THE FACULTY
AMONG the many interesting changes in the Dartmouth curriculum are those which have been made by the Department of Romance Languages. More intensive basic courses in French, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese; remodeling of virtually all offerings; emphasis on the diversity of approaches in learning languages; and a new foreign study plan are major developments in the new curriculum.
Of special interest is the College's foreign study program recently approved by the Trustees. This plan makes it possible for practically all men majoring in Romance Languages to study during the third semester of their junior year either at the University of Caen in France or the University of Salamanca in Spain. The courses taken at these universities are credited by the College and provide an optional part of the major.
The elementary courses offer intensive training in speaking and writing as well as reading. Regular practice in speaking and understanding the spoken language is provided both in class and in the language laboratory, where records and tape-recorders are used. Classical writers of varying degrees of difficulty are studied for class discussion. Insofar as possible class work is conducted in the language being studied.
After satisfying the prerequisites for the major, a student may elect an eight-course major in French or Spanish or he may choose a ten-course major in Romance Languages and Literatures. In the latter he must take an approved selection of courses in French and Spanish, French and Italian, or Spanish and Italian. Prerequisite courses for any of these programs are, first, an introduction to either French or Spanish literature and, second, a relatively advanced course in conversation and composition. The literary study is designed to acquaint the student with a variety of outstanding examples of French or Spanish literature and to give him, through the study of these works, training in critical reading, interpretation, and evaluation of literature in general.
In all these major programs stress is laid on the different approaches which can be taken in studying languages. Accordingly some courses study a literary genre: the novel, drama, lyric poetry; others are concerned with literary history. Other courses are devoted to the works of a single major figure. French 65 (Marcel Proust's works), Spanish 52 (Don Quixote), and Italian 53 {The Divine Comedy) are "dual audience" courses. The works may be' read in the foreign language or in English translation. In the first case language credit is given; in the latter, students may obtain French, Spanish, or Italian Civilization credit.
On an advanced level, study of an independent nature is offered in French and Spanish 70 and in Romance Languages 102. In the 70 courses work is done on a narrow research topic under the supervision of a different instructor each year. This seminar can be elected in either the junior or the senior year. Romance Languages 102, required of all majors in the department, is a course in the theory of literary study.
PROFESSOR of Chinese Culture and Philosophy Wing-tsit Chan gave three lectures on Chinese Philosophy and Religion at the State Department's Institute of Foreign Studies in Washington, D. C., recently. The Institute trains officers for foreign service. Professor Chan lectured also at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York on Confucius in a series entitled "How Great Men of the Past Could Aid Current Thought."
THE Reverend Roy B. Chamberlin, Professor of Religion Emeritus, has accepted an invitation to go to Istanbul to serve as interim pastor of the Evangelical Union Church of Pera, across the Golden Horn, until January 15 or later. Professor Chamberlin, who after his retirement taught for two years at Talladega College in Alabama, arrived in Istanbul on November 7 to assume his new duties.
DR. Vilhjalmur Stefansson, Arctic Consultant at Dartmouth, participated recently in a convocation celebrating the 75th anniversary of the University of North Dakota. Dr. Stefansson represented Dartmouth and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences at the ceremonies, and he also delivered an address on the Scandinavians. On his return trip he lectured at the University of Manitoba.
AT its recent meeting in Exeter, N. H., the Northern New England Chapter of the American Association of Teachers of German elected Prof. Frank G. Ryder president. The chapter is particularly interested now in the extension of instruction in German language and literature in the public high schools of the area. German has long lagged behind French, Latin, and Spanish in Northern New England.
THE New England Conference of Renaissance Studies met at Dartmouth last month. Four faculty members, Prof. Vernon Hall Jr. of the Department of Comparative Literature, Prof. Ray Nash of the Art Department, Prof. Lou B. Noll of the English Department, and Prof. Elias L. Rivers of the Romance Languages Department composed the host committee for this year's meetings. A display of Renaissance Art Medals from the personal collection of Professor Hall was shown in the Treasure Room of Baker Library. "Trends in Trecento Music," by Prof. Royal MacDonald of the Music Department, was one of the chief papers read to the conference. Professor Nash was elected as the Conference representative to the Renaissance Society of America.
THREE members of the English Department have initiated and are participating in an experimental program designed to improve the training in English composition of high school seniors who plan to go on to college. Professors H. L. Bond, Thaddeus Seymour, and Henry Terrie are conducting writing seminars at Hanover High. They meet their students once a week for an hour of intensive drill in the fundamentals of composition. The students write weekly papers which are carefully corrected and graded according to college standards.
The program was the outgrowth of discussions between high school and college teachers of English faced with the common problem of how to improve the literacy of young students. Training in composition requires much practice, close supervision, frequent conferences, and detailed criticism of papers. The high school teacher usually has so many students that he cannot possibly do the job. In order to help meet this problem in Hanover the Dartmouth teachers cooperating with the senior English teacher at the high school organized the writing seminars.
