speaking will always remain an enterprise in which the odds are against a successful issue for the greater number of students.

The usual mode of teaching the grammatical part of languages is much less exceptionable when it is combined with the writing of exercises. But here too we think a considerable improvement might be effected by a better arrangement of the different parts of grammar for the purpose of teaching. We do not intend to blame the order in which grammars are commonly arranged. On the contrary, we are convinced that the established arrangement is the only admissible one. But we contend, that in teaching a language the grammar is not to be imparted in that order. In teaching, the etymological and syntactical parts of the language are not to be separated. They are to be so selected and combined, that the memory of the student may find a very useful support in their union. Thus every part of grammar will be more distinctly marked, and all confusion avoided.

We leave it to the reader to judge how far all these considerations have been attended to in contriving the following improved method of teaching modern languages. It can only be called an improved method as far as regards the manner in which the grammatical knowledge is imparted; with respect to the mode adopted for impressing upon the memory the knowledge of the words and phrases, it lays claim to some novelty.

According to this method the whole plan of instruction is to be divided into three courses.

In the first course the formation of simple sentences is to be taught-for sentences constitute as it were,

the frame-work of each language, and phrases serve only to fill up the interstices of the frame-work. By examining a certain number of the most simple sentences, it is not difficult to make out which part of the etymology, as well as of the syntax, concur of necessity in their formation. In every language, we think the substantive and the verb are the only parts of speech which are indispensable to the formation of simple sentences, and for that reason the first efforts of the teacher are to be directed to the teaching of them, and to them they are likewise to be limited during this course. After the selection of all the grammatical parts intended for the first instruction has been carefully made, the materials are to be arranged according to the peculiarities of every language. In some the substantive, in others the verb, ought to have the precedence. In general, however, the verb may be made the leading object throughout the whole course, and whatever else is to be comprehended under it may conveniently be connected with one or the other set of verbs. After this arrangement, copious exercises for writing on every part of the grammatical instruction are to be provided. In these exercises numerous adverbs and some phrases of very common occurrence are to be inserted. This is done for the purpose of enabling the student to comprehend in a short time a great number of simple sentences used in conversation. For the same purpose about half of the irregular verbs are to be added to this course, and in the selection of them preference is to be given to those which occur most frequently.

After the exercises have been translated into the foreign language by the student, and corrected by the teacher, the work of the latter is indeed terminated,

but not that of the former. He is to be admonished by the teacher to read over the exercises from three to six times, according to the strength of his memory, and that aloud. Here it may be proper to observe, that the advantages of reading aloud what is completely understood have either not been duly appreciated, or incomprehensibly neglected, by the teachers of modern languages. As a language, when spoken, is not a science, but rather an art, the organs by which it is exercised must previously acquire an habitual skill by a long course of practice. These organs are the ear and the tongue. By reading aloud what is perfectly understood, the necessary practice is obtained. The advantages arising from this practice are greater than can easily be imagined. The translating of a set of exercises we will suppose to have required an hour; and according to the average rate of memory very little of the instruction contained in them will have been impressed upon the memory. The reading them over aloud six times does not require more than a quarter of an hour; but even students with a very bad memory will acquire by this practice the greater part of what is contained in them.

We may now reasonably suppose the student to be acquainted, not only with the manner in which simple sentences are formed, but also with a considerable number of the most current words and expressions, and with a small number of phrases; and though he does not yet know the rules on which the formation of these phrases rests, he has acquired by practice a certain facility of using them. This knowledge, if duly managed by the teacher, will in a short time enable the pupil to understand what is spoken; and to reach that

point the teacher ought now to direct all his efforts. No practice perhaps is more efficient for this purpose than that of narrating short tales. But this operation requires some particular skill in the teacher. He must adapt his narration to the knowledge of the pupil; and as the pupil is only acquainted with the formation of simple sentences, he must avoid compound ones, and substitute for them such as can easily be comprehended by the student. This can be done in every instance without impairing in the least the value of the narration itself. An instance will show how easily this may be managed.

The following tale is taken from a printed German bɔɔk:

Zwei Bauern wurden von ihrem Dorfe abgefertigt, um in eine grosse Stadt zu gehen und dort einen gechickten Mahler zu suchen, der das Gemählde des Hochaltars in ihrer Kirche verfertigen könnte, welches das Märthyrthum des heiligen Sebastian vorstellen sollte. Der Mahler, an den sie sich wandten, fragte sie, ob die Einwohner den Heiligen lebend oder todt vorgestellt haben wollten. Diese unerwartete Frage brachte sie sehr in Verwirrung. Sie berathschlagten lange darüber. Endlich sagte einer von ihnen zum Mahler: das sicherste ist immer ihn lebendig vorzustellen; denn, wenn man ihn todt haben will, kann man ihn dann immer noch todt schlagen.'

This tale may be narrated in short and simple sentences as follows:

In einem Dorfe hatte man eine neue Kirche erbauet. Sie war dem heiligen Sebastian geweihet. Die Eiu. wohner des Dorfes wollten ein Gemählde des Heiligen in ihrer Kirche haben. In der Absicht schickten sie zwei

Bauern nach der Stadt. Diese waren beauftragt einen geschickten Mahler aufzusuchen, und über den Preiss: des Gemähldes mit ihm sich zu einigen. Sie fanden bald einen Mahler und fragten nach dem Preise. Den Preiss kann ich nicht sogleich bestimmen, sagte der Mahler. Ich muss erst einige umstände wissen. Erstens soll ich den Heiligen todt oder lebendig mahlen. Diese Frage hatten die Bauern nicht erwartet. Sie waren etwas betroffen und berathschlagten lange darüber. Endlich sagte einer von inhen zum Mahler: mahlen Sie ihn doch nur lebendig; denn wenn unsere Nachbarn ihn todt haben wollen, können sie ihn immer noch todt schlagen.'

It is indeed not to be supposed that the student will directly understand such tales, even when narrated in short sentences. But the teacher may, in the beginning, facilitate the understanding of them by narrating them previously in English, and likewise in short sentences, and by then repeating them, as closely as possible to the English, in the language which he teaches. After adhering to this practice in the narration of ten or twelve such tales, the teacher will find that the pupil has acquired such an ability, that he may dispense with the previous narration in English.

That from this practice of narrating tales the greatest possible instruction may be derived, the teacher has to repeat them a second time in nearly the same words, and whilst he is doing so he ought to write down all those words, expressions, and phrases, with which the pupil is not yet acquainted. Then he places this paper before the pupil, and causes him to repeat the tale in the language which he studies, and at least twice. The pupil ought then to write it down after the lesson, the teacher