Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-07-20
IBilingual Method of Teaching Is
Condemned by Educator Who
Has Had Practical Experience

justified the action. The statement
that teachers for the Philippines are
required to know Spanish is a mistake. |
on the contrary, no language but Eng
fish is allowed and the most successful
teachers both native and American
are those who know nothing of Span
ish and the local dialects. In Porto
Rico the two languages are not taught
together one comes in the morning
and the other in the afternoon. mi
the night schools of New York CityI
nothing is used but English.
One Of the greatest defects of the
translation method is the fact that
both teachers and pupils rely on the
native tongue for acquiring thought
and the teacher falls into the habit of
imparting information and instruction
in that tongue. This is the condition
as it actually exists in New Mexico to-
day. The writer visited a school sew
eral years ago that was being taught
by bright young Spanish American
of Relen. He would have his pupils
read the text in English, spell a few
words. and then give the equivalent in
Spanish He would then fire few
Questions at them in Spanish about
in Spanish. and then pass on to the
next recitation. Problems in arithme-
tic were read in English, but CONVEX
sation was mostly in Spanish and all
mental processes were In Spanish, for
much Of their calculations We're made
aloud The pronuncia ton of these pu-
pills was very bad and the sixth grade
pupils could not form half a dozen
=
eimnle reason that thov first had to
think in Spanish and then go through
a lot of mental gymnastics before
making the expression in English The
teacher was not particularly to blame
for this. as no had not been TAUGHT
any other method and was doing the
very hest he could. No language can
J no we'll snokcn until the speaker
learnq to think in that language The
conditions here are further comnli-
Gated on account of the fact that
cnarish as it is written, is almost un-
known here, and the time used in
teaching II could he mt to better
rsn in teaching English by the proper
method.
Method Prefcrrod.
Now, the method TO which refer is
BRIEFLY this: Every lesson in the pr-
mary grades should be an Eng
lish lesson illustrated by oiects
pictures and w"itten words. Not n
word OF Spanish need be used. A
small working vocabulary can soon be
built up by means of objects and ac-
tons IN this wav the nouns ami
verbs will he easily acquired. Other
narts Of speech come through associa-
ton and frequent repetition. A few
words are introduced every daV and
previous lessons are frequently re-
viewed. A system of conversational
lessons are worked out dealing with
all phases of everyday life, the homo.
farm, school, play. work, fuel, food,
clothing: the phenomena of nature.
rain, wind sun, moon, stars, etc: land
forms. mountains. valleys. water,
courses. ETC.: health lessons the body,
sanitation: counting with objects. sim
ple computations in buying and sell
ing, the four fundamentals In this
way the pupils interest is held and
bass is formed for the formal study 0,
grammar, geography arithmetic ana
physiology
| ] used to have my teachers and
pupils bring objects 10 illustrate the
| lessons. Counting was done with
| nails, buttons. beans pins, etc. Our
desks were frequently cluttered up
| with everything from a sewing needle
to an iguana Glasses were taken TO
the homes, barns. fields and streams
where operations were studied and
| material gathered for conversation
ard composition. Contests of various
kinds were introduced to strengthen
effort and arouse enthusiasm. The
results are little short of marvellous
when this system is properly handled
Some Difficulties.
OF course there are difficulties to
overcome. A new course of study
| would have to he arranged in which
an abundance of material would have
| to he furnished with sample lessons,
outlines and extended instructions for
| the guidance of teachers. Charts and
| textbooks would have to be secured
| for the first grade or two. Most i'm
portant of all, teachers would have to
| be provided who could handle the sys-
| tenn. This could be done by means of
| teachers institutes for those destined
! to work in Spanish districts,
| presided over by experts in the sys-
| tenn. 1t would be better to lengthen
| the term of such institutes to train
! shortened the school term for the re-
| suits would Justify it. The years
| work for the first two or three grades
should be blocked out week by week
and superintendent and supervisors
| should be provided with means to
| visit schools often enough to see that
| the work is carried out. A book Of
| games in English for the playground
| and schoolroom should be compiled
written in simple language with
diagrams and instructions for making
simple home made equipment and de-
! vices. There are dozens of good old
| games for both boys and girls and the
teacher should be required to preside
and see that English is used, A knowl-
edge of and a proficiency in playing
such games should be taken into con-
sideration in determining the success
| of the years work. 1t has been my
| observation that the Spanish Ameri-
can children have very little organized
| play. All of this would cost more
money but as. Governor Larrazolo
says, something must be done. The
best way is worth the effort and ex-
| pense.
| No person was ever Americanized
| by being taught foreign tongue, and
| If it is only a question of teaching
| English and Americanizing the Span
sh-American let English be taught In
the most logical and natural way.
| cpo,,;eb will hn foroptteO and a