MASS METHODS IN ENGLISH

With the announcement by Professor Hillyer of further changes in English A, the prospects become considerably brighter that this course may take its rightful place in the curriculum. The present changes are part of a long development in the direction of greater individual work and fewer organized recitations, which has been in the process of evolution under pressure of constant campaigns for reform.

The technical aspects of the course are fairly well cared for under the new program, as the classes are to be limited in size, and more stress is to be put on the individual conference with the instructor, thus providing a greater flexibility than was possible in the past. These changes will serve to acquaint the Freshman with the workings of the tutorial system and should provide the physical basis for a really interesting course of study. For Freshman English could be one of the important courses in the college, curriculum, as an introduction to the study of literature and a stimulation to the enjoyment of writing, rather than the powerful and often permanent antidote to any interest in the study of English which it has tended to be in the past. No matter how carefully the details of English A are worked out however, technicalities alone can never solve the problem.

There are many difficulties to be overcome in any Freshman course, arising from the lack of adequate preparation possessed by the majority of first year men. These difficulties have been largely met by the reorganization in the course administration, and, as a result, the chief responsibility for the success of English A now devolves on the instructors. Yet due to the lack of experience, which hampers many of its teachers, Freshman English does not arouse the interest it should. If the course were to be taught by more experienced instructors and placed on a par with similar courses in the University, its value as a foundation for the further study of English would be greatly increased.