The War and Modern Language Study

Abstract

THE STUDY of modern European languages in American high schools and colleges and the pursuit of advanced study and research in these fields in our universities are matters of outstanding importance. The question naturally arises: What may be the effect of present war conditions throughout the world upon these studies in the United States? Great as has long been the interest in these languages, particularly French and German, they have never been studied so widely or so thoroughly as should have been the case. An odd sort of intellectual isolationism has pushed them aside, with the result that hosts of high school and college graduates are without any knowledge whatever of some of the world's greatest and most charming literature .... One of the fortunate developments in the study of languages has been the provision of the four University houses [at Columbia]Maison Frangaise, Deutsches Haus, Casa Hispinica and Casa Italiana. Each of these houses is devoted to the study of the language the name of which it bears and to the literature and civilization of the people whose language it is. These four houses have become veritable centers of academic activity and have proved themselves of the greatest value. The officers and students who visit these houses are encouraged and urged to use while there only the language to the study of which the house is devoted. In this way College and University students are greatly aided in learning both to speak and easily to understand the foreign language. It need hardly be said that the very general neglect of foreign language study in high schools and colleges has made the task of these four houses both more difficult and more important than it otherwise might have been. Now the question is asked as to what is the effect of the present world-wide war upon the study of these modern European languages. Many of those students who choose one of them do so with a view to preparing to teach that language when they leave the University and enter upon their lifework in the field of education.