THE TEACHING OF RUSSIAN.
[To THE Barren Or THE "SPECTATOR."] Sin.,—As the time has come when arrangements are being made for special autumn classes in schools, and as there is reason to believe that in past years teachers of Russian were often merely disguised German agents working against Russia, we should he glad to be allowed to state, for the information of those interested in scholastic matters, that the Russia Society is now prepared to recommend competent and reliable Russian teachers (ladies and gentlemen) as well as lecturers. It is needless to point out that the lack of at least elementary preparation in students who wish to take up Russian in the curricula arranged at the higher educational establish- ments and Universities is a serious handicap both to the students themselves and to the standard of such curricula. Some familiarity, however elementary, with the language would place students in the same advantageous position as that enjoyed by those students of French and German who continue their studies at a University, and would enable the teaching staff to avoid the loss of time spent on the mere rudiments of the language. We would, therefore, appeal to Head-Masters and Head-Mistresses in this country to reciprocate as far as possible the work of the Russian schools which have recently made English obligatory, by teaching at least as much Russian in our own schools as was taught of German before the war; and we would remind parents that it is impossible to overrate the advantage which an adequate knowledge of the Russian language will give, and already does give, to young men start- ing in a business career. It may be added that, funds per- mitting, the Society hopes in due course to offer prizes and scholarships, both for advanced and elementary Russian.—We are, Sir, &e.,
BERNARD MALLET, Chairman Education Committee. JAMES A. MALCOLM, Honorary Secretary.
The Russia Society, 47 Victoria Street, S.W.
Previous page
