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C u ltu ra l T ie s u r g e u Z A LANGUAGE STUDIES URGED FOR PEACE More Emphasis in Teaching Is Sought for Closer Ties at Endicott Session ENGLISH A SECOND TONGUE Most Delegates of 30 Nations Agree It Is Best for Other Peoples to Take Up B y B E N JA M IN F IN E Special to T he N ew Y ork T imes . E N D IC O T T , N . Y ., A u g . 21— G r e a te r em p h asis on th e stu d y o f fo r e ig n la n g u a g e s in s c h o o ls and c o lle g e s , t o d e ve lo p c lo se r cu ltu ra l an d in te rn a tio n a l ties, w a s u rg e d t o d a y b y d e le g a te s fr o m th irty n a tio n s a tte n d in g th e w o r ld c o n fe r e n c e o f the te a c h in g p ro fe s s io n S tre ss in g th e im p o rta n ce of m o d e rn la n g u a g e s, th e e d u ca tors, w h o h a v e a ssem b led h ere t o e s ta b lish a w o r ld e d u ca tio n o r g a n iz a tion , d e cla re d th a t th e a to m ic ag e m a d e it im p e ra tiv e th a t p eople e v e ry w h e re u n d erstan d each o th e r I f m u tu al g o o d -w ill an£ bet^ T u n d e rsta n d in g a m o n g n a tion s are to be ach iev ed , the sch o o l m en p o in te d out, th ere m u st b e a g r e a t e r cu ltu ra l b o n d a m o n g the ra ce s o f the w o rld . . M o st o f the d e le g a te s p ro p o se d th a t E n g lis h , be m ad e the secon d la n g u a g e o f th eir co u n trie s and t h e in te rn a tio n a l la n g u a g e o f th e w o rld . E n g lish h as a lre a d y been a d o p te d as th e se co n d la n g u a g e in m a n y n a tion s, it w a s b r o u g h t out. A n y ta lk o f in tr o d u cin g an a r ti fic ia l an d sy n th e tic to n g u e , su ch as E sp e ra n to , b r o u g h t co m m e n ts b y the e d u cto rs th a t E nglish, w a s th e E sp e ra n to o f th e p resen t era. __ __J A m e r ic a n s sh ould stu d y eith er S p an ish o r F re n c h as th eir " s e c o n d ” la n g u a g e, a n u m b er o f ed u c a to rs, p a r tic u la rly th o se - in the U n ited S ta tes d eleg a tion , s u g g e sted . I t w a s b r o u g h t o u t th a t the s c h o o ls in th is c o u n tr y w e r e p a y in g less a tte n tio n to m o d e m la n g u a g e s th an a n y lan d in th e w orld . "T h e re is n o q u estion .but that w e need a c o m m o n la n g u a g e ,” said D r. W illa rd E . G ivens, ex ecu tiv e s e c r e ta r y , N a tio n a l E d u ca tio n A s so cia tion , an d m e m b e r o f the A m e r ic a n d elega tion . "W e are d ra w in g clo s e ly to g e th e r in the p h y s ic a l sense. I t is im p o r ta n t th a t w e b e c o m e c lo se r c u ltu ra lly . A co m m o n la n g u a g e w ou ld help b r in g th a t a b ou t.” In tern a tion a l co n fe r e n ce s su ch a s : a re b ein g held in P a ris and at E n d ic o tt sh ow th e n eed o f a g r e a te r a p p re c ia tio n o f fo r e ig n la n g u a g es, the d eleg a tes said. ' T h e su g g e s tio n w a s m a d e th a t th e t e a c h in g o f la n g u a g e s be im p ro v e d an d m o d ern iz ed so that g r e a te r resu lts cou ld be attta in ed in sh o rte r p erio d s o f tim e. R e fe r en ce w a s m ad e to th e A r m y ’ s d ire c t m eth od o f te a c h in g in the la n g u a g e field , w ith th e p ro p o sa l th at e d u ca tors stu d y this and o th e r tech n iq u es an d th en a d o p t th e best. E n g lish M ore P op u la r E n g lish has su p p la n ted F ren ch , S p an ish an d G erm a n , th e m o s t p o p u la r la n g u a g e s b e fo r e th e w ar, in m a n y o f th e c o u n tries r e p r e sen ted h ere. D e le g a te s fr o m B r a zil, H a iti, M e x ico, N o r w a y and C hina, a m o n g 'o th e rs , r e p orted th at E n g lis h ha d g r o w n in p op u la rity a b o v e all oth e r fo r e ig n la n g u a g es in th eir lan ds. T h e y u r g e d th a t c ou n tries ev e ry w h e re stress E n g lish as a m ean s o f d ev e lo p in g a c o m m o n ton g u e, “ W e sh ou ld c o n sid er E n g lish as the in tern a tion a l la n g u a g e o f the w o r ld ,” d ecla red Jose L u is F ig u e r o o f the M e x ic a n T e a ch e rs A s s o c ia tion . “ E n g lish is a lrea d y sp ok en by so m a n y m illion s o f p eop le, an d its u se is in c r e a sin g so r a p id ly , th a t it c o u ld ea sily b e co m e tlfb co m m o n to n g u e o f all. In M e x ico a ll our se c o n d a r y s c h o o l stu d en ts are re q u ired to ta k e it .” C on ced in g th a t E n g lish is n o t an e a s y la n g u a g e to m a ster, S efior F i g u e r o , in c o m m o n w ith o th e r ed u c a t o r s here, u rg ed th a t sch ola rs g e t to g e th e r to d eterm in e h o w it c o u ld b est be ta u g h t ou tsid e o f the E n g lis h -s p e a k in g lands. I t w a s p ro p o s e d th a t the U n ited N a tio n s E d u ca tion a l, S c ie n tific and C u ltu ra l O rg a n iz a tion ta k e the le a d in d e v e lo p in g a p ro g ra m . O b s e rv in g th a t the a to m ic a g e m a d e it n e c e ssa ry f o r tea ch ers to e n g a g e in a cru sa d e f o r p eace, m a n y o f the d e le g a te s u r g e d th a t m o re a tten tion be p a id to the in te rd ep en d en ce o f n a tion s an d the . n eed f o r in tern a tion a l u n d ersta n d in g . S p ea k in g f o r E cu a d or, M erced es V e le z stre s se d th e im p o r ta n c e o f w ip in g o u t illite r a c y th r o u g h o u t th e w orld . H e p rop osed th a t a com m on in tern a tion a l fu n d be c re a te d th a t co u ld be u tilized by te a c h e r s ev e r y w h e r e in th eir e f fo r t s to w o r k fo r p eace.
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