The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1922-04-13
PROPER EMPHASIS
IN GRADE ENGLISH

Miss Margaret Mccarthy, super
visor of the Training School, was
the second speaker on the Elementary
program Friday afternoon, her sub
ject being "The Proper Emphasis in
English in the Grades"
The question of the proper empha-
sis in English is one which cannot be
settled by any one person Or group of
persons. Too many conditions enter
in to complicate the problem even if
teachers were agreed on the general
direction the subjct should take. In
dividual differences, environm ent, and
the demands of modern life, all have
their effects. The best that one can
hope is to point out the reasons for
the reaction against methods employ
ed in the past, indicate conditions
which shall guide us in making need
ed changes and suggest the most sue
cessful methods now being employed.
Perhaps no subject in the whole
curriculum has struggled so deter
minedly to maintain its traditional
content as that Of language. Its:
methods like it's content were built up
through the centuries past, the two
woven so closely together that adher-
ents of the two could see no possible,
separation. An ever increasing ter
minology and an ever growing classi-
fication made necessary constant.
drills until the larger part OF the time
was given over to reciting. an endless
succession Of rules and definitions.
meaningless to those who repeated
them in parrot-like fashion. Pupils
became hopelessly confused, the teach
ing was ineffective, and the child got
no knowledge he could use.
When pedagogical rebellion set IN
and the first studies, notably that of
Franklin S. Hoyt, came forth to prove
that there was no relation between
the knowledge of forms and rules,
and the every day application Of them
in correct speech, the defenders took
refuge behind the doctrine Of formal
discipline. For time we studied
grammar to develop general abilities.
Then came studies which set this
theory aside. Chief among those was
that of Thomas H. Briggs "Formal
English Grammar as Discipline"
1918. He tested to ascertain effects
of the study of formal grammar upon
ability to correct language errors. In
ten out of eleven comparisons the
schools that, emphasized formal gram
mar make a poorer showing than
those that did not. He says, ."As a
result of this experiment it may safe
ly be asserted these particular child
rem, after the amount Of formal gram
mar that they had, do not, as meas
ured by means employed, in any of
the abilities tested show improvement
that may be attributed to their train
ing in formal grammar"
Since then there has been progress
but like all new departures the move
ment has not yet found a proper bal
ance. Teachers cannot see how the
newer ideas in language teaching are
to be worked out in practice. They
have not yet found method. and for
want of this many follow tradition
even though they disapprove of the
formal metod Of the past.
| These are three considerations
which should guide us:
| 1. The nature Of the child. One
should never lose sight Of the fact
that the child, and not the subject, is
the real center of the educative pro.
cess. The subject should be organized
on the basis Of his developing ideas
| instructive tendencies and growing
personality. In the elementary school
the child forms habits of speech. Be.
fore seven, he has the background OF
his language.
j 2. Recognition Of two classes ir
school. Those who leave school al
the end Of or before the eighth grade
of whom are many, and those who
go on to secondary school and need
this work as basis for language