New-York tribune., 1869-03-19

m hzeG Mpe 1 ra3ing gives no power understa@ha 20
talking Even dteny me GS. that they have strange and
unmeauuR sound when spoken VI the Apea'S oons few
gico @ mastery OF the European languages 70 20
i s cary on connected conversation, though theJ
haps hanp -" One may be well grounded in the lteI%
ture OF language reading hne works M VI avn ' yer-
nacular and still attempting 10 eonyerse& & Stn ant Is
tive viii nd himself as helpless as enid Inc bo
not I'm his knowledge but In his car lie may eyer evgS
able to speak with certain rash nqeney but h no inc
down in trying to unds[S.anc %' ba eve s ia tomiar CON
' ear uaGy II Efos G %sSTsT s2DgeT Who has
apply 1t to practical use. Inc peruSai OF % nm.
derstand a single word OF the spoken languhFo'
Tho statements of NJ Marcel on this point chai-
Ionge attentive consideration, and will commehu
tbemseyes by their practical good sense TO every u
dicious reader -,
The omnrehension Of the spoken language, although
tho most Important element OF our social let
i !ho h,Td nmd at The came time the most natural and
most certain means Of learning to speak, has neye e
languages, that there is not even term ny wch @ 10
express st; and, for the purpose OF %
acceptatOn to the words hearing and GudHon . -
Many persons do not even suspect this power 70 DC al
it in their own language so easy does nature make It's
acquisition at the entrance into life. The capaohMy ~ ~
speak implies IN the vcrnaenlar language .s % VI Ths
Ing which, by the force Of imitation, gave plrth' Ahi'
is not the case with languages learned from o9oks
oral expression ID not inherent in The nature o Ihe art pr6
child sixteen or eighteen months ,sv 0a y ncanabs OF i'm.
proyenert In other department OF Tue lansuae; 90;
Tbe dnlculty may fairly be attributed 70 the metOus ol
teaching hitherto foowed they leave the organ OF near
ing III complete inactlOn; or only exercise II ,T Tl
trachers voice cannot In tho usual rapdty OF speech
recognize the foreign words, however iaar they NAY
only in ersation when they begin to speak This Is
putting the cart before the horse since We cannot Jo
IN conversation unless understand what is said A.
This ACQUISITION IA further impeded by the
learners not having previously met In his scanty
reading with the phraseOlogy OIL those WIN WHOM
he comes In contact while from ms want OF practice In
hearing the language he is unable to associate the IDEAS
with tic sounds and Is then obliged TO translate what 10
hears an operation for which the rapidly oil speech uoes
nor % uw ysnrpons Of tho preceding chapter tend TO
move these obstacles. The student who has oloN Gu Ine
and nado advance in the ART oi reg, VII, ,h nu @
himself in favorable position Tor advancing III lno Se0
Or If the art of reading bo acquired without
! n teacher il Is otherwise with hearing and pro
| nouncing, in which no advance can DO mauo ~
| without his aid, and especially without MS pos
| seeslpg n correct pronunciation ana accent when
child prOnouuces his own language Incorrectly ~ IS to
fault Of those around him when mo
Tie simple and natural method yd 10y ShoS oy tho &
mother tongue, and by which tn2 y2cat Ng"ls
learn to reproduce them, eguay appcsUl;S
| followed IL would enable us TO seize the meaning
OF the words aud acquire tho foreign pr0nnnca3n ~
easily ms our own. That this end Is 50 seldom ~
onjy nroyes the faliacy OF the methods pursued We
dsda'n follow the easy path Which nature nss na AU
!
