Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1889-11-20
Teach Them to Speak Properly.

O,yE has only to hear the children of
any family speak TO know what langu-
age Is used by their superiors- 1t Is
not necessary to study the rules and
principles of grammar IN order to be q
correct speaker. II Is habit, and one
that is acquired from early infancy. OF
course the study of grammar Is great
help 10 a proper use of words and ex-
pressions, as II gives reasons why such
and such words are used IN apartlcular
sense. But II Is not an uncommon
thing to hear educated men and women
who should know better, make grave
mistakes IN the use of language. 1t
cannot be because they are ignorant of
the principles of grammar, since they
are ALWAYS able to correct themselves
after little thought IL must be, then,
that they have accustomed themselves
since childhood to n certain set of ex-
pressious, which viii cling to them
through life unless a great effort Is
made TO rId themselves of them Par
ents have the means In their power OF
rendering their little ones good gram
matical speakers. If fathers and moth
ers would use sensible language IN talk
ing to their babies when they are first
learning TO speak, the child would never
know any better and would speak cor
rectlv lust as easily as It would incor-
rectlv, For instance, IN the use of per-
sonal pronouns almost every child Will
say me wants a piece of bread and
butter" instead of Il want" etc, and
very often they use no personal pro
noun, but their own name L have al
ways heard IL said that 1t was almost an
impOssibllity to chlittle ones the use
of pronouns, but that Is no reason why
We. as mothers, should not try. / know
personally of cases of children only
three years of age who do use pro-
nouns, and generally In the proper
place. OF course a great many mis-
takes are made daily, but If they are
corrected every time they are made,
the children Will naturally fall into the
habit OF expressing themselves In pro-
per manner, and take pride in it, too.
Any one who has had any experience
with children knows that II is n COM
mon thing to hear from the lips of
girls and boys of perhaps ten or twelve
years !of age, such e e.pressions as Il
knowed 1t, Il seen II, ''Haint got
nothing" ''He bring II" and all the
forms of the verb to be are generally
used in some wrong manner. 1t takes
time and patience to stop them when
ever they make a mistake, but 1t Will
save a great deal of labor for them
afterwards, and afford US a large
amount of present qualification. Tell
the child To repeat the proper express
sion after you, and after one or two
repetitions of correction, they will not
be apt to make the same error again.
Children make use of expressions that
they hear at home, and if their
elders always use good language, the
little ones Will do the same Some
mothers have an idea that any affection
for the baby cannot be expressed in
good language, but they must tell their
love in what Is known as baby talk
Although 1t sounds very cunning for a
while, 1t soon loses its charm, especI-
ally when the child is three or four
years old, and We wish then that We
had talked TO them in a proper manner,
and had done all that we possibly could
TO make them correct speakers 1t Is a
rarity and also a great pleasure to have
"A child of five or six and sometimes
/ even older speak so as to be understood
/ by any one. Parents leave too much
| to teachers, thinking that all errors
Will be rectified when under their
/ charge But habits of several years
standing are hard to break, and child
I who saws 81 seen" during childhood
Will be apt to use the expression when
/ fully matured- 1 know of many cases
| of ladies who use this and similar
| phrases, simply from force of habit, not
/ from ignorance. They are conscious
of having used a wrong word, and have
often been mortified for so doing.
Grown up people who use wrong words
| should put a watch upon themselves,
and make up their minds to use only
correct language. And how much cas-
/ Ter 1t will be for our boys and girls,
/ when they are men and women, If We
/ have iustilled into their minds only the
/ proper forms of language, SO that speak
| ing correctly viii be as natural to them
| rs eating their dlnuers.-Er.