LATIN VS. GERMAN 393 



LATIN VS. GEKMAN" 



Br Peofbssoe RALPH H. McKEE, Ph.D. 



LAKE FOHEST COLI.EGE 



CEETAIN" arguments have from time to time been presented favor- 

 ing a rule requiring all students to present Latin for entrance 

 to college, rather than to place the ancient and modern languages 

 on an equal footing. The following very suggestive data were 

 obtained from the records of Lake Forest College, Lake Forest, 111., 

 and presented to the faculty of that institution. In the thought that 

 others might be interested they are now publicly presented, though 

 with some hesitation, owing to the comparative smallness of the number 

 of students under observation, the class entering each year being 

 ordinarily about fifty-five. 



Greek and French being but rarely given in the high schools of 

 Illinois and the adjoining states, the question actually comes to a 

 question of German vs. Latin. It was thought that, by a study of the 

 data available from the college records, evidence of the comparative 

 value of the two languages, as now taught in the high schools, might 

 be obtained. The statistics have given an answer showing that German 

 is unquestionably as desirable as Latin as a requirement for entrance 

 to college. 



1. It has been claimed that the student with Latin preparation for 

 college does better work in college than the student whose high-school 

 language preparation has been German. 



The records of Lake Forest College show that in so far as grades 

 indicate the quality of work done in the various departments and that 

 is the purpose of giving grades they show that the student, whose 

 language preparation for entrance has been German presents work of 

 fully as good quality as that of the student whose language preparation 

 has been Latin. 



If Latin were really better than German for preparation for col- 

 lege entrance, then the students of Group 1 would have the highest 

 grades, the students of 2A higher than 2B and 2C, and the students 

 of 3A higher than 3B and 3C. The facts are exactly contrary to the 

 above, the students whose language preparation has been German 

 proving to be better students than those who have presented Latin for 

 college entrance. 



2. It has been claimed that the study of Latin is particularly valu- 

 able as a preparation for work in English, far better than the modern 

 languages. 



vol. lxxv. — 26. 



