came under my own observation and which to my certain knowledge can be duplicated in many places. A teacher in a high school at X was informed one spring. that she would have to teach an elementary Spanish class the following year. (The circumstances which brought about this state of affairs do not concern us here but I may add that I know they were imperative.) The teacher in question was a graduate of one of our leading universities and had specialized in English, French and Latin, and was teaching English. She took a double summer session course in Spanish at another of our leading Universities, spending eight hours a day in a Spanish atmosphere. On that preparation, plus what she could get in private lessons during the succeeding academic year, she was obliged to carry an elementary course in her high school. Knowing her own deficiencies she took a summer session course at a University near her home, for obvious financial reasons. By the beginning of the third summer she had recouped her finances and spent the summer at the summer session at Madrid. The fourth summer her finances forced her again to study at a nearby University. (The nearby University in both these cases possesses a strong Spanish department.) A fifth summer was spent at a distant University with a strong Spanish department and the sixth summer again found her at the nearby University, where a visiting professor was so impressed with her ability and attainments that he offered her a teaching fellowship for the succeeding year if she could obtain leave of absence for that purpose from her school. The authorities in that school had vision broad enough to be willing to permit such leave of absence and the lady spent the year in residence at the aforesaid University, from which she obtained the degree of Master of Arts. She is today considered, by college authorities whose opinion counts, the best teacher of Spanish in the high schools of her State. The statement could hardly have been made concerning her first year's teaching of Spanish, and no one knew it better than she. It would have been obviously unfair for her superior officers or the general public to criticize her at that time for not having attained the level of excellence to which she has since risen. She would, however, have been just as obviously open to legitimate criticism if she had lost courage and given up in her striving for better preparation.

THE TEACHER OF SPANISH

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Although in the aforesaid case the teacher acquired the necessary preparation by dint of long work and great personal sacrifice, our public and our school boards should be brought to see the desirability of attaining such ends more speedily. At this very moment there is before the National Education Association a proposal that some means be found by which the school boards and the public may aid financially in the acquisition of this very expensive and yet absolutely necessary equipment.

In all the foregoing I would not for a moment be understood as holding a brief for poor teaching or inadequate equipment, but I do feel that, as a matter of plain justice, our judgment of teachers and their performance in this transition period should be tempered with reason; and that at the same time the teachers who are obliged to assume this new work should feel also under obligation to deserve this tempered judgment by putting forth their utmost efforts, both intellectual and financial, to acquire as speedily as possible the equipment that will place them beyond the need of such tempered judgment.

To this same end I would recommend that both school board and university offer scholarships to teachers who are suddenly brought face to face with the necessity of becoming masters of subjects other than the one for which they had originally prepared.

By a ruling of the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois, all high-school teachers in Illinois, and all other teachers in the State who are qualified to matriculate in the University as regular students, are entitled to Summer Session scholarships, exempting them from payment of the tuition fee. To matriculate regularly in the University, one must satisfy in full the entrance requirements for some one of the colleges. By a more recent resolution of the Board of Trustees, the scholarship privilege is extended to graduates of the Illinois State normal schools, class of 1916, and to persons (otherwise qualified) who have not been teachers the past year, but who are under contract to teach in the state during the coming year.

Probably other states have similar arrangements through the State University; but this does not go quite far enough since, in the proper preparation for a teacher of Spanish, there must be a period of somewhat lengthy residence in a Spanish-speaking country and naturally the preference would in most cases be for

His. 2

Spain, because she is the mother of them all, and because of the splendid summer course and the three trimestrial courses organized by the Junta para Ampliación de Estudios in the University of Madrid. This residence abroad could be most easily and effectively financed by some such arrangement as the aforesaid scholarships, which could be surrounded by conditions that would amply protect the interests of the school boards or of the university which granted them.

University of Illinois

JOHN D. FITZ-GERALD

FIRST ANNUAL MEETING

THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION

OF TEACHERS OF SPANISH

DECEMBER 29, 1917

IN NEW YORK CITY

SEE PAGE 23

HISPANIA

The conditions which have made necessary the organization of the American Association of Teachers of Spanish have been fully and clearly stated in our circular of last May, and with more eloquence and force in the article of President Wilkins now published. Hispania, the official organ of the new Association, is entrusted with the carrying out of its policies and purposes. I have accepted the editorship of Hispania with humility and with a full appreciation of the great responsibility of the office, but also with a firm determination to do all that is in my power to conduct it in a manner befitting the importance, usefulness and dignity of our cause. We have a high and worthy mission to perform, and with mutual help and co-operation we should achieve some degree of

success.

The betterment of the teaching of Spanish in our schools and colleges is our chief aim. The pedagogical side of our work, however, is to be viewed from a broad standpoint. Real, sympathetic teaching involves more than mere class drill or reciting lessons from textbooks. The American teacher of Spanish of tomorrow must be well prepared not only in the ordinary school and college disciplines which involve a good knowledge of the language and literature of Spain and the ability and enthusiasm necessary for successful teaching. Equally necessary is a complete and sympathetic understanding of the history and culture of Spain and Spanish America. For these reasons, Hispania, aside from giving to problems of pure pedagogical interest the great attention which they deserve, will also attempt to interpret sympathetically to our pupils and teachers of Spanish the history and culture of the great Spain of the past and present.

Our journal has the noble mission of improving the teaching of Spanish in our schools, colleges and universities, with the active co-operation of teachers and scholars of national and international repute, men and women who believe in the cause of education and who maintain high ideals as teachers and investigators. Our Asso

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ciation begins its existence with the vigor and enthusiasm of youth. Hispania has no apologies to give for its appearance. The policy of the editors will be the proper execution of the policies and purposes of The American Association of Teachers of Spanish.

The editor of Hispania takes great pleasure and pride in announcing that President Wilkins, who was authorized at the April meeting of our Association to appoint the editor, consulting editors and associate editors for a period of five years, has named the following persons to assist him in the editorial work: Professors John D. Fitz-Gerald of the University of Illinois and J. D. M. Ford of Harvard University, consulting editors; and Mr. Percy B. Burnet of Manual Training High School, Kansas City, Mo., Professor Alice H. Bushee of Wellesley College, Dr. Alfred Coester of Commercial High School, Brooklyn, Professor James Geddes, Jr., of Boston University, Mr. George W. Hauschild of Manual Arts High School, Los Angeles, Mr. Joel M. Hatheway of High School of Commerce, Boston, Professor George T. Northup of the University of Chicago, Professor George W. Umphrey of the University of Washington, and Mr. Lawrence A. Wilkins of De Witt Clinton High School, associate editors. The name of Mr. Wilkins has been included in the Editorial Staff at the urgent request and insistence of the editor, the consulting editors and other members of the Association. It is not necessary to state that the above named teachers of Spanish are teachers and investigators of national and international reputation, and that they have at heart, above most other professional considerations, an enthusiastic desire to further and improve the teaching of Spanish in the United States.

Some of the members of the Editorial Staff will have charge of certain definite tasks.

BIBLIOGRAPHY. The editors plan to make the bibliographical section one of the most important features of Hispania. Teachers of Spanish who do not live in the proximity of the large colleges and universities do not have access to the bibliographical material published by such excellent publications as the Revista de Filología Española, edited by R. Menéndez Pidal, and for this reason a fairly complete current bibliography of all Spanish books that may be of interest to our teachers of Spanish should be of very great value to the members of our Association.