Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1920-05-27
STUDY OF ANCIENT AND
MODERN LANGU AGES
Their Place in States Educa-
tiOnal System to Be Consider
ed by Committee Following
Action Taken at Saturdays
Meeting of Two Associations

The joint gathering which WA, nude I'D
of the Vermont sections of the Classical
Association OF New England ,assemblcd
In tho 18th annual mentjrs) and the Mod
crn Language Association lin its fourth
annual rneeting). which closed n two-6ay
session at .h+s University Of Vermont Sat
urday. was ONE OF the best that has been
hold. All OF the meetings OF tho two days
wcro held jointly, when separate meet
inss were hold for business and other
matters. About 20 teachers attended thcre
meetings, and about g were present at
the luncheon held in The Hotel Vermont
roof garden Saturday.
Officers of tho Vermont section of the
New England Classical Association for
tho ensuing year were elected as follows
President. Principal J. e. Colburn, Bur-
nngton High School; secretary and trea-
surcr. Professor W. S. Burrage, Middle
bury College; executive committee. the
rev. j. NJ Hcrrouet, st. Michae!s .CpI-
leEe. Mrs. Mary Is. Buckham, Lamoille
Central Academy. Hyde Park. and Miss
Katherine p. Dewey, Jericho High School.
The officers of tho Modern Language
group arc elected at the meeting in tho
Autumn.
| After a general discussion a. the close
| or the luncheon. It was voted to appoint
committee to prepare a statement OF
] -
Of language teaching. and Of the position
which instruction in language should hold
~ our educational system. This commit
tee. which will be appointed shortly, is
also to CONSIDER what more the asso-
Citations can do TO improve the instruc..
ton in language in Vermont.
| The papers covered wide range of
subjects IN the annual address, which,
was delivered by Professor Myrpn r.
Sanford OF Middlebury College. as pres-
dent of the classical section. three
( tendencies in education were noticed first.
10 emphasize the practical studies which
lead to quick results: secondly. to dis
regard the value of the study CT language.
both Of our own ana of the nations whom
/ the war has brought nearer to us. as well
~ Latin and Greek. and finally to neglect
tho disciplinary value of the study Of
any language.
In the papers which followed, and in
tho discussions, which were unusually
spirited and helpful. there was repeated
reference to these three points. Professor
NJ. p. Oglc Of the University of Vermont,
speaking Of 'Nergil and His Message"
pleaded for more attention to the spiritual
content of education, which the study
of nature can hardly give, and by dis
cussion of the deep ethical basis of the
Aeneid, illustrated how this could be
done.
Other speakers. especially Miss Roberta
f. Davis, of Jericho High School, and
Mrs. Mary r. Buckham. of Lamoille
Central Academy showed how the study
of Latin can be made to contribute
largely to sound knowledge of Eng
lish. Mrs. Buckham. however. believed
that the chief aims of the teacher of
Latin should be clear thinking and love
| of the classics, which in itself is liberal
l education.
The third tendency mentioned by Profess
: sor Sanford, neglect of the disciplinary
Il value of language study, was discussed
? in broad and mastery way by Professor
A. B. Myrick of the University of Yer
e mont. whose topic was the query, Are
1 We Emphasizing Interest at the Expense
p of Sound Scholarship in Modern Language
I Study" The speaker first called atten-
n ton to weaknesses inherent in methods
S and textbooks which have come into
5 prominence in recent. years. and then sug-
j. gested ways in which the instructor, with
L out losing the interest of the student
: can use the intrinsic education values
= which are to be found in modern
languages and their literatures.
Special methods and problems were not
u neglected. Miss Ethel l.. Osgood, of Brat
J. tleboro High School, whose theme was
u ton" gave suggestions for developing in
l. the pupil a self-reiance and an ability to
. lead others in connection with the mas
itary Of French: Miss Katherine f. Dewey
of Jericho High School, told of expert
) ments which she had found successful II
helping TO hold the attention of the class
o and Principal ]. T.. Colburn. or Bur
Ilington High School, analysed the vari
Gus ways in which the teacher may dea
= with the boy or girl who apparently Ha'
- no bent for foreign language.
n A very helpful round table discussion
Ii OF Some of the details of modern Language
e teaching was hold on Saturday morning
10 That such discussions are much needle
= in Vermont was made clear by Miss Mar,
v f. Bresnahan of the Department of E6u
l. caticn at Montpelier, who Is assistant 81
pervisor of modern language teaching II
5. the Junior High School, Tho speaker Il
% acquainted with the work of about
: Juiio- Senior High schools OF the State
Is IN only about 10 of these is tho teaching
ID OF French satisfactory. Tho supply
,r teachers is far below the demand, an
* many teachers of otnor subjects who's
A. preparation in French has b.cn insuffi
IS c;cr., have been induced to teach thi
I'd subject.
TO the discussion which followed Mis-
a. Bresnahan's interesting paper showed tina
70 the h1gner SaldrleS palu 10 tedcHetS
re adjoining States were taking away froI
rs Vermont the best fitted teachers and tina
20 the salaries paid here were so low tina
h. many teachers could not afford to atten
ma conferences like the present, where the
). might receive much help.
IN There were many encouraging report
% Latin i5 apparently being taught bette
- than most of the other subjects, and tn
=, value OF the classics is better recognize
-. than before the war Dean Perkins.
''' his address of welcome remarked: "A
a lifelong scientist, / would say with a
=. my heart to one who ~ goi1,; TO be sc
IL enlist. Study the ancient languages -
Another speaker said that In ono
mn III. largest technical schools OF Amer
ca. il wss being found that the studon
who are now entering without havir
studied either Latin or Crock were i
no .erior 20 those who had entered in prev
us Gus ;ca-s with sopc knowledge or the
lie languages. and that the sentiment
nd favor OF preparation in tho classics WI
NY strong. And Professor Sprowls OF t!
in University of Vermont, speaking for II
psychologists. and the teachers OF educ
ny tional theory, expressed his belicf IN q
The disciplinary value of the study or u
zen classics, and said that psychologists wc
the by no means convinced that, as so ma
trd educational theorists hold, mental trai
nto ing In ono subject cannot be used in
WI other field.
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