ought to have mastered the fundamental grammatical structure of the language, to have acquired a considerable vocabulary of useful words, to be able to combine such knowledge in reasonably correct and fluent Spanish oral and written, and to understand the spoken language within the limits of his vocabulary.

"Beginning with the third year (11B) the work is divided into the Literary Course and the Commercial Course. The former is designed to prepare the student for further study at the university or at home. The Commercial Course is designed to prepare the student for business connected with Spanish America or wherever Spanish is the native language. It is believed that the latter course, embracing as it does a survey of the economic, social, and business conditions of Spanish America, combined with a similar study of existing conditions in the United States, would be extremely valuable for young Americans contemplating engaging in business in Spanish America.

"The outlines of the first two years of work are to be considered as a minimum, the instructor being at liberty to do as much more work as circumstances admit. The class is expected to be familiar with the ground covered in the required text-books, but the reading matter may be determined from the supplementary list, provided the amount is as much as is set forth in the outline. The amount of work accomplished in the third and fourth years will necessarily depend on the conditions in each school, but the character of the work should be as outlined.

FIRST SEMESTER (9B)

Grammar: About one-third of lessons in required text-book.

Oral Work: Common phrases connected with class-room work. Conversation based on vocabulary and grammatical principles so far acquired. Written Work: Exercises in grammar and dictation similar to but slightly different from the text.

Reading: At least 25 pages of Spanish.

SECOND SEMESTER (9A)

Grammar: About two-thirds of lessons in required text-book.

Oral Work: Continued as above, with attention to both Castilian and Spanish-American pronunciation.

Written Work: Continued as above. Theory and practice of Spanish accentuation.

Reading: At least 25 pages of Spanish.

THIRD SEMESTER (10B)

Grammar: Text-book completed.

Oral Work: Continued as above. Interpretive reading. Conversation based on composition work.

Written Work: Continued as above. Simple letter writing. About onehalf of text-book on composition.

Reading: At least 75 pages of Spanish.

FOURTH SEMESTER (10A)

Grammar: Review of important points. Practice in the use of index and table of contents of text-book to enable a pupil to look up a point quickly and accurately. Sight translation in class, with instructor's guidance and assistance, as an exercise in rapid and accurate thinking.

Oral work: Continued as above. Occasional summary of current events. Written work: Continued as above. Answers to advertisements. Textbook on composition completed.

Reading: At least 75 pages of Spanish.

LITERARY COURSE

FIFTH AND SIXTH SEMESTERS (11B AND 11A)

Study of modern Spanish short article, essay, novel, drama, poem, with careful attention to idioms and constructions, comparing corresponding English syntax. Reports, summaries, and discussions on articles read. Current events. Much attention to correct and fluent conversation. At least 400 pages of Spanish to be read during the year. One-half of the text-book on composition should be covered during the year.

SEVENTH AND EIGHTH SEMESTERS (12B AND 12A)

Study of good specimens of Spanish literature as literature. Essays and oral discussions on the writer's art, main and subordinate incidents, chief and minor characters, development of plot, etc. Character and achievements of such historical characters as Balboa, Cortés, Pizarro, Bolivar, San Martin, Porfirio Díaz. At least 400 pages of Spanish to be read during the year. Text-book on composition completed.

COMMERCIAL COURSE

FIFTH AND SIXTH SEMESTERS (11B AND 11A)

Readings illustrating the daily life, customs, habits, and conditions of the Spanish-American peoples. Essays, summaries, and discussions (in Spanish) on matters read. Much attention to fluent conversation. At least 400 pages to be read during the year.

Commercial correspondence: Letters of inquiry and announcements, ordering goods, instructions to shippers and consignees. Exercises on and variations of model letters illustrating these points. First half of textbook on commercial correspondence to be covered during the year.

SEVENTH AND EIGHTH SEMESTERS (12B AND 12A)

Readings on the natural resources and physical conditions of Spanish America, commerce, markets, opportunities for business, transportation routes and facilities, agricultural and industrial products. Included therewith may be readings on such scientific subjects as electricity, chemistry, physics, railroads, automobiles, aviation, etc. Reports, essays, summaries, and discussions in Spanish on topics covered. Much attention to fluent conversation. At least 400 pages of Spanish to be read during the year.

Commercial correspondence: Broker's services, claims, collections, statements, invoices, bills of lading, promissory notes, drafts, letters of exchange, partnership, power of attorney. Exercises on and variations of model letters. Text-book on commercial correspondence to be completed during the year.

