Mr. Saul Robbins' excellent article on "Modernizing the Teaching of Modern Languages" should stimulate a lot of violent thinking on the part of language teachers. Starting with the premise that present language methods are inadequate, we should be quick to make use of the new body of evidence presented by the war-by Life itself to prove that the "reading" goal should have long given way to the goal of oral and aural comprehension.

It happens that the objectives of the armed services and of the public coincide. Both consider that learning a foreign language means learning to speak and understand it. Only the syllabi remain out of step, with the consequence that our products bear an inferior label.

At this point, I must disagree with Mr. Robbins when he lays emphasis upon having native instructors. There is no objection to native instructors per se. However, from a practical point of view, there is no reason why well-trained American born teachers of languages should not qualify. Our teachers are, for the most part, well-grounded in the fundamentals of their craft, and, in a cosmopolitan city like New York, have ample opportunities to refresh their grasp of the spoken language.

Mr. Robbins makes an excellent point when he says: "It is evident, furthermore, that the shifting of values will call for small

classes, much smaller than the present ones (my emphasis), for it will demand more individual attention and time."

Undoubtedly, objections will be raised to the changing of the curriculum, and to smaller classes, the latter on the well-worn ground of economy, but the goal is worth fighting for.

BASIC CRIMES. Here, I should like to add my own views on what seem to me are basic crimes in the teaching of foreign languages. First, the fact that high school students study a language for so short a period as two years, or perhaps three. What sort of results can be expected when three-fourths of the present courses consists of grammatical minutiae? No wonder parents say disgustedly: "My Helen 'took' three years of French and she can't speak a word of it." Compare this situation with that existing in the best. private schools at home and abroad. There students begin their foreign language much earlier and continue much later. Yes, and with conversational methods and in much smaller classes.

Crime No. Two: Allowing a 65 per cent pupil in a language to begin the study of a second foreign language. This is comparable to trying to make a big league ball player out of a sandlot bust. Crime No. Three: Excessive attention to grammar.

Recommendations:

1. The spoken language should be the primary goal in foreign language teaching.

2. Smaller classes with individualized instruction.

3. A passing mark of 75 per cent.

4. Start language studies in the elementary schools.

5. Minimum length of time for study of the first foreign language to be three years.

6. A second foreign language only for students who have completed at least two years of the first language, or after one year of study where they have demonstrated unusual ability. CHARLES ECKSTAT

William Cullen Bryant High School

RELATED TECHNICAL INFORMATION: MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE IN THE VOCATIONAL SCHOOL THE THESIS. The interpretation placed on "related technical information" in the vocational schools has resulted in an impoverished and indefensible program. One quarter of the school day is set aside for this study in the fields of mathematics, science, and draw

ing. The essence of the program may be summarized by its two major objectives. First, to study those aspects of these subjects that are intimately related and relevant to the trade and second, to so order the courses that the subject matter, as far as possible, will be integrated sequentially with the work in the shop. It is the thesis of this article that neither of these objectives is valid, at least from the viewpont of mathematics and science.

VARIETY IN SEQUENCE. It is apparent that a number of courses of study in mathematics or science, even with identical elements, may vary from each other in sequence. This is a fortunate and desirable flexibility. However, in any course, certainly a good course, there would be evident a thread of necessary continuity, a logical as well as psychological ordering, and a recognition of prerequisite information, skill, and technique. Similarly, a shop course of study must contain in itself some ordering in information, skill, and technique. To assume, however, that a shop sequence on the one hand and the mathematics or science sequence on the other will or can parallel each other is totally unwarranted and untenable. For surely many elementary shop skills that are within the scope of and training of first or second year students are not at the same time within their mathematical or scientific comprehension. Further, it is almost certain that any group of consecutive shop topics may require decidedly non-consecutive mathematical or scientific concepts. To force the issue must mean the breaking of the latter sequences, leading of necessity to a hodge-podge course. Relatedness, adequate preparation, continuity, understanding and insight will be sacrificed. Neither mathematics nor science can be learned in such a setting.

