The Teaching of Modern Languages in the United
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UNITED STATES BUREAU OF EDUCATION/ BULLETIN, 1913, NO. 3 - - WHOLE NUMBER 510 THE TEACHING OF MODERN LANGUAGES IN THE UNITED STATES . By CHARLES HART HANDSCHIN PROFESSOR OF GERMAN IN MIAMI UNIVERSITY 7 WASHINGTON GOVERINI4F-N1: PRINTING OFFICE 1913 7- CONTENTS. Page. Introduction 5 PART I. Chapter I.--First instruction in French in A merict 9 French in Michigan ' 11 chapter I I. -French in private schools in colonial times andlater 13 French in the early West 14 French influence in early American education 15 Chapter I l I. Introduction of French in colleges and universit it., 17 Brief clinmolotry of early instruction in French 21 Chapter IV.French in the public secondary and in public andprivate ele- mentary schools 26 Chntno logy of the introduction of French in publicsecondary schools 28 French in public and in private elementary schools 28 French schools and parochial schools which teach Frenchin the United States 30 Chapter V. First instruction in German in America, andthe German influence on American educat ion 31 Chapter VI.First introduction of German in collegesand universities 35 chnaudeky of the earliest introduction of German incolleges 39 Chapter VII. -The development of French and Germanin higher education.. 40 Statist les of German and French in colleges and universitiesin 1910 50 Chapter VIII- -Early introduction of German in academiesand public high schools 51 German in public high schools 53 Brief cbknology of early instruction in German in highschools 54 Chapter IX. -- German in the elementary schools 67 Intnuluetion of German into the public elementary schools 71 Chronology of the introduction of German in additionalpublic elementary schools. .k to. 73 Chapter X. --German private, parochial, anddenominational schools 75 Private schools 75 Parochial schools 78 Denominational schools 80 Chapter XI. Spanish and Italian in the UnitedStates 82 Spanish 82 Spanish in the secondary schools 83 Spanish in colleges and universities 84 Italian . 86 Chapter XII. Modern languages in normal schools,summer schools, schools of languages, and university extenawn 87 Normal schools 87 Summer ethoola, schools of languages, and universityextension 88 S 4 CONTENTS. Page. Chapter XIII. The growth of modern languages as aschool subject 90 94 Chapter X IV. Methods ol teaching modernlanguages 94 The gramrtar-translation method 96 The natural method 97 Modern direct methods of the literature on the methods of teaching modern Chapter XV.Development 102 languages 105 French books published before 1826 106 German books ... PART U. 107 List of works on the teaching of modernlanguages i 139 1 List of modern language texts for theteacher 134 .1, Methods 135 1 Periodicals General bibliography and translation from theGerman 135 I, 135 Copy books (in foreign modern languages) 1:6:111 Commercial t'orrespondeno Conversation and composition' books 138 Dictionaries. 140 1 Grammars and beginners'books . 146 Idioms 146 Literature 146 Musical helps 146 Readers 148 Orthography 148 AR Phonetics 149 Reading charts 149 Rhymes .149 Slang 149 Songs 151 INDEX 1111# . INTRODUCTION. In this study itis proposed to give an historical account of the teaching of modern languagesGerman, French, Spanish,and Italianin the United States.The hope is entertained that the record of past achievement and present needsmay inspire teachers of modern languages to greater effort and still greater achievement. The work of investigation was begun in 1909.A number of the largest libraries in the United States, including the Library of Con- gress, have been searched for material.Much has been obtained also by' questionnaire, by a voluminous personal correspondence, and by personal visits to schools. It is impossible to list all of the books used. A select bibliography will be found appended to the various chapters, anda list of helps for the teacher is also added at the end of the book. Itis to be expected that a pioneer study of this sort will show defects and omissions.Much historical material will, no doubt, be brought to light which now lies hidden and unknown in college archives. To the teacher of modern languages it. must bea matter of deep interest to know how his branch of learning has stood, said stands, in the estimation of educators and of the general public.This question- the following pages seek to answer. The fine record ofa .branch of study which was taken up in the United States only about a century ago is worth recording.The roll of teachers boasts many proud naves besides LongfAlow, Lowell, Ticknor, and Boyesen. Since 'RS an historical treatise, this work should be free from bias, it may be permitted to advance a personal view here in the intro. duction, a view, hoyltver, whick.is based upon an intimate stbdy of the literature and the conditipns of modern danguage teaching. The moderh languages were often poorly taughtincommon'. )with some other subjectsin.the past.Indeed, there are large numbers of inefficient teachers still.But with the better training of teachers, with the introduction of the direct method ina good number of schools, with a slight advance in the books and helps in instruction, modern language teaching has improved womiNfully within recent years; so-much so, in fact, that it has been shown by statistics of the College Entrance Examination Board that French and German are to-day taught better than Latin and Greek' I-Sahool reviews. 