With regard to tho general order Of study in the
ocorisiton Of foreign languages, NJ Marcers sugges-
tions are eminently pertinent and instructive Ihe
oreat object AS he shows is TO obtain such mastery
Of the Language rs To connect its words Immediately
with the ideas which they represent. without the in
teryention Of mental, though perhaps, almost un-
conscious translation Direct reading, by which the
written expression directly conveys the thought. as
in the mother tongue is the end to be attained The
natural association Of the ideas with tho words IN
which they are clothed constitutes the real practice
of the forei n languages and is the Groundwork on
which advancement in all its other departments Is
based. Bpt this object is TO bo accomplished by
assiduous practice (after method fully explained by
the author aud not by the premature study Of gram
matcal rules. We quote a pretty long passage
which furnishes clue to his IDEAS on this point.
| A metbod IN order to be rational aud efficient.
| learn n foreign language FOR the sake OF making
IL The instr i.ncnt OF fhonght In tho international
~ .nn,,ia ~ '', ~ LIc,.. but of lie four arts hy
which ths exchange i cneo'ed the nrs two arc inds
putably " fnr higher importance and more general op
plicaiion than the other two, both end and as
means. The method ought tbcu hra to icac ibcle Two
! that tho principal object ia studying foreign ving
angnagels 90 learn 10 speak II; forgetting, inoreoyr
! 10 write well one must have read much,
| This popular error has given birth 10 nearly
all the mcthOlsir vogue. For Tue most part they hiu
al tho rapid requirement ~ Tint ant and ~ that alone
! tnp huWUcsA
break OF the cham which connects together TIE foar
great objects ~ auEuagc, nrEtct the most useIn par
of intellectual communication, aud necessarily resort 70
nroresses which nrc AZ war with tho fundamental prn
cipes OF language the Laws O orr mehtai orfanzhp
and the requirements 81 social intercourse We need not
be surprised therefore, NJ the almost universal failure of
| linguistic teaching - b.,
! lessons Of words daiogneI extracts rom an,,Hod-
and other processes esiaD!i.hea Ny fGu,in' , Ji,Iy
for imitation hy which alone ts Art eau be 0Clurud s
altogether SET aide These preliminary ekeis' igoin
] 49,. ,ffau NIT
they consume. sacrifice the ond TO the mrins nnd
lengthen unreasOHaby the hudy ol IanEu"gt,. l'ey
cannot therefore, enter into rational system OI leach
or all the dllntory means which tradition nrf
rontino have introduced into tie teaching of lu-
guagcs grammar has rhaps been the greatest obstacle
10 their Attainment By deporabo violation ,bo
laws nature, the rule j. considered essential the
ample az secondary and grammar Is made tho basis Of
| the study.
The art Of grammar adds little the learners vocahn
larry, and yet extensive stock oi words the mast In
dispensable acquisition for good speaking und good wfi
Ing because without cOpinusness OF language there suo
possibility Of sniiing presslons to Ideas In Tho d'er
does not guide IN tie choice Of words, nor tell their
biography pronunciation or accGn'naon IL nnnrd. 10
assistance IN ascertaining when inc Two Languages dHr
IN the application OF apparently corresponding WuuH
the use ot prepos"ns ia tho gchd1Is on hnneiH nun @ "i
hcencies of languase IL does not teneh me propicy
forms IL speech tho various acccpatons OF words The
different shades OF meahing winch chhIactcrzo syN9
nynes IN fine. Of those nicciics OF expression which
constitute the genius, force, and elegance ol language
and which can be acquired only through extensive
| and critical reading Of standard works.
Grammar, then. Is not e art OF speaking and writing
correctly All that be said Of sthat 10 contributes
within certain limits, 90 correct speaking and writing
but Is insufficient Of itself TO attain that end Authors
OF graIumas who devote all their time ana attention 10
the rules OF language are rarely distinguished either
/ speakers writers.
VOltarc, who, like all Groat writers, gained
| his literary eminenco without having devoted
muck OF his time 10 grammar warns US against the peru
sal OF most amnara aud especially Of that OI Glrard
which s however, one of the b0ut III Tie firuch lan
guage would serve. hc says, 10 corrupt tho style
OF the reader" 1--WE amazed ut tho weanoss OK
the human mind" says Count ds Gebeln; when We
! consider tho oyersighS aud blundors which are com
i -. - .LrLnn