The morning call., 1892-09-11
The Rational Method of TUT
ton Explained.
COMMENCE AS Z CHILD DOES.
Only Oral Lessons at First for Pronunciation
and Facility in Correct spsech-B oks
Next, and Grammar Last.
Written for THE MORNING CALL

ship, the great need universally felt is the
adequate requirement of language other
than the mother tongue, so that this asso-
citation of man with his fellow-man
whose speech is of other construction, other
accent, other genius and other grammatical
infection from his own, may be of the most
reasonable and intelligent nature, a per-
feetlY ready aud absolutely correct knowl-
edge Of IyeTse tongues is imperative. And
this quite apart from the mental training
gained by the individual acquisition OF
second language; this. too. while admitting
the study of language TO be of supreme ed
acatiOnal Importance. Therefore 1t be-
bOoveS US TO find out how the acquisition of
foreign tongues may best be gained.
THE ELIZABETHAN AGE.
Since the beginning Of recorded history,
since man first stroye 10 attain development
other than the purely animal, 1t has been
one of his aims to study and, If possible, 10
acquire fnently some other language than
his own. Not being to the manner born,
however, with regard to the use of foreign
Epeech the alien is soon recognized, for
''shiboleth" in his mouth frequently be-
comes ''siboleth," and so he reveals himself
as astranger within the gates.
After the generations of training and
study il philosophy, history, literature and
language to which man has subjected him
self Ii is deploTabe to have to confess that
he acquires foreign tongue perhaps with
less readiness even than he did two or three
hundred years ago. History leads US TO sup
pose that Queen Elizabeth-woman Of states
craft and autoeratic rule as she was-ex-
pressed herself as we'll IN Latin almost as
in the terse and strong Anglo-SaXon of the
ShakespeareaD age. She WAS pupil OF the
learned Roger Ascham. who said that to the
gentle lady Jane Grey Greek was as spoken
tongue.
Then there was Mary Queen of Scots.
ready in Latin as In French, who ACQUIRED
English almost as foreign tongue These
cases, as well as many others, prove that
even a dead language may be acquired
vitality. During the days OF the Plantagenet
Kings NOTman-French was the court IAN
guage in England, and even now Queen
Victoria assents to the passage OF bill,
saying, LIS RENE le veult."
Why do the sTistocratc Russians of to-
day speak French as readily and as purely
as they Go their own tongue? Because that
class is required to learn French, it being
considered as g mark OF distinction from
the serf whose only tongue is of course
the somewhat baTbaric Russian. and so the
aristOcrat is compelled 10 learn French. and
learn it he does, by speaking it from baby
hood with native French, imported for the
Purpose OF talking to him in the plant and
notwithstanding language OF Molere.
All this goes TO show that there is but one
way. and one way only, TO learn foreign
language thoroughly, and that Is by speak
il as q child learns TO speak its mother
tongue.
TRAINING THE EAR.
The first step to be taken is 10 train the
ear to catch the foreign sound as ii first
caught its native speech. The sound must
be heard; then the eye must help the
tongue by watching other muscles and
organs involved in producing speech IN
order TO initiate the positions taken.
To begin the learning of a language by
the recognition If word by the eye when
written or printed Is beginning at the wrong
end and progressing, so to say, backward,
which never can be an advance movement.
Ii is not so that child learns its mother
tongue. but it is by saying something and
saying that something until il can be spoken
correctly.
The polyglot waiter, or the Arab donkey
boy in Cairo, who, each of them, can dis
course easily IN several foreign tongues on
some subject-the range may be limited. it
is true-has begun to learn language OF
languages in the right way.
AVOID GRAMMAR.
1t is more than folly to exnect q person
just entering upon the study Of a language
10 fight at once with its grammatical struc-
ture, or to apply himself to the criticism Of
It's literature; and yet IL is just so that Ian
guages are generally taught or attempted to
be taught.
Language must be acquired first as a
spoken, living medium Of expression ere its
MISUNDERSTANDING, or Its beauty and
fOrce-literature. can possibly be enjoyed as
q mind-deYel0ping study
The beauty Of thought is lost while dig
ging it out Of the completely of its struc-
tuTal wrapDings, just as tie warrior OF the
middle sges-the nan-was lost in his cum
beTsome armor. II is only the absolute pos
session Of the spoken language that can
possibly enable any one to enjoy its litera-
tuTe thoroughly, as it Is only cul-
tured person who can fully appreciate
the Millions, Shakespeares, ByrOns and
BrOwnings of his own native tongue.
Il is not by study of the laws
governing motion that child learns TO
walk, nor is it by a consideration OF the
nature of specific gravity that one learns TO
swim. but il is doing these things. and so it
is with regard to the acquisition of language.
We do not even in our blindest folly and
deepest conservatism first require child to
know the rules Of grammar ere 1t attempts
10 speak. On the contrary We constantly
aid 1t IN the right direction by repeating
sentences ovel for it TO catch the sound and
thus exercise the auditory senses. 1t is in
this manner foreign language ought to be
learnt also.
The child says: 81 want that apple" So
The student of maturer years must say:
''J'ai enyie d'appTendre lie francas."
John Stuart Blackie, many years (more
than half century, professor of Greek in
the University Of Edinburgh, holds that the
best way to learn Greek is to work back
from modern spoken Athenlan to the classic
language of Pericles and Euripides.
LEARNING A DEAD LANGUAGE.
This may seem a revolutionary theory,
and revolutionary 1t certainly is from the
standpoint of the old-fashioned. fossiliZed
professor of classics. who requires seven OF
eight years to be devoted to the almost use
less task of learning the grammatical in-
Elections of highly complicated language,
one sentence of which the student Is abSO-
iutely incapable of forming for himself, as
the utteraDce of an original thought, how
ever ordinary or simple that thought may be.
To learn any language well, either ones
own or a foreign one, time. attention and
study are necessary, but by beginning the
right way much precious time IS saved and
the language IN question is acquired easily,
correctly and pleasantly, also with the GER
tainty of being able to exchange ideas
readily with persons whose tongue 1t is.
How are we to begin the study OF for
elgn language? Is the constant question.
just by the utterance Of short sentence
which contains some Idea Of general or
special interest. For instance, "J'habite la
California, une des Etats UDis de PAmer-
ique."
In that one sentence various new notions
are brought home 10 the mind of the student.
Some of the sounds peculiar to French and
different from the native tongue occur,
also slight structural differences; and con-
siderable exercise will be necessary ere il
can be repeated easily and fairly correctly
by the learner.
Inc nrsl faculty appeared 10 III Tue learn
ing of a language lie imitation. The ear
must listen, and the eye must watch the
position and action Of the muscles brought
into play while articulating, and the
memory Is also, as a matter of course, ex-
ercsed and trained 10 precision and ac-
curacy. During the regular time. be it but
one hour daily, devoted to the acquiring OF
language there should be q minimum OF
words of the mother tongue used, and a
maximum OF those of the foreign.
1t is astonishing with what Tapidity a
copious vocabulary is thus acquired, and
naturally correct grammatical construction
Is imbi5ed from the commencement, just as
child learns either correct or incorrect
phraseology from those with whom II asso-
nirA IT, mt 9Th NH