The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1909-05-07
Interesting History of the Fargo High School With
Description Of the Courses Of Study IN Curriculum

ing education to subjects of immediate
everyday interest and value.
In the study of Latin. the student
deals with material calling for close
observation, nice discrimination, clear
expression. and accurate choice Of
words. Any we'll educated lawyer,
physician or business man will testify
to the need of an accurate knowledge
Of words. In the process OF translating
from the Latin authors, read in the
high school. the student deals with
elevating and refining ideas and SO ac-
quires a training in the art OF express
sion such as he can gain in mo- other
way.
Indispensable in study Of English.
Besides, the study of Latin is an In
dispensable aid to the right under
standing, appreciation. and mastery of
English. No other foreign language
studied in the schools has a vocabulary
which stands in such close relation
ship to the English as does the Latin,
for about two thirds of the words In
an English dictionary are OF Latin ORR
gin, while q very large per cent OF
the words in common daily use can be
traced back to the Latin. To learn
Latin first, then would seem to be
economy for one who seeks to know
English. The study of English litera
ture is enriched by an acquaintance
with Latin to a degree that the stu
dent who does not know Latin can
hardly appreciate All sorts Of alIu-
sions in his English reading, mytlolog-
ical and historical frequent turns of
thought and figures of speech are read ;
lily appreciated by the Latin student
which either escape entirely or have
slight significance to one who has not
read the language.
Whether the student in the Fargo
high school expects to complete his
education here or simply to prepare
for the broader course offered by coll
lege or technical school, he can re-
ceive here course in Latin which will
give him a broad culture and aid in
training for the work he will assume
| in life. t.-" =
--.,+ Department. of German.
The aim of the German department
in the high school is fourfold: to en-
able the student to understand and use
| the spoken language Of ordinary con-
versation; to give him a knowledge
whereby he can read and write not
| too difficult German; to give glimpse
of. the wonderful richness of German
| literature, and to enable the student
to answer any grammatical question
relating to usual forms and essential
principles of the language, including
syntax and word formation. When the
ain has been reached the requirements
for modern language in the high schoo
will have been fulfilled.
The first thing we have to do Is t.
establish a pronunciation that will no
offend the ear OF an intelligent Ger.
man. To accomplish this the teache
must make use of every device at he,
command Directions for producing
the sounds, rules, examples, imitation
and a practical knowledge of phonetics
|, When a fair ability to speak and t,
recognize the written words, has beel
obtained, short dialogues are commit
, ted to memory. These contain th
common expressions of colloquial Ger
man which, when mastered, and mac
. plain as to meaning. give the pupil
, working basis. With constant use tn
expressions become his very -owti-suc
as How do you do?' Have a chair?
etc.
Very early In the course the instruc
tor will give groups of related words
such as the objects in the room, o
Z out of doors. together with a. few
, idfoms which enable the student to un
derstand directions given in Germa
: and make him independent of his tex
!! book, German Is used as much as pos
: sible in the class-roo though clear
ness of. thought must not be sacrifice
I to this.
The student is early given easy Ger
man, illustrating some grammatics
: point. to translate, and composition o
: the same to be put back into German
ii BY the end of the first semester tn
r students have the grammar pretty we
9 in hand. can pronounce well, and hav
acquired some "Sprachgefuhl." The
they take up easy reading which tell
of Germany, her life, her history he
2 poets and her mythology, all the tim
0 bearing in mind the aim of the cours,
y Along with this the grammar is con
stantly reviewed, the material trans
I lated being put back into German
The pupil must learn to reproduc
. both orally and In writing. anecdote
: and other material from dictation. H
: also commits to memory few Of til
J most beautiful short poems, which al
! then sung in the German.
The work of the remaining years
not far different from the first on
= though increasing in difficulty. TT
. students must learn to write letter
I and to encourage this. many of ther
= through enrolment in the Internation
:, Correspondence bureau, are carryir
i on delightful exchanges of letters ar
! post cards with German student
= Many who have graduated from I'll
4 high school express themselves (;
i still gaining much In knowledge ar
! pleasure from these friendships formt
with German students wishing to kno
- English and America
To further gain i'm a. feeling for Il
language one or more plays in Ge
is man are given each year. This Great
much interest and enthusiast
IL Through it all IL is borne IN mind TIL
- the high school is dealing, not wi
i mature minds but with boys and gin
re who must learn the language as nea
II ly as possible as the child learns I
:. mother tongue
of The Physics Work.
T. The physics department Is situat
a. q, a trirrhf south Iar4rYrn rrn,,, tnp14 4