University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1911-05-14
REASON WHY SERIES.
Seeking To Show How 4 Study of The Various Courses
In The University of Missouri Equip The
Student For Future Usefulness.
1o-WHY STUDY MODERN LANGUAGES? BY CHESTER MURRAY,
Assistant Professor Of Romance languages

fore as more intelligent lHeHlDeiS VI
society he cannot fail to become
more useful one.
For the student whose time aho
whose other interests do not permit
of the study of more than one modern
language the choice may well be dif
: ficult 10 make. We would not pre-
ltend to discriminate in the matter
Suffice il to say that if no special
utility dictates his choice it should
lcertainly fall on the language of one
OF two great people which, next TO the
tfnglish race, have made the mos;
noteworthy contributions 10 modern
European civilization, the French and
the Germans. Let this be understood
of the other TWO Romance tongues
usually studied, Italian and Spanish
leach of which has its very definite
lplace.
In the matter of disciplinary value it
would he idle TO attempt TO discrimi-
nate among the four modern langrl-
lagos which commonly make up our
lcurricglum. For purposes of travel
leach may obviously have its own value
and the same is true Of them for bust
mess purposes. However, our recent
Iacquiremcnt al Spanish speikin@ ter
Iri,ory and The fact that Spanish is
The language of nearly all the coUn-
tries 10 the south of lis in this hemis-
shhere, with which we have been
iEradually forming closer political and
business relations, gives Spanish a pc
culiar value for many in this respect.
! Mention ha, already been made of
tho debt which learning in every
branch owes 10 France and Germany
ana Vi The consequent necessity of the
advanced students being familiar with
the languages OF these two countries.
, The chemist, for instance, in order
to keep abreast with the times must
know what is being accomplished by
his colleagues in France and Germany.
and the same i, true-Of the physicist.
of the bOtanst, OF the student OF
criminology be he lawyer or social.
/ list, in which subject the French
especially have been doing .ome
brilliant WORK, of the economist. OF
the historian, of the philosopher. and
of many others besides. In compara-
lively recent years Italy has been con
stantly adding 10 her list of eminent
scholars SO that today she can count
as OF the fir,t rank in scholarship
historians, botanists. chemists, physic-
lists, astronomers, psychologists. and
others. The Spanish have begun to
occupy themselve: particularly with
sach matters Only in very recent years
but oil the other hand they have dis
! ltinguishad themselves by some finely
| planned and delicateIy executed engi-
neerin% works.
! Lastly. it. need hardly be pointed oui
that France and Germany possess each
ia fine literature which has exception
al interest and value for the Sill
dent, the literature of Germany in that
along with many differences its spirit
has much in common with our own
English literature the literature of
France in that il is ap-
preached from an entirely different
point OF view from our OWE. French
literature has a special value fer the
general student of literature because
1t has repeatedly served as the inspira-
ton and the model of the other littra-
lures OF Europe. including our own.
or Spanish literature. for so long the
StorehOuse from which the resi- of
literary Europe took it's materials in
time of famine. al one time pre-emi |
nent in what is the most character |
istic modern form of literature express
sion, the novel. space permits only of |
the remark that it has its world-fgures |
who well repay careful study. AS for |
Italy, which is so indissolubly con-
nected with the history OF art and |
music, what more need be said than
that Independent of the influence that
it has exerted at times on the litera-
lures of modern Europe and ;nderen-
dent of the other great men of letters
that it has to show, it has the glory
of having produced the immortal Dan
te, ranked with the Greek Homer, the
German Goethe and our own Shake
speare as one Of the four greatest
figures in the worlds literature?
Next Sundays article will be: Why /
Study English Literature" by DR.. A. |