Show i English J THE CHRONICLE has already commented commented commented com com- I slightly o on the progress that has been made ade in the the English courses of the U University during the past few years The subject however is of such li i importance that it demands more serious i consideration than has yet been given Years ago when when the the University was first ago was li established it was impossible for it to tobe tobe be more than a high school as there were no students in the territory prepared prepared prepared pre pre- pared for college courses The people had more and graver matters to consider consider consider con con- sider than the higher education of their children But once established the University took firm hold and has been steadily progressing ever since Until very very recently however little but the sciences held place in the curriculum and language particularly English was relegated relegate to the background It is true that grammar grammar rhetoric English classics classics' and elocution were required of all students but with the exception of the first perhaps they were not taught as they are now and what is more significant significant significant cant Ii little interest was taken in them by the pupils At present the requirements requirements requirements require require- ments in English are doubled in quantity quantity quantity quan quan- and trebled in quality The student who passed out of grammar six or seven years ago would merely be be- entering now Then little or no work was required in composition while that now holds a aj most important place English Engli h should be of course of of special importance to the Normal stu stu- dents The greater number of teachers I in the territory is educated at the U University University Uni- Uni ni- ni 1 1 and as they in turn prepare their pupils to enter the University it A Ais 1 is necessary that they should be well fitted for the task One can be forgiven 7 i ifor for being ignorant of many things but 1 ignorance of the mother tongue is 1 unpardonable unpatriotic even We i j hear students struggling with Latin who ho J gravely inform their professor that a certain word is the object of the verb II sum sum Such mistakes are not 1 in Latin but in English and those students should be studying the latter with just as much attention and hard work as th they y are giving the former On the other hand Latin should not be neg neg- A knowledge of foreign languages languages languages lan lan- is a most necessary part of an education and many students learn learn more English in studying languages than thanin thanin thanin in any other way So far the word English has been used only with reference to the language but that is only a part of the subject as commented on here The ignorance of the history and literature is just as marked as that of the language and is almost as able In these branches too there has been far more interest manifested in the J last few years than was former formerly the case The courses in these subjects have been greatly extended the instruction instruction instruction tion is far better and the students are more earnest t I There is IS yet another phase to be noticed the noticed the attention now paid to Saxon Anglo-Saxon or Old English Mr Robert Burton has a most interesting entitled the Renascence in English in n a recent number of the Forum As may be conjectured from the title his paper treats of the revival of of the study of our ancient tongue and of the tendency among modern writers to return to the old English forms of expression wherever possible ble This movement towards supplanting the usurping usurping usurping us us- Latin words and phrases by the rightful English ones should be most heartily approved Why should we not be satisfied with good genuine English instead of a compound mixture ot of many tongues which forms a sort of patchwork patchwork patchwork patch patch- work of a language In English we do donot donot donot not form new words by making compounds compounds compounds com com- pounds of other words which would then be self-explanatory self but we go to the Latin and Greek to borrow We have been careless with our language and she is now repaying us with interest interest interest in in- terest by making the task of learning to spell pronounce and understand words a most arduous one The study of Old English in schools and colleges will help greatly to keep the language pure Then too there is much of interest to be found in our ancient classics for those who care for the study of literature Fortunately we have many earnest workers in the University some of whom are pursuing the course in Old English and it is to be hoped that henceforth their example will be followed followed followed fol fol- lowed by man many and that the study will become one of the most valuable and popular r. r H I. I |