Address by United States Commissioner of Education Earl James McGrath, Broadening the Base of Language Study in America
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OCR Page 1 of 8BROADENING THE BASE OF LANGUAGE STUDY IN AMERICA *
It is a privilege to join you in this annual meeting of the Modern
Language Association, and to take a modest part in the discussions of certain
problems connected with: the teaching of modern foreign languages. This
s
Association has for years been concerned with many academic activities and
research in various fields of knowledge which have a very important contribution
to
make at this point in our national life. Though your oritanization is not
concerned with the entire range of subjects or disciplines commonly included
under the term "humane letters, main y of the fields represented here are at
the very core of our liberal learning in the United States. It is of the
utmost importance that the ideas and the ideals embodied in Western European
culture should be reemphasized and revitalized, in this day of materialism and
confusion. At no time in our history has it been more necessary that concepts
such as the dignity of the individual, the basic rights of free men, and the
rational consideration of human problems be inculcated in the minds of American
youth You are the members of a large company of scholars and teachers who
have much of the responsibility for passing on this liberal heritare to this
and succeeding generations. The extension of instruction in foreign languages
in our school system, the ma which I wish to diccuss with you briefly today,
cannot bo considered in quite such idealistic terms because it has very
practical aspects. Yet, I believe, in the (long run, that if some of the
proposals I am going to make could be carried out, liberal education would be
greatly strengthened and enhanced as a part of our entire culture. Be that
* By Earl J. McGrath, U. S. Commissioner of Education, Federal Security Agency,
Washington, D.C., at General Meeting of the Modern Language Association of
America, Boston, Massachusetts, December 28, 1952, 10:00 a.m. EST.
(Pead
by
Dr. Arthur . Selvi of Teachers College of Connecticut in Dr. NcGrath's
absence. Published in School and Society, Vol. 77, No. 1990, pp. 81-83,
February 7, 1953.
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