The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1895-11-04
F0REIGN.LANGUAGEs,
TO LEARN THEM NOT a DIFFICULTY
TASK lF PROPERLY unpERTAKEN


~
aints 10 Bsxlnnsrs--A Criticism q the
syrtsra whssh nrakss the Gramsaar tho
Main Thins--Ths Better wsy Is 10 Read
..d Study the Dsctseaary.
We do NOT pretend In this short article b
enter into . scientific dissertation on tho
acquisition OF languages, bat rather Va
convey few simple hints 10 those who
arc Interested in the subject. There can be
no doubt as to the benefit that may be de-
rived from the study Of . foreign tongue.
The many advantages Of Learning Ian
euage need scarcely DO dwelt upon. One
OF tho most prominent Ii tho largely In
creased power that Il gained over ones
own speech. The mental exercise involved
In searching the memory for appropriate
synonymous words and phrases tends Il
increase the vocabulary and TO give q great
er ease and facility OF expression in the use
Of the mother tongue There 10, besides,
the pleasure that ID inseparabie from every
intellectual pursuit, and also the practical
profit of being able to converse with for.
eigner whom wa may chance to meet either
in the way Of business or pleasure
But all this said still leaves US with the
question to answer, How may one best
learn foreign language In attempting
an answer to this question We are not ad.
vancing anything that Is new. But the
method We would commend Is one tha,
cannot be too much insisted upon, partic
ularly In the interest Of o certain class ID
whom these remarks are more directly mp
plicable. Many young men find them
selves arrived at period Of life when they
feel IL difficult to attempt any subject o.
study. There are many demands ON then
time and the effort to attempt any sort Of
consecutive, concentrated work scenli
hopeless. They may have endeavored al
various periods In their lives to acquire O
knowledge of Latin, French, German
Spanish, or other foreign tongue, but, ow
ing to various circumstances, these at
tempts have had to be given up.
The effort to make q fresh start A. put
of from day to day, although the desiv
to do something in this direction may still
be as strong as ever. Why Is this sof 6lm
ply because in many cases the contempla
ton Of the task brings up before the visior
80 much of the hard, grinding, unintercst
ing nature OF the schoolboy task. To wad,
through n grammar Of perhaps 1850 pages
getting off by heart, II that be possible, al
the conjugations, infections, exception,
and idiorns, Is the ordinarily accepted no
ton OF what Is required to be done in tn,
tnitiatory process Of learning some foreign
tongue, aftor which the pleasing prospect
Is hold out that one may then begin t.
read something.
Such asystem---if system It can be called
lis an utterly erroneous one. Little won
der that 1t repels SO many from taking
up what is really most interesting study
To any who contemplate doing so tho ad
vice may be given to cast aside all precon
ceived ideas about the old methods and
begin at once to read the language they
arc going to learn. Thoughts about the
grammar and the rules should not be al
lowed to trouble the mind. Except to thoss
who have had some previous grounding In
language the grammar In sure to prove
stumbling block and to beget nAughi
but despair. A good dictionary and book
Of simple tales in the language chosen ar,
all that Is necessary in the first instance
With these in hand the motto of the DO
ginner should then b to read, read, read
The printed page, at first new and un
familiar, will gradually unfold itself a.
word after word Is learned, and when q
sentence has been translated the resdel
will go on with q strange feeling Of de
Light to master more Of the contents.
There Is no better method Of retaining q
word In tho memory than in having to &c
to the trouble Of looking 1t up in the die
tionary. The word will be certain to stick
more especially II IL Is found recurring
once or twice In the same page. As muoi
reading should be done az time will allow
A page of tho dictionary may also be fire.
q H.. D..
wonderful interest. In this way the study
Is made from the first attractive and agree
able. If the book road DO by one of tn,
best writers, its inherent qualities will in
terest, while the increasing power to in
terpret correctly the writer's meaning will
act as constant stimulus to go on &c
quiring more words and phrases and thei
correct use.
The help of friend imbued with sim
liar desires and aims will be useful. A
the very outset attempts should be made t,
carry on conversation together In tho Ian
guage. The power to do this, at first halt
ing and awkward, will gradually expand
The name of every object which Is rount
about us in our daily life should be learne,
and referred to in conversation. TIL
phrases employed to denote particular nc
tions and feelings should DO looked up n
they rocur to the mind. Now and agail
the conversation that may BIO heard at tn
table, in the train, anywhere, may b
translated mentally. There are man
times when one is alone and there Is moth
ing in particular to occupy tho thoughts
Such a moment should be seized to REGAL
words we have come across in our reading
and thus make them the more firmly GU
own. A book Of poems will be of muo
assistance
OF course. 1t must not for moment b
assumed that we counsel the entire neglec
of the grammar. That would be profoun
mistake. The grammar will by and by b
taken up with almost as much interest q
the talo itself, for, as the beauties an
graces Of the language reveal themselves
the learner will not rest content till he ha
made himself master of all its iptricacies
But what we want to insist on Is that tn
grammar In the first instance should b
given secondary place.-Chambers Joul
rH-H~@.4--,.tt,t OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
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