El Nuevo mexicano., 1919-01-30
Bilimgual Method Parrot
Learning, Senator Lucero's
Opinion; Explains His Views


The New Mexican, which welcomes
fullest discussion OF Governor LARA
zolo's educational program, has re
eeiyed the following from State Sena
tor A. ". Lucero OF Colfax county:
The Santa Fe New Mexican,
Santa Fe, N. M.
Dear sirs:
The Santa Fe New Mexican fol
January "a, 1919, contained a state
ment concerning myself which is not
true to fact and which l should like
the New Mexican to correct. The
statement follows:
Senator A. v. Lucero, who is a
Presbyterian clergyman and edu-
Gator, told the meeting Of demo-
Gratis last night that the develop
ment OF the Spanish speaking peo-
pie Of New Mexico depended in
his view upon their getting entire
ly away from the Spanish Ian
guage and that the only way to
make them speak English is to
take the children and put them
where they can not hear a word OF
Spanish"
Such a statement is as ridiculous
and irrational as it is impossible and
has no resemblance whatsoever to
what / sad regarding the matter in
our caucus on January 20 nor does it
explain any idea Of my own. To the
contrary, | am Of the opinion that
Spanish should be taught in our
schools but not with the same inten-
sity that English should be, for to be
frank, | do not deem the speaking of
the Spanish language in this state Of
ours as Of the same importance as the
speaking of English. The eason is
obvious,
i also happen to differ as touching
is not a question | feel called upon to
discuss at this time. However, what
| said on January 23, last was about
the House Bill No. 3, introduced by
Mr. Isidoro Armijo. This bill proposes
the introduction of the bilingual meth
cd into our school system having all
text books translated page for page
and making it compulsory on the part
OF the teachers I'd teach both Spanish
and English by this method and fail
ure to do SO by an teacher is punish
able by non-payment for services;
and should the superintendent Of
schools Of any county fail to comply
with this provision such superintend-
emit will be removed from office by the
governor. Such is the sum and sub
stance of House Bill No. 3.
The method advocated in the meas
lre to my way Of thinking is wrong
n principle. The object Of the schools
IS not to enable children to become
parrots by ~memorizing in Spanish
is said in English, and vice
versa, but to develop their minds by
actually giving the mthe work to do
which is to be accomplished through
heir own initiative. The bi-lingual
method fails to do this and by thus
it fails as touching the most
gital purpose for which schools exist
t makes knowledge. too easy and
knowledge made easy is not always an
indisputed good.
The question Of having all text
books printed in Spanish and English
page for page" is to my way Of think
ng a physical impossibility. Those
Who are acquainted with translating
Spanish into English and vice versa,
youch for the fact that the matter
space Is a very vital one. The
transferring of a thought from one
language to another is more than the
mere rendering Of words from Eng
ish into Spanish and from Spanish
nto English, and while there are GER
.ainsentences that may take about the
space, the majority of the SEN
.ences, phrases and paragraphs can
lot be limited in any such way with
,ut running the serious risk Of not con-
reying the thought accurately, and
when accuracy is sacrificed for any
,ther purpose the result Is obviously
lnsound.
Theoretically speaking the bilingual
method seems to be just what Is need
ID. But Whenever and wherever this
Method has been practiced 1t has
allied miserabIy of accomplishing the
yery purpose which is set out to at
ain. AS a matter of practice and ex-
Derience instructors of note who nave
.ried this method are, as a class, op-
posed to it for the reason that 1t dls-
Denses with the pupils individual
initiative and power Of research, while
the remote rural districts, where
he need Of learning the English IAN
guage is more urgent, the teacher, II
he or she knows the Spanish language,
he Spanish language would be spoken
almost exclusively. This Is not theory
Il is fact. / have been connected with
The schools OF Colfax county In the
capacity Of secretary of the Board Oh
Education for that county for the last
two years. 1t has been my privilege
10 visit every school In that county
and my experience is that In every
case where there was q teacher who
knew the Spanish language In the
rural communities composed OF Span
Ish speaking people, the Spanish Ian
guage was used almost exclusively
with the result that the pupils made.
very little Roadway in learning INC
English. The majority OF our best
teachers in primary and grade WORK
are highly educated-many Of them
being college and university graduates
hut do not speak the Spanish Ian
This measure, making 1t com
for ali such teachers to speak