Speech!

The University requires every student to write the English language well and read a foreign one, but the ability to speak effectively is taken for granted. Being able to present ideas orally in a forceful manner will be as important to the average student as skill in writing, for the world will definitely call upon him to talk about his ideas more often than write them. The University, however, not only fails to require work in speech, but makes it impossible to obtain instruction equivalent to what is required in writing. Although four half-courses are offered in speech, only one may be counted as credit for a degree, and none for concentration in English.

The course offered to the general student is English N: public speaking. Student demand for this course has been steadily increasing so that it now exceeds the facilities. The nature of a speech course demands small sections; the Department's allocations for speech limit the course to 75. As many students had to be turned away from the course last fall as were allowed to take it. Even if University officials do not consider speech an important subject, they must at least recognize its basic value to the extent of giving all those who want this instruction the chance to get it. This means an extension in the facilities of English N.

One problem that must be faced in a subject such as speech is that, like English composition, those who need it most usually do not take it on their own initiative. It would be well to consider instituting a test for incoming freshmen not only to discover speech defects and any marked difficulties in expression, but to aim for a basic level of self-expression.

At any rate, something ought to be done about the present lack of emphasis on speech at Harvard. Budding young lawyers, or businessmen, or chairmen of corporation boards will all have to express their ideas vocally as well as in letters. True enough, most Harvard men learn how to talk reasonably clearly simply by practicing all the time. But there is enough of a demand for more formal training to indicate that the University should consider a re-evaluation of the importance of speech in its curriculum.