Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1911-08-23
SCANDINAVIAN LANGUAGES
IN OUR DISTRICT
COUNTRY SCHOOLS
BY Prof. j. n. Lenker, D. d.

The necessity and opportunity of
learning modern languages differ in
various countries. In Germany be-
cause it is surrounded by six nations
with as many different tongues; in
Scandinavia because it's seamen came
in constant contact with foreign peo-
| pie; in England because it is in touch
with the foreign people of her colon
les; and in the United States because
it's immigrants settled in every state
from all European countries. In the
first three countries the necessity
comes from abroad, with us in the
United States it permeates our entire
national life.
IMMIGRANTS DISAPPOINTED
AND DISSATISFIED.
OF the twenty eight millions of i'm
migrants into the United States since
1920, twenty millions came from the
continent of Europe speaking other
than the English language. The
changing Of the tongue does not
change the head, heart and blood.
The dominating languages and life of
these 20,000,000 immigrants were
acknowledgements, Swedes,
Danes and Icelanders and German,
including the Germans, Austrians,
Swiss, Dutch, Flanders and Luxem-
burgers. Many Of the comparative
few Finnish, Slavic and Romantic i'm
migrants came from districts border
ing on Germans and Scandinavians
and were somewhat acquainted with
their languages. Thus with the Ger
man and Scandinavian languages
nearly all the immigrants from the
continent of Europe can be reached,
and here as in Europe they would be
pleased to have their children enjov
the same privileges of learning these
languages as they enjoyed in their
old homes in Europe, and we should
offer them at least as much. Every
immigrant because only Of the work
Of his hands is estimated to be net
gain to the wealth of the United
State Of $4,000 or $16,000,000,0O0
for the 20,O00,00O immigrants. Eu-
rope feels it has lost more than that
enormous sum in the strong young
blood it sent to the virgin untitled
soil of America, even if we do not
acknowledge We have gained that
much. They and their children have
produced more than half the wealth
OF our nation. The strongest desire
in their hearts was that the wealth
treasured in their language and cul-
ture might be conserved to their chill
dren and their new fatherland. Here
as elsewhere our nation has been
very backward in the conservation
Of our national resources. Will not
the government assist in conserving
to the people, whom we desire to con-
tinue to- come to America, the treas
ures Of their language blrthright, for
the sake Of the American nation, if
not for the immigrants sake? Is not
this one reason Of the exodus Of so
many immigrants back to Europe ;
240,427 from July, 1910 to April,
1911? Europe was never in a more
prosperous condition than today and
the desirable immigrants demand far
more than thirty or twenty years
ago. Caucasion emigration material
is limited and will not be apt to locate
in the future where it cannot maintain
it's language and culture. Hardly any
country has had a narrower policy
OH this subject than the United
States. But the immigrants them
selves are to blame for it. With the
unlimited funds supporting the Am
erican public school system there is
no excuse for not raising the stand
ard Of teaching modern languages to
that of the lands from which our i'm
migrants come, three-language
standard. America cannot drop to
the one-language standard and COM
pete with the countries Of Europe.
THREE LANGUAGE STANDARD
BECOMING UNIVERSAL.
We do not mean in the universities
and high schools, for that alone is
unsatisfactory, but in our secondary
and country schools. European coun-
tries begin below the high school
when the child is nine years old and
|get good results, so should we if
success is desired. For example, two
modern languages beside the native
tongue are taught in the secondary
schools Of all the great nations. Our
difficulty is in not beginning earlier
when the child is better able to do the
work. Germany teaches English and
French; France, German and Eng
lish; England, German and French
Scandinavia leads all in having a
|four-language standard German
English and French; with English
gaining on the French. The people
who are the best linguists at home
seem to be the poorest abroad, un-
able even to keep up their own moth.
er tongue. Give their children a fail
chance. Scandinavians have talents
to learn languages and their mothe,
tongue is easy to learn. Give then
|good teachers with up-to-date meth