1e: 268-264. 6 6 _INTRODUCTION. ,- However, the training of teachers is still very inadequate.The difficulty is to equip teachers with a commensurate command, pray- field. and scientific, of the foreign language in our training schools. Indeed, there .are, Properly speaking, no training schools for the teacher' of German and French, excepting one for German.' Our universities and colleges have wet trained and are not training properly for this service, although several schnti'i are doing excellent work in this line.(Cf. Columbia University 'leathers College, in its Announcement, 1910-11, pp. 69-70, 73-74, and University of Chi- cap Register, 1909-10, pp. 316-17.)I fere is a line of work which must eventually be taken up in various parts of the country,if our modern language teaching-is to be of a high grade.Foreign residence isnot possible for thousands of secondary,_atid e'en college teachers. For this class there must be created an adequate slibstitute fur the foreign sojourn whichthe. European moilernlanguage teacher' invariably obtains as part of his eqnipment. College and university graduates will; of course, continue to go out `"to teach foreign languages. Up to the present their training has been very uneven.At best they have'been given a course ie methods, in most cases purely theoreticalPractice teaching and observation, such as the German Probekandufat Undergoes for a year or two, is, even to-day, almost altogether wanting'It is,to be hoped that there will soon be a &pintail for a better equipment for modern language teachers, and that the universities did colleges will meet it. .As to the materials of instruction,.there is still much to be desired. Our readdlt, texts, and for the most part, our grammars are not adapted to the direct method of leaching =how ar our books are lci still removed fromthe direct method ,may be seen by comparing them with the German publications for teaching English and French, or the British readers and texts, say thoseof Savory. While much has lately been written on the Rea lien' in the United States, they are not yet available for the less informed teacher. What is needed in this matter is a bctfaie that will take up German, French, Spanish, and Italian Realien, whit .special departme it and advertise them as widely as readers and texts are now advert d. Modern languages have been taught remarkably-well in the East, especially in secondary schools; in the "German, belt" in the Cen- tral West. we might naturally expect A beneficiii k influence in the teachingof German int high schools., This conclusion has.. bee% reached not only by personal contact but-by the quality of the Meru, pganationalo dentschamerikinbohe Ichrersemlnar, Milwauige, Wis.('f. on iias institution: Monts hefts fur deutsche spmebe and plidagogik, 8: 137-141, May, 1807. Very recently a few books on the plan of the direct method hare appeared. Reallen means real things or realities, and includes everythingithat illustrates oe, helps to Interpret the Mk and hbtory of a nation, Its institutions, manners', customs, ate.In podagogyt means specifically boob, maps, charts, pictures, models, etc. INTRODUCTION. 7 ture on the subject, east and west.For instance, in its publications the New England Modern LanguageAssociation stands almost wit h- out it peer among sectional organizations. There has been in recentyears, and is to-day, a loud All from all parts of the country that the Report of theCommittee of TWelve be revised to meet present needs;not 'because this report was not ari excellent piece of work, but becausethe 15 years intervening have brought changed conditions.It is desirable, say thesemany voices, that the Modern 'Language Associationof America and the National Education Association shouldat wk....early date give their attention to the matter, This study contemplates the presentationof a brief for, the modern languages,as a' prominent branch ofour educational curriculum in the United States.The great body of literature bothon the languages and literatures of Germany, France,Italy, and Spain,as well as on the theory of teaching them, broughttogether here for the first time, should demonstrateas never before what. modern language instruction has meant and nowmeans to edjication in the United States.This study should demonstrate alsothat there is sufficient materialfor thorough mental discipline, aml thatthe teachers as pa body stand on a par with the teachers of other branchesin the curriculum. The importanite of the modernlanguages in our modern edit,at ion has been, and is, often underestimated.Latin and Greek have in the past played it most importantpare in our educational scheme, and itisto be hoped That they maynever tall into desuetude.