Methods and Reading in Modern Languages

Abstract

IN RECENT YEARS, a considerable number of articles and books have been written on the topic of teaching methods in modern languages. The discussions have kept up a polite controversy between the followers of the traditional method and those of the natural method which was started more than half a century ago. Partly for reasons of politeness, partly out of conviction, both factions stressed, time and again, that the establishment of definite rules and a definite method for teaching German or any other modern language is a rather elusive task. The method, it was claimed, had to vary not only with the personality of the teacher, but also with the more specific purpose of the instruction. These statements contain only a partial truth. Even though it is clear that the personality of the teacher bears upon the method employed, this fact does not make it less imperative that every teacher of a modern language follow some definite rules and a definite method. Even in following such a plan, the teacher would have opportunity enough to shape the method and to render it effective in his own way. And what about the assertion that the method is dependent also on the goal which students and teacher set before themselves? Certainly not all of our college students study a foreign language for exactly the same purpose. Only a few study a language because they want to be able to converse in it. For the greater part, all they want to gain-especially in German or French-is a reading knowledge, especially of scientific books. Classes in scientific reading thus form a part of the program at every college and university. The method employed in these classes resembles strongly that used in the teaching of Greek and Latin, in which a thorough understanding of sentence structure and a reading ability of the classics is the only goal. The same approach to a modern language, however, is basically wrong. Although we understand that the science student may not have too much time for the study of the language, he should be expected to acquire some speaking ability of the language studied before he takes up the reading of scientific books. If this were the case, the method employed in the scientific reading class could be changed and made more effective for the student's active command of the language. A suggestion of methods for this purpose I shall give later.