TRAPPED. The implications of the first objective, to teach only those aspects of mathematics and science relevant to the trade, are even worse. The student who studies plumbing, for example, is destined to hear practically nothing but plumbing in mathematics, science, drawing, as well as shop if the objective is followed. The poor student is completely trapped by his trade commitment. We must think very little of him to place on him such narrow blinders. No, our youngsters have other, many other technical interests. They live in a highly technical society wherein the language and method is mathematical and scientific. It is a primary function of education

to impart and reflect the technical culture of our society. We are developing citizen plumbers and not merely plumbers. The two, of course, are not incompatible or mutually exclusive. There can be no justification for restricting methamatics and science education to only one minute aspect of society. As a matter of fact, "plumbing mathematics" as well as "plumbing science" have much to gain by a broadened base. Take for example, any mathematical concept such as ratio. It is demonstrable that by contact with numerous applications of ratio in diverse fields, the student's understanding and appreciation of the concept is heightened. At the same time, he can learn how the machinist, the electrician, the business man, the scientist, as well as the plumber uses the ratio. This, in essence, is and must be the contribution of mathematical education. The course of study must be constructed to permit of continuous growth in mathematical understanding and skill and, at all stages, be intimately related to significant applications and illustrations from our entire society, with special stress on one field, the trade studied. This is what vocational mathematics ought to mean. Similarly, it is what science education ought to mean. Then, irrespective of the student's ultimate vocation, which is frequently not in the trade studied, he is mathematically and scientifically prepared for and is likely to be more at home in his world.

SAMUEL I. ALTwerger

Bronx Vocational High School

THE SCHOOL MAGAZINE AND THE CURRICULUM

School is a preparation for life and should give pupils a variety of experiences which will fit them for the world in which they expect to live. A pupil who can do something besides the basic work of his grade should be given a chance. Educators believe that pupils should have a chance to learn to do some one thing well.

The husky who can kick a football 45 yards finds his place on the football squad. A stage-struck miss may dream of becoming another Katherine Cornell. She may find her place in the dramatic club. With the multiplication of radios has come an increased interest in music. As a result, schools are meeting the growing demand for musical instruction by establishing bands and orchestras. and even by purchasing instruments for the ambitious musicians. Every junior high school, no matter how small, can boast of a

group of boys and girls with a gift for writing or with a great desire to learn to write. That ability to write, to write interestingly, vividly, entertainingly, deserves cultivation and encouragement, just as much as the ability to punt a pigskin, to imitate Henry Aldrich, or to torture a saxophone. In future years, a clever writer has as much chance of turning his talent into a vocation as has the football stars who wants to coach sports or the movie-struck girl who becomes an extra in Hollywood, or the slick-haired youth who has organized his own swing band.

MOTIVATION. We hear in educational circles much talk of motivation. Marks are more and more falling into discredit. Oral reading of a composition to a class may be intended as a reward to the author, but if a sensitive writer must read his tender imaginings to a group whose favorite literary hero is Popeye, such a procedure penalizes rather than rewards.

Every teacher of English must feel that the wastebasket or the pupil's overcrowded notebook is not the ultimate destination of a good piece of writing.

VALUES. The greatest value of the school magazine is that it furnishes an incentive for creative work and by doing this, motivates composition writing. Young writers gain an undeniable satisfaction in seeing their names in print. They inquire anxiously whether their work has a chance of being used. They await eagerly the appearance of the magazine with their contributions in it. The knowledge that their writing was even considered for publication spurs them on to increased and often improved efforts.

Is not such an expression just as valuable as taking part in sports, or more tangible than success in acting the hero or heroine of a play, or as satisfying as playing an instrument in an orchestra?

Pupils who participate in the actual work of producing a school magazine should be given the same consideration they would receive if they were taking a special course in English, in Art or in Business Training.

Editing a school magazine, writing articles and illustrating it, and conducting the business angles of securing advertising are purposeful activities from which pupils receive genuine life experiences.

Departmental intercorrelation is most important if a well-rounded magazine is to be produced. The art department plays an important