SUNDAY, NOVEMBII 6, 1921
THE MICHIGAN DAILY MAGAZINE
3
Learning Spanish First Hand
(By Millard I. Pryor)
"I felt in a general way that every
prospective language teacher should
live for a while in the country whose
language he intends to teach," is a
statement made by Prof. Charles P.
Wagner, of the Spanish department.
"Only the foundation can be laid in
the classroom. The best plan is to
saturate oneself with the theory of
the subject and then to go to the
foreign country. Students who have
profited by two or three years of
competent instruction in an American
college will be surprised at the amount
of fluency they will have gained in
three months residence abroad. How-
over, mere foreign residence without
previous study in the language seldom
brings any great practical facility.
"While no one expects that six
weeks in Spain will perfect a student
in a knowledge of Spanish, even after
considerable study, there is something
about first-hand knowledge of a
people, their civilization, historic
monuments, and art that is an essen-
tial part of the equipment of a really
inspiring teacher. I hope that our
school administrators will sometime
come to realize the truth of this and
make the salaries of modern language
teachers large enough so that they
can take an occasional trip to the
country whose language they are
teaching."
In accordance with this policy of
more highly specialized teachers for
each subject, Professor Wagner con-
ducted a tour of Spain last summer,
for the purpose of giving teachers of
Spanish a better foundation.
The center of this tour was the
tenth Holiday Course for Foreigners
offered by the Centro de Estudios His-
toricos of the Spanish government, at
Madrid, a course for the express pur-
pose of enabling foreign teachers and
students of Spanish to obtain the best
po.sible equipment. This course in-
cludes lectures in the Spanish langu-
age, phonetics, conversation, literature,
and reading and written work, also
electives in Spanish art, history, and
geography by some of the best authori-
ties in Spain. Dormitories in connec-
tion are equipped for a limited number
with all the conveniences of an Ameri-
can hotel, which is uncommon in most
continental hostelrys. The course last
summer was attended by more than
110, the greater part being Americans
and English. At the end of the month,
certificates of attendance were given
and all who passed a non-compulsory
examination received diplomas.
The party conducted by Professor
Wagner consisted of 19 people, six
being Michigan students preparing to
teach Spanish, and seven Michigan
alumni.pHaving a school in common
and a common interest In Spanish
added a great deal to the spirit and
interest of the expedition, Professor
Wagner points out.
The Itinerary included visits to
many interesting points in Spain and
France, as short trips of one or two
days were made every week-end while
the classas were in progress. The
days in Paris, Versailles, and the
party landed in France and spent 10
nearer battlefields. A month was then
spent in Madrid in attendance at the
school ~and in the shorter trips.
Twelve days were next devoted to
visiting the more important cities of
Spain, and the final week, was spent
in southern France. A few members
of the party lengthened their trip by
visiting England, some making the
journey from Paris tc London by air
plane.
While in Granada the party was
fortunate in being Iermitted to view
the famous old Albambra by torch-
light. This was made possible by the
special interest in the party of a Span-
ish Lx-NI-inister of Education. The
tour of the castle was accompanied by
quill a c.rminouy. The torches pos-
ses'ed peculiar qiualities of investing
the ancient tortress with an almost
nr.gi.al cutline, and this coupled with
the specially arrarged concert of
gypsy songs and guitar music made
a spectacle that would be hard to
dearrite. The last two times the castle
was exhibited in this manner were for
the pleasure of King Alphonso XIII
and for the moving picture of one of
Blasco Ibanez's novels.
Some of the students who made the
trip state that it would be hard to
estimate the benefits they received. In
regard to the Spanish people, one
says that her opinion has been entire-
ly changed. While at first the people
appeared worn out and slothful, first
hand knowledge showed her that they
are very much alive. Another benefit
of the trip spoken of is the interest
such a tour gives to the literature of
the people. When one is familiar
with even a few of the places men-
tioned, the book becomes more real
and living.
VIOLINS
Equally at
Home in Grand
Opera or
the "Blues"
WHEN you want just pure
golden beauty of tone, it's the
violin that will give it.
AND if it's jazz---well here
too, the violin is foremost.
VERSATILE? Well, rather !
Here's an instrument equally
at home in grand opera or the
"blues"---indispensable, in fact;
to both.
WHICH spells "opportunity."
The violin is in demand every-
where there s music. Learn to
play the violin---for pleasure or
profit, or both. Come in; we'll
tell you more about this popu-
lar instrument.
Ars. 5.A. Lust
fflw I1n East WilMlam t.
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