Give English A Chance

We notice that one of the subject -+&-1 &cwa. tar diseussion at the coming imeeAiog of the Northern Illinoid Teachters' Association at Elgin is: "Should fflhuw Le ,n Engfish Course in the Süjrh School?" We hope it may not be -regarde d as a bit of pernicious imperraence if Tre venture to answer the .uestion in ad vanee of the meeting. We taj he somewhat at sea as to what is 'íechnicáTly comprehended in the worde ■"Eog'ish course"as used in high school rSBcnietíia, but on general principies we aare impelled by the nood of overpowerüng Angia-Saxon predilections that -"icos scrgiiaír down upon us to exclaim: '""'By all means gÏTe English a chance!" 'ímegine a teachers' convention in Germán discussingj the question: ■""Kheeld iThare Be a Germán Course in 9nr Higt School?" The topic to be ïiscuasod at Elgin may not be half as 'iui'ï&rous as it seems to the simple ninded who are unfamiliar with the ruleB by which high school courses are '.futKalkted, but it sounds very funny. 'The marlcod tendency of our high school "o drift away from the comraon lanuage of the country continually excites ílfce apprehension of the friends and -supporter of the schools who have been under the impression that the uothcr tonque is adequate for all the eerjg of citizena in a republie where fCnglish is universally spoken. If the HiLh schools donothingelse they ought rt icro out young men and women who -M! eneak nd write the English lan iïTMgeeututly.correctly and feücitously. JkStempts to teach the sciences, foreign langu ages ' and 'higher mathematics in ■wtr high scheoU) are very well indeed ia their way, but too often result in a ivery superficial knowledge of these :#ubject8, all of which is soon forgotten .tfter graduation. But the ability to i graceful or incisive diction, wben jna aequired, is an abiding and failingr source of intellectual strengtb. If by the "English course is meant closer stuüy of the English language and its collateral branchfis, then by all means let us have it in the high schools.