The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-10-12
THE MEIsTERcHAFT SYSTEM,
A Practical Illustration of the
Method.

We give below two accounts of the practi-
cal workings of the Meisterchaft system, as
exhibited by DR.. Rosenthal, at the Y. M. c..
A. Hall yesterday afternoon. One of our
well known educators says:
An excellent audience greeted DR.. Rosen-
tnal yesterday and close attention was given
to his illustrative lessons in Spanish, italian,
German and French. The method is the
same in every language and may be best
shown by the hasty work in French.
DIR. Rosenthal wrote upon the black board
in French and English the sentence, Il
should like to make some purchases this
morning; will you have the kindness to come
with me to the French tailors?' This was
read and read very rapidly and then cut
up and slightly changed in such a way as
to give the various forms of the sentence:
should like to do my shopping; | should not
like to make any PURCHASES; Would you like
you not like to make your purchases at this
store? etc. In the course of time one learns
''unconsciously" to say that she likes to do
her shopping at this store because it has a
large and good assortment.and is cheap. One
must study always aloud and must study
only ten or fifteen minutes at time "be-
cause the nerves of the memory are dull af-
ter fifteen minutes"
This in brief is the method. DR.. Rosenthal
says that he appeals in no case to the intel
lecG VI Tie pupil. lie COuSlu6IS III Il ul6cldUl-
cal process. Here is the main point of diff
ference between his art and the natural
method" For this reason DR.. Rosenthal
will not as he says, 'be pestered with chill
dren." They can not take notes and are not
sufficiently mechanical. The natural meth
cd" is specially adapted to children and
claims to be in no way mechanical process,
but wholly developing.
Upon the whole the method is most attrac-
tive, so attractive that many will no doubt
1n1s 10 III, e.. +l.1..
But with Dr. Rosenthal as a teacher, if he
will come to Portland and really give a
course of lessons in person, much could GER
tainly be accomplished even Sin twenty les
sons" 'sCrazes" are as common in litera-
ture and language as in ginger jars and par
ing about in the course of few weeks with
broken phrases and cut up sentences drop
ping from their lips in various languages.
Another one of our well known teachers
says;
Although in his private instruction the
doctor prefers classes of not more than ten,
he skilfully adapted himself to many times
that number and quickly had them repeating
after him. in succession Spanish, Italian,
German and French, such sentences as 81
should like to leave by the first train to-
morrow morning." Upon such sentences as
basis of instruction, he rang various
changes by the introduction of an adverb, a
noun or the change of verb.
Theoretically this system is already suffi-
GENTLY well known, both from the books of
the series and from Dr. RosenthaPs state
ment of it on Saturday. Practically, it
seems to promise all that he claims for it,
namely, better working vocabulary, a
more correct information, and greater facility
| in speaking than can be attained by the old
methods.
We were glad to hear the Doctor dis
claim all responsibility for !, the statement
that language can be learned in ten weeks.
1t is, he says, only by continued use of his
that any degree of perfection can be attain
ed In fact. he says, there is no royal road
to learning; no shorthand method of learn
ing language.
Dr. Rosenthal would be glad if those in
tending to take instruction in this method
would at once leave their names for him at
the Falmouth, with Loring, Short & Har-
mon, OF with Hall L. Davis,