we
do contend that where book knowl-
edge of only two languages is to be
acquired the preference for choice
of the second language should be
that language inherited by the child,
a., 4 nh xr,i11 hD Do~,,:~oI .,,:AL A.