The daily gazette., 1876-05-24
For the Gazette.
Remarks on the Study Of Languages.

lm our last, we arrived at the con-
sideration which should influence the
selection Of languages with a view to
their cultivation ofintellectual power.
AS the natural process by which the
vernacular idion is acquired demon
strates what can be done by self in
struction, and presents the best model
for our Imitation in devising q method
Of learning languages. Without pre-.
meditated design on his part to learn,
Or in that of his parents to teach him
the language, young child uncen-
sciously gains the power Of under
standing it when spoken. From the
moment his perceptive faculties are in
full activity, prompted by curiosity,
he notices the looks, the tones. the
gestures, which accompany the phrase
ology addressed to him, and, aided by
sympathy, he readily apprehends the
idea conveyed by the language Of
action. Once in possession of the
idea, he instinctively associates it with
the phraseology, the representative
character of which becomes obvious
to him by repetition. Thus he gradu-
ally masters the import of words, and
finally understands the articulate lan>
guage independently of the natural
signs, AS the child afterwards wishes
to express his particular wants and
feelings, he instinctively repeats the
expressions he has heard, but mostly
modifies them conformably to others
which are familiar to him; he adspts
to different words, the order, verbal
infections, and grammatical concord,
which he has heard used on similar oc-
casions. When he repeats the ex-
pressions which he has heard he speaks
by imitation; when he alters them,
and forms similar ones which he never
heard before, he speaks by analogy
The one exercises his memory, the
other his first judgment. Such imita-
tions and analogies, Ie first manifes~
tations of his dawning reason permit
him always to suit his language to his
social wants; analogy, especially,
enables him to multiply hie expires.
sions in proportion to his increasing
stock of ideas; it is from imitation and
analogy that custom derives its au-
thority in language. Curiosity, SYM
pathy, and perception are sufficient to
enable a young child to understand
| what is said, imitation and analogy to
! enable him to speak. The same result
would be obtained in a foreign lam
guage, If these various faculties could
be made to act Appointment part in the
learning of it, but this cannot always
be done completely; two of these fac
| lulties-sympathy and perception are
| more especially suited to the social cen
dition Of infancy, and are not general.
ly available in acquiring foreign
language after this period. However;
our mental constitution provides for
his deficiency, because their plea ia
| efficiently suNplied by Imagination and
conception, which act respectively in
the absence of persons and things as
sympathy and perception do in their
presence. With regard to the other
three faculties: curiosity, Imitation and
analogy, they are active and efficient
in every period of life, and ought con-
sequently, to be resorted to in ra-
iional method. Although circum-
stances do not always permit the com;
plete adoption of the method of ma
lure to the study of foreign Ian.
guage, the fundamental principles On
which it rests should always be kept
| in view, namely, example and prac.
tice. By these principles the child is
l
ideas to the signs, from the phraseoio-
gy to the words, from the facts Of
language to the rules of grammar. BY
them also, he may be led in foreign
as in the native tongue, from hearing
to speaking, and from reading to writ
ing.
The complete knowledge of a LAM
guage consists in the power of using
it readily in all its forms and in every
way which it required. This power
depends on example more than on pre-.
cept, on practice more than on theory.
None OF these great principles, how
ever, should ebe neglected; for as ex-
ample and practice present materials
for decomposition and classification.
so precept and theory assist in recon-
posing the elements into their syn
tactical combinations, and in general
izing the facts Of language.
j. THIBAUT,
Professor Of modern languages, Ne
100 West Second street.