Show 04 J I T J AN ESSAY ON THE STUDY OF LANGU LANGUAGE GE Br BY WM SNOW ACADEMY I We very often hear students i express their express their dislike for the study of language language especially especially grammar r Some say say the use uso of studying grammar 1 What good does it do 1 What difference does it make whether we are aro able to diagram a difficult sentence or noU not As 8 soon as we leave the school room we have no more use uso for diagramming Others say sayI say say- H How w much better off is 18 a person I who has studied grammar than one who has not He may beable bo be able ablo to polish up his speech to some Bomo extent but what does that amount mouI tto to A per person on cant can't live on being able to talk nice and that hat is all I can see in the tho study of f grammar Many sentiments similar to the fore foregoing are often heard from students who are inclined to take a rather nai narrow row view of the importance importance importance im im- of this study and as they find in connection with this view that grammar grammer is by no means among the easiest of the theof theof theof of the studies in m the school course it is but natural that they should take tako a a to its study It Itis is my object in this treatise on the study of ot lan language to show according to my own view view the vast i importance o. o of t this i stu study dy find and n the superior superior advant advantages that may may maybo b bo be obtained from the study of off lan language ua c over those obtained from the study of other branches of learning When a person poison who has a desire desire de- de sire to arise from the lower strata of society and to become as ns pro prominent I minert as us possible among his fellows fellows fel fel- lows surveys his environment in ina a general way and considers the circumstances by which he is governed with a VIew view view-to to discovering discover discover- fn ing the means by which his desires may be bo gratified his mind is at ut once confronted by a series series' of questions and thoughts Some of ot of I these wo we may ruay assume to be as follows H What W hat can I d do to make mako myself myself my my- self conspicuous What can I do that will tend to elevate my standing standing standing stand stand- ing ill in in society 1 1 Wo We e find that the tho people of ot the tho United States are aie today the mos most highly civilized people in the world and that the prevailing and growing rowin tendency among them is to improve their educational condition Therefore if I 1 wish to gain any footing whatsoever in a social line it will vill villbo bo bu necessary for lor me me to obtain a good education But this will wiH require require re re- quire several years' years schooling and anda a great greut deal of ot means which 1 I cannot procure I will be able ablo to attend school but two or three years at the best but 1 I must make mako the most of oi my schooling dUlin during tors Hil short hUlt period perio and get along as best I 1 CUll can l will not be able ablo to become waiter ma ot Of f all the the tho the tho subjects taught m iti school so the tho question ur arises in my mind mind which studies studios will it be he most profitable for me mo t. t t l my brief school c r aT I x which u inch will aid mo rue most L M J i la i r j the tho heights I 1 have havo in j j y i A A At t this jt juncture the person person i in question will no doubt meet with some difficulty in arriving at nt a as to which of ol the studies would really prove prove most beneficial to him in his future life Let us investigate the results from the study of ot a few of the tho subjects Language is the medium through which one person communicates his thoughts to another another- Ima Imagine ino if if you can the tho cu condition of a community community com com- which is devoid of lan Ian guage If such a 21 condition wei wel e prevalent amon among any people which ot oi course couise is not the tho case that people would be bo equal in intelligence intelligence intelligence intelli intelli- gence to animals If the thoughts of one person could not be communicated communicated com com- ted to others no intellectual intellectual development could be possible possible pos pos- sible no nu progress in civilization could take place no reading leading mattOI matter mattor mat- mat tor tOI would be he in no nu speech w would uld ever be heard When Whon we consider the tho fact that it is impossible to think without the use of words we can readily see bee that it is language that distinguishes dis- dis distinguishes dis lis- man nun from frum other classes of animals Man is distinguished from other classes of animals by his to new ideas and these ideas idea are obtained by means means of language Thus we see the extreme importance importance importance im im- of th the of o of language language language lan lan- guage but what is hero here meant by bythe bythe bythe the study of language is the familiarizing of self ones with the correct and elegant use of it With the results of ol which of the studies taught in school does a apel pel person son deal most largely in n his bis everyday life A person is IS not called upon every day to solve a problem in mathematics by which means he might make a display display dis dig play of his learning He is not often asked such questions a as How many cubic feet of dr drair dry air at se sea level are required required- to woi weigh h a pOUD pound 1 What benefits are aro to lo be bo den derived from prote protection tion What are the essentials I of a valid contract 1 and all such questions that wo we are prepared to answer by our study of subjects subjects subjects sub sub- other than language but he heis heis heis is called upon every overy day of his life practically speaking to use his lan language guage Lan Language is in constant constant con con- stant use by every person in ex ex- istance from the lowest type of civilization to the highest In the course of conversation Iwas I l' Iwas was once asked What is y your ur reason for thi thinking kin that the tho study of language langua e any more than that of mathematics or any any other branch branch of of learning tends to promote promote pro pro- mote civilization 1 I believe this because language is the basis of all aU learning The teacher does his teaching by means of language language- and the better he can use it the themore themore themore more profitable will be his teaching teaching teach teach- i ing g and t tl tt e a better bettor one can use his language langua e the tho more capable he heis heis heis is of extracting new ideas and arriving at new conclusions Continued next week J X |