THE TEACHING OF LANGUAGES. TO THE EDITOR.

Otago Witness, Issue 1156, 24 January 1874, Page 15

THE TEACHING OF LANGUAGES. TO THE EDITOR.

Sir — "A Professor of Languages" writes in your last publication, in regard to the dispute between the Principal of our High School and the Professor of our University. He thinks, that if the matter in dispute between them were referred to the decision of the public, the Professor would be left greatly in the minority. But even supposing thnfc this .should be the case, allowing that the votes, of the people should he favourable to the Principal, and adverse to the Professor, 1 ask you, or any reasonable man, ■would that be a satisfactory solution of the mattpr in question ? In a point like that which is in dispute authority and not numbers ought to decide. If the learned languages are to hareany place at all in the curriculum of study, they must be acquired thoroughly. It is an axiom which will meet with ready concurrence, that if a thing is worth doing at all, it is worth doing well. Your correspondent admits that a _ knowledge of L^tin is useful as a means of obtaining a better acquaintance with the English language.^ "But a superficial smattering of Latin will do little or no good to anybody. Here the principle laid down by the poet holds good — " A little learning is a dancrerous thinpr, Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring."

It is indeed surprising to find professed Teachers of Languages among us pandering so much to popular prejudices. I firmly believe that onegreat cause why thecauseof classical education has fallen so much, istlieinefficiencyofitsprofessiug teachers. So far from it requiring many years of a man's life to be spent in the pursuit of a competent knowledge of the Latin language, six months is quite sufficient to enable a person of moderate abilities, under a competent instructor, to acquire tho requisite knowledge to re.ii l any of the usual school books. Again, we hear confident assertions made by those who profess to instruct youth, that a man may be a good Latin scholar and yet be unable to write a dozen sentences in English grammatically ; but I maintain that this is not the case. And if Latin is thus useful as a means of imparting a knowledge of the principles of English composition, it could be easily shown that a know* ledije of Greek is yet more impottant, for, not to speak of the beauty and melodiousness of that noble language, it is especially worthy of study as being the native tongue of tho New Testament. An acquaintance with Greek, therefore, puts into our band the key of sacred knowledge* and thereby gives admission to those who use the privilege aright to behold with the naked eye and not through the dim medium of translation, the treasures of sacred truth therein con» tainod.— l am, &c, Delta, Dunedm, Jan. 16.