Evening star., 1924-08-03

| seven full hours of practice in
speaking.
This may explain why students do
not speak a language f1uently with
sood RECOMMENDATION even after sew
eral years of study at school. 1t Is
because OF this. and not so much tina /
Americans are inferior linguists, that
some teachers think it hopeless to
try to produce skilled conversations
alists in the time that is given them.
Yet the average language student has
an ambition to converse. and enough
classroom linguists attain that ambi-
ton TO encourage the teachers.
The committee of educators in
charge of the modern language sur
vey expects to test the value of
monograph records in teaching con-
Versation. Records prepared by per-
sons with beautiful diction and pro-
nunciation should give students the
best of practice in catching the pecu-
liar infections and the rhythm of a
foreign language. That students do
not often make the rhythm of foreign
speech their own IL a truism. The
great advantage of mechanical rec
ord is that 1T can be played over and
over until the student Is so familiar
with the intonation that he can imi-
tate it successfully in his own at
tempts at conversation.
The records might also have a cul-
tural value A teacher of French
France she had the Inspiration of
hearing record made by Sarah
Bernhardt in which that actress had
preserved her rendition OF famous
dramatic scene. The possibilities of
using language records of this sort
they have not been made on a large
scale for standardized use, and no
elaborate experiments have been con-
Quoted to find practical ways of using
them as regular school equipment
Another line of research is ex-
pected to show the 1000 words most
used in each of the modern Languages
that are popular in this country.
There will also be tests of the new
plan of dividing language students
according to ability. This is being
done in a few high schools. AFTER
few weeks of preliminary work
students who make the greatest
progress and who apparently have
flair for language speaking are
placed in one class and the slower
students make up another class.
Both classes are expected to cover
the work required by the school. but
by hearing the more brilliant ones
carrying on an easy conversation
with the teacher. 1t is REPORTED that
there are fewer failures by this
method
The survey committee may even
find that it is possible to make rough
classifications of prospective IAN
suage students according to their
ability. Scientific tests similar to the
Intelligence tests would show which
types of students are most likely to
attain success in study of modern
languages. These tests would indi-
cate. for instance, an individuais
aptitude at catching sounds and imi-
tating them. and whether he had an
average memory for words and for
meaningless syllables. The pupil
such tests and who had no especial
ambition to study modern language
might thus be advised to spend his
time in some other kind Of study.
The survey will shed light on one
other very interesting phase OF
language study, and that is the edu-
cational value of a foreign tongue
There has been dispute as to whether
study of a language helps an indi-
English. AS result of one test
made some time ago an educator
reported:
seems to produce a distinct effect in
greater fiuency of words in writing
and in more rapid perception of
words in reading"
is that after all the testing is done
and statistics are studied and inter-
pretcd the survey committee should
be able to make modern language
study less Of gamble for students
and more efficient generally.