Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1894-12-15
op,pcrs OF mopnRN LANGUAGE STUDY.

q
by the study of modern languages
may. be roughly classified as u
practical, C9 educational, and C9 lit
erary. OF these the first is the one
to which the most importance is
generally attached by those to
whom the subject is unfamiliar, but
the tendency among professional
educators ia towards the opposite
extreme. They assert that II IL
quite impossible TO impart a speak
ing knowledge in the classroom
aud that even IL it could be acquir-
ed il would not be worth the trou'
BILE. A noted American educator
himself master of many languages
and an accomplished teacher OF
them, said recently: For myself
would gladly, If l could, sell my
ability to speak German for money
aud for no very great sum either
and invest the proceeds in German
books; but my ability to read Ger
man | would no more part from
than from my memories of the past
my hopes for the future, or any 9th
er integral part of my SOUL
While this is perhaps going toe
far. still il is doubtless necessary to
correct at the outset "a prevailing
impression both as to the possible
ity of imparting speaking knowl'
edge of language by classroom
teaching. and as to the practical
value of such knowledge when
acquired. In the first place il
should be distinctly understood
that il il just as much out OF the
question for n teacher to teach a
class of pupils to speak foreign
language as il is for him to teach
them to play the piano. Practice is
as essential to the one as the other
and it is physical impossibility to
give this practice in the classroom.
Suppose Il class of fifteen pupils,
reciting three quarters OF an hour
daily. At least half an hour of this
time must be spent in grammatical
drill, reading. and translation, 9th
crwisc the class will never acquire
the vocabulary and the knowledge
of the principles of the language.
without which intelligent practice
is impossible. In the remaining
fifteen minutes one minute mt most
can be- given to each pupil for prac'
tice. How long would it take 10
learn To play the piano, prac'icing
one minute Il day:
The difficulty and its solution can
best be understood by clearly real
ling the analogy between speaking
foreign language and playing a
musical instrument. In both, what
is chiefly required is not merely
knowledge, but readiness and skill
in applying that knowledge. No
one can play the piano who has to
stop and think between notes OF the
theory of pitch and time. and con-
slider which finger must he used to
produce the desired effect. The nc
ton must by long practice have be-
come automatic. or scmi-uncon-
scious. Ii il precisely so with
speaking any language. Theoreti-
cal knowledge cannot he dispensed
with, and the theory of language is
far more difficult than that of mu-
sic, but NJ amount of theory will
enable one To speak a language.
This, like ability To play the piano,
can only come from practice out
side the Classroom. The teacher
can furnish theoretical training,
give directions for practice, ana
test It's results. IN music this il "a
simple matter, in language a very
difficult one. Few American pupils
can find opportunity for conv"rsa-
tional practice outside of school in
any foreign language but German,
and even in German there are diff
culties enough. Few Germans who
have lived long in America speak
pure German-I did not speak pure
English when was in Germany
and none OF them, unlesssthey have
had experience in teaching, know
how to adapt their conversation to
the needs OF beginners. The ordi-
nary conversation of native Ger
mans is as discouraging to begin
ncr, and as useless for purposes of
practice. as List rhapsody would
be to beginner on the piano.
How, then, is II student To get any
practice: Let il be frankly &C
knowledgcd that >most pupils will
not get il, and will consequently
never learn TO speak the language,
beyond the little they can learn in
school. But for pupils willing to
make the effort various plans are
open. Skill and fluency in pronun-
citation can be got by much reading
aloud, with or without an audience.
Practice in sentence construction
can be got from written compost
ton lessons, which should be as
signed and corrected by the teach
er. Rapidity and ease in sentence
construction can be got by imagin-
alive pupils by acquiring the habit
of thinking out imaginary CONVEX
sations and scenes in the foreign
language. One who can think in a
foreign language, and read II out
loud fluently, can learn TO speak IL