South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-11-25
USE OLD WAYS IN
LANGUAGE STUDY
Foreign Languages Not Given
Properly, Says Dr..
Bard.

A plea for the scientific study and
teaching OF Spanish and other Ian
guages and the elimination Of OBJ
solete methods, with Illuminating
statistics is the subject. OF an inter
esting article which appears in the
current number Of tho bulletin Of
the pan American Union, Washing
ton. D. c. The article was prepared
after much research by DR.. Harry
Erwin Bard, secretary Of the Pan
American society Of the United
States.
The writer selected 112 institu-
tions. from 622 colleges, universities
and technical schools that have pro-
vision for foreign language instruc-
ton. He calls attention TO the grow
ing importance OF the study not Caly
Of Spanish and Portuguese, but Of
the languages and customs OF the
people Of Russia, Japan and China
with whom the United States is COM
ing increasingly in contact. In the
study OF Russian only FIVE out of
112 leading institutions offer studies
in that language, a total Of 1872
hours. In the Japanese language
only one out OF 112 offers instruc-
ton in a single half-year course Of
two hours a week. In the Chinese
language two out Of III institutions
offer courses % instruction in Chin
csc, aggregating a total Of $40 hours.
He SAYS in part:
There are some $4,000, 1000 people
20 the south of us whose official
language is Spanish, whose early
culture and learning were inherited
from Spain each country with
its own peculiar ambitions and
characteristic traits. These people
are our neighbors and friends. Our
relations with them are OF the
greatest Importance, whether COM
mercial or political or Of other char
acter. We should know them as
neighbors and respect them as such.
Some of 81 Of the 112 institutions
selected provide for instruction in
Spanish. but the aggregate number
OF hours provided for is less than
one-third the number provided for
in German.
There are some 100000 peo-
pie to the south of us whose official
language is Portuguese, whose early
learning and culture were inherited
from Portugal, whose friendship
for us is traditional Only
10 Of these 112 institutions have
provided for instruction in the Ian
guage Of the people OF Brazil and
these 10 institutions provide for II
courses aggregating only some 1,116
hours OF instruction. or one percent
of the number of hours of instruc-
tiOn provided for in German.
Americans One Language People.
Americans are known the world
over as a people of one language.
IN most countries the mastery of at
least one foreign language is con-
sidered an indispensable element of
culture. and has long been so con-
sidered. But most Americans would
appear to think il ludicrous that they
should be expected to have a speak
ing knowledge of any language
other than their native tongue. This
is an unfortunate condition. Dur
ing the long period of our isolation
the matter OF foreign language
study was OF comparatively little
practical importance, but with our
rapidly growing intercourse with
other peoples of the world foreign
language instruction comes to de-
mand preferential consideration.
The translation, pathological, and
eXegstical method Of foreign Ian
gUage instruction elaborated four or
i've centuries ago, is still more or
less slavishly followed in most OF