It will be noticed by the experienced teacher that the course is rigid in certain parts, but with sufficient elasticity to encourage individualism in methods of presentation on the part of the teacher. The advocate of the so-called "natural," "direct" or otherwise designated methods may ride his pet hobby, provided certain fundamental linguistic facts are duly mastered by the class. The strict grammarian may bear down on the grindstone as hard as he likes, provided the requirements of oral work are fulfilled.

In 9A, or second semester, it will be noted that both Castilian and Spanish-American pronunciations are to be studied. One advantage of this procedure is that the student may elect to talk "like a book" or like other human beings in Spanish America.

In 10A stress is laid on acquisition of facility to use a text-book to hunt up novel points. In sight translation all sloppy guess-work is severely frowned on, but the instructor is encouraged to use unseen translation work, in class and within the scope of the student's already acquired vocabulary, insisting on accurate and idiomatic translation, and assisting only where the combined wisdom of the class is unable to elucidate a passage.

At the beginning of the third year, or 11B, the course splits into two parts: the literary or college preparatory or general-culture course, and the commercial course.

The literary course is not especially noteworthy unless for the introduction of some modern Spanish-American history, a subject that deserves much attention at the present time and on which the average American is woefully ignorant. The attempt to awaken in the student an appreciation of literary values, to analyze the literary craftsmanship of a writer, may be novel and difficult for teachers not

familiar with that sort of work, but the effort is worth while and ought to be productive of keener understanding of literature.

The commercial course is frankly modernistic and practical. The first half is devoted to a study of the people of Spanish America, and the second half to a study of the country itself. Concurrent therewith runs a course in accepted methods of business which, it is believed, will give the diligent and ambitious youth a good start in Spanish-American business affairs.

Surveying the course as a whole, it will be noted that an attempt is made to raise the study of Spanish to the level of the study of Latin and Greek as usually pursued in colleges and preparatory schools. No attempt is made to teach the child to rattle off a lot of conventional phrases or to give a fictitious facility in commonplace conversation. Oral work is insisted on, but it must be pedagogically placed where in the curriculum it belongs and in strict sequence of principles of language already assimilated. In fact, the course strives to give that seriousness, concentration of mind, exercise in logical thinking, reason and inference commonly associated with the best teaching of the classical languages.

Without undertaking to discuss the relative cultural values of modern languages versus the ancient languages, it is safe to say that now there are, or in the immediate future there will be, a hundred students of Spanish to one of Latin and Greek in the United States. Most students take up Spanish with a definite, practical aim. The problem is to encourage and satisfy this commendable aim while at the same time supplying that mental discipline in logic, reason, and inference that goes with the best language teaching. In addition to high pedagogic attainments, natural inborn teaching ability and thorough mastery of the language-requirements indispensable for both modern and ancient language teaching-the Spanish teacher should be a man of the world, familiar with both the literary phenomena and the social, economic, and political manifestations of both his own country and of the country whose language he is teaching. He must be at once, so far as is possible, both a student and a man of affairs. Indeed, Spanish teachers have a great mission before them in this country, and their field of labor is preeminently in the ninth, tenth, eleventh, and twelfth grades of the American public school system.

CHICAGO, ILL.

E. L. C. MORSE

THE LOCAL CHAPTERS

The American Association of Teachers of Spanish has been now firmly established as one of the powerful modern language associations of our country. We started in December, 1917, with a membership of 400, and now we have passed the 800 mark. In the near future we shall number a round 1,000. The American teachers of Spanish are in earnest in their great work. Our task is to better the teaching of Spanish, to properly guide Spanish instruction in our land. The enthusiasm of our Spanish teachers is manifested in the excellent material continually received for publication in HISPANIA, in the gradual increase in our membership, and, above all, in the establishment of the local chapters announced in the May number of our journal. The following activities are recently reported from these local chapters:

NEW YORK CHAPTER

The New York chapter of the American Association of Teachers of Spanish held its last regular meeting of the year in May, when it was addressed by Mr. Julio Mercado concerning "La República de Colombia." It has always been the custom of this chapter to divide its session into two parts. In the first, one or more speakers address the members in Spanish on some topic of interest not immediately associated with teaching or its problems. The presence in New York of a large Spanish-American colony has made this custom relatively easy to pursue.

The important thing at the business part of the May meeting was the election of officers. The following were chosen: President, Dr. Alfred Coester; vice-president, Mr. Julio Mercado; secretarytreasurer, Miss Gracia L. Fernández; corresponding secretary, Mr. Abraham Kroll. After the election a motion was made and enthusiastically carried that a banquet be held at some place to be selected by a committee. About sixty members attended the banquet on June 14. The meeting next discussed plans for the annual contest in Spanish.

Even before the organization of the national association a contest in Spanish for the pupils in the schools was a feature of the