Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1912-08-21
SCANDINAVIAN IN GRADES
IN Minneapolis SCHOOL s
Success Attending Work in Hiqh
Schools Inspires Enthusiasm for
Its Extension TO Grades.


languages in the graded schools of
Minneapolis are in circulation in the
city, or soon will be, and in a few
weeks the promoters of the move
ment expect to be able to make such
a presentation of the subject before
the board Of education as will win
approval for the plan. DR.. David F.
Swenson, a member Of the board, has
taken an active interest in the move
ment and believes that the school
board will recognize the Justice of
the demand if it's financial means will
permit.
II think it is solely a question of
financial resources" said Mr.. Sven
son today. "Pedagogically the propo-
sition is sound, and if there is a de-
sire on the part Of large number
of taxpayers to have their children
taught Scandinavian, there can be
little objection"
The missionary work in the move
ment is conducted by DR.. j. N. Len
ker, who is speaking almost nightly
in churches and other public places.
He declares that the movement will
be supported by many thousands of
citizens.
Mr.. Lenker bases his main argu-
ment on the advantage of being fam
liar with more than one language,
not only in business, but in social
way, and cultural asset for the de-
velopment and enrichment Of ones
native tongue. The proposal before
the school board, he contends, is not
local or provincial, but national and
international. He says that in Euro
pean countries, where there is little
opportunity for coming into contact
with people from foreign lands ex-
cept by travel outside of the home
country, second and third languages
are taught in the public schools at
an early age.
In France, he points out, the boys
begin on their second language at the
age Of 8, but in America usually not
until the high school is reached. The
modern Language association, which
meets in conjunction with the Ma
tional Education association, strong
ly urges the introduction Of second
language in the grade schools, as in
childhood the organs Of speech are
plastic and forms Of expression are
easily mastered. In later life fxa-
ton Of speech habits make it difficult
to acquire a moderately good pro-
nunciation and the mind itself is not
nearly so receptive.
DR.. Lenker thinks that Scandinav-
ian should be introduced in the
schools Of Minneapolis for the same
reason that those Of the southwest
give the preference to Spanish, those
Of New England to French, those Of
Milwaukee, Cincinnati and other
places to German, because it is the
language Of the largest element of
foreign population. Minneapolis he
regards as the cultural center Of the
Scandinavians in America, and for
that reason the school officials, when
adopting a second language for the
graded schools should give the pref
erence to Scandinavian.
"To a third Of the population of
Minneapolis and large portion of
the inhabitants Of the northwest the
Scandinavian language is not for
eign one" says Mr.. Lenker. "They
are successfully taught in state uni
versities and city high schools. They
may be taken as advanced work on
ly, however, and should be taught in
the graded schools, beginning with
the primary classes, as is done with
German in the Milwaukee schools.
milwaukee is not the only city
which teaches German in the grades
In Cleveland 1923 grade pupils take
German, in Cincinnati 1922, in In
dianapolis a typical American city
the number is 6,50l.
| milwaukee does not stop at Ger
man, but also gives instruction il
Polish and Italian in the eighth
grades. 1t maintains forty classes
of 1886 pupils for study in Polish
and eighteen classes with 638 pupils
in Italian, while 28,626 or 81 per cen
of the school enrolment take Ger.
man. The Slavs and Italians hav,
not made the mistake Of having thei
languages taught in the high schools
but the beginning is made in tn
grade schools, where ten times a,
many pupils are reached as would b.
the case in the high schools. In tn
Milwaukee schools $50 minutes
week are devoted to English, that i
reading, writing, spelling and gram
mar, and from $50 to IT'S minutes
week to the study Of German, fror
the first to the eighth grades.
eve advocate for the northwes
a three-language education, frs
English, the language Of the nation
second, the language Of the home
and third, the language that vii
aid the pupil most in his cultural an
business development later in lift
English, Scandinavian and Germa
should be studied by all Teuton