Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1915-05-09

courses other than English courses,
fail to write correct, coherent and
idiomatic Englsh
Resolved, that the faculty of lIar-
ward college be requested To devise
suitable measures to remedy this con
dition of affairs, and to report 20 this
board not later than January |, 1915,
"A definite plan for lettering the
written and spoken English Of Har-
ward students"
Not "style" Needed. but Sense.
As Mr.. Castle Is now working out
his part of the undertaking, the reme-
dial work with the students Is a good
deal like that OF tutor II is special
coaching, adapted to each man's-Or
student's-~p particular situation and
Weaknesses as these disclose them
selves IN the English of his paper
written in non-English courses. The
faults discovered in the college, like
those discovered in the business
schools overhauling of the English
Of its graduate students, are most SER
lous when they represent the students
habit and standards Of thinking
Neither the committee nor Mr. Cas-
tie Is trying to enforce any purist
standards. But II does seem proper
to demand that student in history,
for example, shall write his report on
q particular period or problem so
clearly that an outsider who Is able
TO understand English shali be able TO
sec what the student is trying to say,
II Is not eSaggeration of the occasion
Al facts to say that some Of these re-
ports in various courses pretty well
conceal the students thought srom ev-
eryone except the instructor, who
knows what he has been trying TO
teach that student.
let had English slip IIy.
Here, indeed, as Is limited IN the ref
crence by the faculty. notes 60 newly
appointed instructors. is one of the OBJ
stacles in the path Of habitually good
English. Instructors OF various
grades, and In various subjects, have
been eontent TO let bad English SLIP
by, provided they thought the student
was really aiming at the right topic,
aud getting rassaby near to an un-
Outstanding of IL
Professor Briggs plea in his annual
report for moderation in requiring
correct, coherent and idieulatc Eng
llsh, from the students. seems to ex-
cuse most of the smaller technical
faults on the ground that no one Is
perfect This ~ pretty well under
stood even IN regard To writing Eng
fish. Eut the great evil with student
English. as the fact shows wherever
acts are sought, Is that the most SER
ious weakness Is in thinking The
management OF whole compositions
is the great stumbling block. And
this means that when a student fails
70 write a reasonably clear report, il
Is because he Is too lazy to express his
= .stN : ~ AZ.
itself not clear
Tack of Precision in Ideas.
This lack of precision and definite
moss In thinking is the thing that con-
SANITY challenges the attention OF the
English inspector, wherever he works
Y Is the characteristic fault OF every
DodNs thinking everywhere, and az
every age IRON 10 10 IL is part OF
the reproaeh that to some extent he-
longs 60 the colleges for sending out
graduates who make such atrocious
recerds as the graduates Of some nifty
different colleges have this year made
IN the business school
Methods aud standards of instruc-
ton IN English seem likely 10 get
some Of the blame for these condi-
tons, and that placing Of blame may
not De wholly undesersea Many per
sons VINO are competent to judge be-
sin 10 ieel That the words. sentences.
paragraphs. whole" convention OF
teaching composition is better suited
q the secondary school than to the
college. Az Professor Hriggs SAYS.
student may spell incorrectly. ana yet
deserve sheepskin Tor his real men-
tai achievements Ia college The stu
Gent who faces the making OF a report
on topic IN history course. for in.
stance. may he allowed to spell IN; but
y he doesn't make 4 eananesition that
= clear anu coherent. he isn't doing
~ thinking he Is credited With. This
mndaisd thinking i foremost and
AheNe al else tho Vice at the colleges,
without the Necessary coupons. any
one desiring n con,. - -. .cpNfss