Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1876-04-13
Learning Foreign Languages.

THE Russian is said to acquire Ian
guages with facility, and it is certainly
not uncommon to meet such who "speak
in tongues with ease and elegance
There is no doubt that the elegant ex-
Minister to Germany, Mr.. Bancroft
speaks German with degree of fiuencv
and neatness second only to the cultured
native. 1t seems that NJ. Theirs cannot
speak English, but the French confine
themselves to their own language as a
matter of principle and vanity, and, be-
sides we can not expect VI. Theirs to do
everything. Goethe was at home in
French; but the admirer of Schiller will
remember how annoyed this great poet
was in the presence of Madame De Stael
on account of his imperfect command of
French. 1t would seem from these few
instances that while the entire better
class Of a people, as the Russians, acquire
several languages with some uniformity,
ana While walters and clerks pride them
selves on the possession of several Ian
guages, the great Schiller, or THEIRS or
Fit, never mastered, nor could master
them. The one whose ideas have no
higher range than a piece of meat we
find excelling the poet Possibly, with
equal advantages, the cook might sur
pass the philosopher, just as he might
excel him in foot-race, simply because.
he may have devoted his gigantic intel
lect to his training. Practical expert
al road to language. Speaking a Ian
guage requires plan of mastery different
from the means used in learning TO read
or write it; the grammar is the common
ground, but in learning to speak the COM
pletion of the grammar is only the be
ginning of wisdom When the Duke of
Wellington was asked how he spoke.
French, with some humor and soldierly
pride, he answered, with the greatest in
trepidity," which quality is very essen
tial, but at the same time is only possible
or reasonable after one has knowledge
of the structure of a language. Whether
man be great or small, he cannot learn
without effort, and without practical ex-
perience with all sorts of men in all sorts
of affairs. If it te true that grammar is
indispensable, and all grammar can differ
but little, the faults in our schools cannot
be in them. But it is possible that none
of the phrase books, or system, after the
grammar, are equal to the requirements
of the learner. 1t is possible that some
systems may yet appear whereby the pas
sage over those difficulties may never be
surmounted, and that our school girls may
go on as usual, year after year, in conju-
eating verbs they will never be able to APP
ply. We have no information sufficient
to form belief as to whether or not the
instruction in the public schools is turn
ing us out boys and girls competent of
carrying on conversations in German and
French. But that is not altogether the
question; the schools are doubtless doing
all they can do. There are so many diff
culties in the way that it seems to be one
of those cases where a minor is allowed
to make contract; in other words, the
scholar must do his part and agree to
study. 1t is certain that language may
be taught and learned; but it is no holi--
day matter, and not matter of few
months, nor will be until the royal road
is discovered. The student enlists not for
six months, but for the war, when he en-,
lists in language MdgG-
zine.