Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-07-06

| =
ance or for the purpose of creating
race prejudice.
2. All teachers must be able to
teach the English language. and ex-
aminattons for teachers certificates
| must be in English, and no conces-
sion is made to the applicant because
of knowledge of the Spanish language.
| 3. Governor Larrazolo believes the
Spanish language should be taught in
New Mexico schools because of the
commercial value of the language,
| Just as, for the same reason, the Eng
lish language should be taught in all
LatinAmerican countries. He believes
| that the trade of all Latin-America
should be with the United States
chiefly, and that the relations between
l4atinAmerica and the United States
should be of the friendliest sort.
! Carrying Out Blaine's Idea.
In other words. Governor Larrazolo
merely believes in carrying out the
| policy issued by james G.. Blaine
when, as secretary of state, he brought
about the Pan-American Union for the
| promotion of friendlier commercial
and political relations between the
! United States and South and Central
America
At the conference of teachers of the
| Spanish language, held in Las Vegas
this week, DIR. Fitz-Gerald head of
! Spanish in the University of Illinois,
in an address which he has delivered
many times before and in many differ
ent states, outlined as the best for this
state precisely the plan contemplated
in the present New Mexico school law.
! He said, as Governor Larrazolo says,
| hat h. ,It1 L., !,
| Spanish language-which means that
it lives in a community where the
| English language is not spoken by
more than a few people-should learn
to read in the Spanish language, but
that its second reader should be
English.
The following is complete epitome
of what Governor Larrazolo holds
should be the method of teaching
| English in Spanish-speaking commu-
mites:
The Governors Statement.
THE Spanish speaking element of
our citizenship in New Mexico must
| learn the language of their country,
which is the English language" said
the governor. Upon this proposition
we are all agreed; there is not and
| there cannot be any difference of
| opinion on this subject. But the ques-
ton is. How shall we proceed to ac-
Icomplish this result?
The system that has been in force
in our public schools since their es-
adjustment and maintenance among
u.s. insofar as rural communities in
habitated principally by Spanish
speaking people is concerned. has
given absolutely no results. 1t is evil
dent then that there must be a change
| IN METHOD, if we are to accomplish
| the desired end. In such communi-
/ ties, that is, in Spanish spealSing COM
munities, where children have no OPP
portunity TO mix with EngIish-speak-
ing people. there is. in my opinion,
but one method of teaching either the
| English language or any other Ian
| guage; namely, by requiring every
child to know what every word he
reads in the English language means
in his own language. Evidently, then,
to accomplish this result. the child
must be required to translate in his
own language every word that he
reads IN his language in the English
| Language.
The Method OF Teaching.
| How shall we accomplish this?
! IdhG lUi lilStdHCb II lttCHeIs tedtlllHB
in a rural school, class composed
exclusively of Spanish speaking chill
dren and children who do not know
the alphabet in their own language.
The child should be first taught to
read in his own language. This can
easily be accomplished in one year,
But | will be told the child is losing
one year in his studies, which should
be in the English language; in the end
| however, it will be found that by put
| ting in one year in teaching the child
how to read and write in his own Ian
guage, that same child will thereafter
accomplish more in the learning of
the English language and the branches
| taught to him in that language in
| three years than he would otherwise
accomplish in five or ten years. For
| instance, when the child knows how
to read in his own language, the teach
err goes to the blackboard and there
writes every word contained in the
English lesson that that child has to
recite the next day. Opposite TO each
English word she writes the Spanish
equivalent of it. The child copies that
in his copy book aud takes it home
with him. The next day the child is
required to spell each one of these
words in English and then to tell their
| equivalent in Spanish; then he reads
his lesson and translates it into his
| own language. When the child has
gone by that method through the sec
ond English reader so that he can as
readily read it in Spanish as he can
in English that child to all intents
and purposes can speak the English
| language. That this method is cor
rect and really the only method under
\ such circumstances was very early
recognized by the government of the
| United States when it established
public schools in the Philippine is
4 lands; for, if you will remember, the
! government advertised for teachers
who could speak, read and write both
Languages. English and Spanish.
Speaks From Experience.
I'm outlining this method / am not
| dealing with cunjectures. but l am
stating positive facts within my own
individual and personal knowledge. l
laugh school for five years in such a
| district. BY special permission of the
state superintendent of public instruc-
ton of the state of Texas. | taught
those children to read in Spanish first.
/ After that | commenced teaching
English to them and at the end of
1 five years there come out of that little
country school children who today are
| the most representative Spanish
4 Americans in Ell Paso county. and
possess and know the English lam
| guage about as we'll as the average
\ English speaking citizen. and who to-
1 day hold and for the last twenty-seven
| years have continuously held respons-
ible public positions in the service OF
" fhn Of a