The value of the Harvard language requirements in keeping men in touch with other cultures has become more evident as several colleges have decreased their requirements, and as complicated international relations have made knowledge of foreign tongues more necessary. But several obvious shortcomings in the details of these requirements have materially interfered with the enjoyment of their full benefits.

The acceptance of an elementary knowledge of a modern language to supplement a reading knowledge of another modern language results in considerable waste of time and effort. Slight acquaintance with a language, such as that involved in an "elementary knowledge," may give an ability to read inscriptions, tags, and bon mots, but it can certainly not give the student a literary appreciation of it. The supposition that after a student has an elementary knowledge, he will continue the study of it by himself has proved to be utopian. A single year spent in learning grammar and syntax thus has frequently had no fruits beyond conformity with University Hall regulations.

Because students are limited in the number of languages they can count, and are not given credit for either Italian or Spanish, many are prevented from following out their personal linguistic interests. Transferred and graduate students, moreover, have often met serious difficulty by the peculiar restrictions imposed by Harvard. Besides the fact that many colleges recognize modern languages such as Spanish and Italian, these languages have sufficient philological and literary importance to warrant their study.

A change in language requirements would not be difficult; in the past they have occasionally been revised. Acceptance of an "elementary" knowledge of modern languages ought to be discontinued. Students should either be required to have a reading knowledge of the languages presented or be permitted to count more advanced knowledge of other languages.