The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1898-01-01

idea,of the Japanese Empire; and OF the Impulses
which led 70 It's wonderful progress in the past
quarter ofa century. It describes in the enter
tanning form OF stories, the principal events in
Japanese history OF thepa the steps which led
10 thereforms and progress OF the present, The
psculiar features and conditions Of the present
government, etcs ,Sese 4,tt.,z~ .s
u A practical con-se with the Spanish languap
by II. M. Monssnt6 a. M and Louis ,Languellier
= l. l.. D. 1893 pages, Pfice 81 Is. American Book
Co., New York, Cincinnati and Chicago. In pre-
pairing this work 1T has been the aim Of the auth
oFs, while exclnding nothing Of practical value
which hae already been placed before the public,
to combine with the best features of the most ap
proved methods tbs results OF their own experie
,ence, While, endea!pring toirender thi, work q
valuable assistant IN the classroom, they have
sought at the same time to adapt it to- the pur-,
poses OF private instruction, and in so doing have
awaited themselves to great extent of the admir-
able. plan presented in Woodbury's practical
Course with the German Language, According
lythe lessons are arranged In the following order
= j. The subject Of the lesson,
2. Examples, accompanied by their nearest
English equivalents and made to illustrate the.
grammatical and idiomatic principles which are
involved in the Lessons. '<
9. Spanish exercises. The1entences in Span
shrequre only the application of the instructions
contained in the Lesson, or in the preceding ones
for their translation into English. =
5'Epglish exercises. The analogous sentences in
English are presented in immediate connection
with the preceding ones in Spanish, The prin-
ciptes applied In the Spanish Exercises are thus
made : most convenient and effective auxiliary in
the still more advanced and difficult work of
translating English into Spanish. :, 49, .sls.,...
g. Grammatical and idiomatic principals. This
division may be employed by means Of the refer
ence either in connection with the preceding
instructions. or, when not thus required
may be applied both as test of the
pupils previous deductions, and at the same time
as an appropriate und impressive review
Inc Conversation Method for Speaking, Read
ing and Writing French by Edmond Gastineau
A. NJ, American Book Company, New York
cincinnati, Chicago How many people otter
years OF study In ordinary text books discover on
gong abroad or meeting foreigners in this country
mat they can neither speak nor understand
word OF the language studied. This proves that
there 10 something radically wrong in the methods
used Children and adults of ordinary capacity
wnen thrown among foreigners, acquire in few
weeks practical ability to express sthemself and
10 understand others. Yet these same children
and adults, when taught by prevailing methods
Will spend years OF arduous labor in the study of
language, only to find. in the vast majority Of
cases, that they are unable to say the simplest
things or to understand tile piest questions in
It, The reaEon for this is that they have not fol-
lowed the way Of nature. The old methods at
tempt too much They attempt to familiurize the
pupil with an immense stock Of useless words
vocabulary far larger than The greatest writer's
could or would have used in the ordinary walks NJ
life. I he number of words necessary for the ex-
preston Of our general thoughts is placed bv
ph,lolog1sts at less Than 2000 and of these there
are from 200 to 200 words in every language som.e
OF which occur In every colloquial sentence. Tn
the case OF child surrounded by those who con-
stantly speak to or before it. the ear is ncessant
ly struck with the Sounds not Of single words.
but OF complete sentences. Some of these fnallv
impress themselves on the memory and according
to need or impulse the child attempts to use one
or the other. At first 1t is in crippled sort Of
way. but the perfect form Is aimed at.-. So With
greater perfection with each effort, at last the
difficult idiom Is used with ease and accuracy.
In this manner collection Of sentencesis gather
ed. Thus do we insensibly yet quickly find orr
selves masters Of spoken tongue. This ia the
plan Of the Conversation Method''. which ia de-
stined to work revolution In the teaching Of the
French language.