The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-02-14
BOOKS OF THE TIME.
standardization in German, a Valua-
BILE Work by an indianapolis Writer.

BILE Work by an Indianapolis Writer.
The number of Americans who have at
some time or other in their lives taken up
the study of the German language only to
be discouraged at the outset by the diff
! ficulties of its grammar is beyond computa-
ton. What the majority of such persons
desire is not literary mastery of the for
eign tongue, but a moderate conversational
ability for business purposes or for convent
ence when travelling abroad. They speedily
find that while the first can be acquired
only after many years Of close application.
the latter under the ordinary methods OF
instruction, also involves more time and
labor than they can afford or are willing
to give, and the undertaking is thereupon
abandoned. They understand that a more
simple and direct process of learning the
language than by means of books and Ia
borious study of parts of speech. the con-
jugation of irregular verbs and innumerable
rules of construction and exceptions thereto
is to live in a community where the one
speech alone is used and where the stranger
must acquire a familiarity with it as a
child does, knowing nothing of grammar
or its rules. This natural method is open
only to the few, however, and the conse-
quence is that Americans, deferred by the
difficulties in their way, know as a rule,
little of any language save their own. 1t
has remained for Mr. John Lipman, for
many years an editorial writer on the Ger
man Telegraph of Indianapolis and well
known as an accomplished and experienced
instructor in German, to devise a system
whereby these difficulties may be over
come. He has prepared and published a
manual for imparting the ability to con-
verse in German without the aid Of a
teacher which is an adaptation of the nat
uraF method and seems TO meet all re-
QuirementS. The book is entitled "Lipmans
German Self-Instructor," and. in spite of
any incredulty Of those who have encoun-
tered the bewldering complications of
declensions and genders and ter nations.
JuStifieS its name. The plan upon IN the
work is based is simple and lctical.
Grammar as a system is ignored. Atten-
ton is first given Of course to pronSnGia.
are, with two or three exceptions, easily
shown in English. The pronunciation of
| German is not really difficult, the vowels.
| sounds. and these not subject to
changes In order to obtain the proper
ana consonants which have equINa.e4..s
| in English the author advises the student
| get from him the correct pronunciation.
| Careful instruction with diagrams is given,
| however, even with these sounds. and it is
| quite possible to master them without fur
| Their aid. Then follow simple sentences for
| practice, as Elm Arm und cine Hand" This
| is first given in English text. Beneath are
| the same words in German text; under this.
| again, the pronunciation, thus: line arm
unit inc hant," with proper accent marks
| Below all is the English translation Among
| pages or charts of sentences arranged in
this manner are interspersed lists of words
of gradually increasing variety and with
| the various combinations of vowels and
consonantS peculiar to the language, so
that the eye soon becomes familiar with
the sound and the meaning. All the eXer-
| cises are to be pronounced aloud, not read
IN silence, and are to be often repeated.
Much repetition is, in fact, the secret of
| mastering the lessons. Constant familiarity
with words and sentences soon fixes the
meaning and the arrangement in the MEM
DRY without conscious effort and the stu
dent is presently surprised to discover how
readily he can recall what he has gone
over. After few chapters he has become
familiar with the German text and the Eng
translation of all words given in the earlier
pages. One who makes even q casual ex-
animation of the volume can readily under
stand how he who follows the authors in
struction may acquire ability to carry on
conversation on all ordinary topics. Mr..
Lipman makes no promises of impossible
performance. He does not engage that the
student shall learn German by his method
in six weeks or in three months. He merely
smooths away the worst difficulties that
usually confront the learner; the rest is a
matter of individual attention and persist
ence. The one who studies alone may re-
quire q. somewhat longer time for mastery
for the reason that class work is always
stimulating, but to the solitary student
to the others elaboration is recommended
rather than haste. By careful observ-
ance of all the instructions it seems prob
able that the average student may gain
from this work, within a few months, a fair
conversational knowledge of German. A
vocabulary Of something over 1900 words
is used in the book. being considerably
greater number than is used in ordinary
social intercourse in any language. After
the conclusion of the lessons proper is an
appendix containing some idiomatic phras-
eS, q list of irregular verbs and q brief
synopsis of the German grammar for the
benefit of those who will not be satisfied
without knowledge of the framework OF the
language. The work commends itself in
every particular, and Mr.. Lipman is to be
congratulated upon the and intell-
gence with which he has elaborated his
plans The volume shows signs of much
more careful editing and proof reading than
is common with textbooks, and is hand
somely printed. 1t is sold only by subscrip-
ton.