English Extolled.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 191, 17 August 1904, Page 2

English Extolled.

English is to lie in future an optional subject in the public schools [in in Germany. This result has largely been brought alxnit by a petition addressed by the Dresden Schaotiinaslters' Association to the Government School Inspectors the following declarations being favourably received :

First—English is the most widely used civilized language in the world. Second—lt is the most important language for Germany's international trade relations. In Dresden especially Hie knowledge of English is of great advantage to shopkeepers and commercial men, owing to the important Anglo-American colony there. Thdiid—Enlgllish detterves preference over French on account of its literature, which (a) excels that of France froth Iron, the artistic and moral point of view ; (b) appeals more nearly to our sentiment and understanding as that of a Germanic people ; (c) has played a\ prominent part in the development of our own literatur. j Fourth—English is not inferior to French in educative value.

Fifth—in the teaching of English the ivadily learned grammatical forms of the language enable the tune allotted to its study to be spent in attaining the most'important object, in teaching a foreign language—the power of its free use in speech and writing. This is not possible in the case of French, owing to the cliiliculty of its grammar.—Daily Mail,