The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1878-02-07
PR TAS Pest.
COUNTY INSTiTUTE.-vi.
Wednesday, morning Session.

Prof. Rsub spoke upon language cul-
ture. He said n you wish to teach
your pupils to speak pure English. you
must speak II yourself. Pupils are i'm.
itative creatures, and hence will follow
examples, whether good or bad Whats
ever you do not want your pupiis tn
do, you must not do yourself. II you
can succeed in making good writer's
you can also make good speakcis
you will not have any difficulty in ma .
king good writer's.
If you can get your pupils to speak
the English language correctly, you
will need no grammar. Teach compo-
sition. In teaching this subject, com
mence with words, andhave your p,i-
pills say about them what they can. In
the teaching Of this, as well as in eve.
rything else taught in the public
schools, let the order Of procedure be
first the thing. then the picture Of it.
and afterwards the name. Require
your pupils to give all their answers in
sentences They should always es-
press themselves in this way. then the
teacher can correct them, il their Ian.
guage is not such as good usage sane,
tlons.
Teachers should have good convsrsatio.
nal powers, In order to speak. il Is nec>
essary to have something TO speak about.
in other worls, it 10 necessary to be in .
formed Information. in these days OF
newspapers aud books, is cheap. Every
up without II.
Il al. al 81
courage, debating societies, Noihing else
does 30 much good in community as
weekly meetings Of this kiud.
Topical recitations also cultivation Of the
power Of expression and conversation.
The next topic taken up By the Prof.
WAS spelling. He believes that the whole
secret Of this nrt lies in the preparation
for the recitation. They detect misspeiled
words with the eye, and hence shonld
train tbs eye 10 correct spelling. Written
spelling Is much more valuable than oral,
for spelling is used for writing aud not
for speak king. Words are learned as wholes
aud an iacorrec,ly spelled word presents
q distorted picture 20 the eye. Spelling
lessons should be prepared by writing
them on the states, the pupils having long
pencils. and holding them as pens hould
be held. A good plan is 10 have pupils
COPY their reading lessons. Another Is
10 give them words selected from their
reading lessons, and have them incorpo-
rate these into sentences OF their own
construction. In this wsy they lssru not
only the meaning Of words In sentences,
but the different msanings which they
have.
Prof. Noe,ling next gave short eXer-
else on the sounds Of the letters. lie wrote
. number Of words upon tire blackboard
and should have consonants following
vowels effect the sounds Of tho latter. The
vowels owe their short sounds TO the sharp.
snspping ccnsenanis which Immediately y
follow them. la child pronounees pick
for pig. The mistake Is not, rs some
teachers suppose, ia the name Of the let
ter. but In the sound Of II, and hence II Ia
the latter should be corrected and not the
former. The pupils should be shown in
what position TO place the organs Of
speech In order TO utter the correct sounds.
No teacher should fail 10 give his pupils q
knowledge Of the sounds VI the letters In
the words they use. RgPoRrER.