In working alone at the preparation of his lesson, there is the disadvantage for the ear, that, before the sound reaches it, the eye has conveyed the meaning to the brain, but when working
with the teacher as above, this drawback is obviated. The test is indeed a more severe one than actual conversation would be. When conversing, the subject is known, and the question suggests the reply; but with disconnected sentences, no such help is forthcoming.
The pupil can much hasten his own progress by varying the exercises, forming of them question and answer, changing tenses and moods of verbs, varying them so far as he can trying how far he can make conversation out of them.
This method has further the advantage of showing the pupil plainly, week by week, the progress he is making and the remedy being in his own hands, he becomes responsible for his own failure. If he cannot translate freely and easily, when with the teacher, he cannot expect later to speak freely and naturally, when he comes to engage in actual conversation with foreigners. His remedy is to translate his exercises alone, until he can do so, as readily, as if they were English. The shyness and diffidence that so frequently accompany first attempts to converse are not experienced under this method.
One reason why pupils in conversation fail to understand readily is because they do not know the verbs well; do not know their grammar; a sentence does not convey to them at once a definite meaning, and whilst engaged in puzzling out the meaning of what has already been said they cannot give their undivided attention to what their interlocutor is just saying.
I have described the manner in which on Mr. Wm. Rodger’s visit in March 1891, I was led to this method. Theoretically it seemed to me sound, and after having since tested it practically, I do not think its merit exaggerated. In April last 1894, a French Grammar by Mr. Paul Baume was brought under my notice. Mr. Baume recommends a similar method between teacher and pupil, but omits to state how the pupil can best prepare himself for it. Mr. Baume, will, I think find the difficulties he mentions to disappear, if the pupil prepare himself as I have prescribed. I have never encountered such difficulties, and attribute this to the fact, that I always recommend pupils to prepare themselves by studying aloud. Mr. Baume says he has practised his method with considerable success during twenty years. I was not very much surprised at having been partially anticipated by Mr. Baume, for, while error is infinite, the truth is one; there can be only one straight line between two points, and this seems to me the most direct, the straightest way to the simultaneous fourfold acquirement of a language.
With a Grammar like that of Otto an expeditious mode of learning words is desirable. Perhaps the quickest, is to transcribe the words to be learnt, into parallel columns and covering up each column in turn, to run down them ten or more times. Whilst doing this the foreign words should always be pronounced aloud. The transcription impresses the spelling on the memory, and where the written alphabet differs from the English affords valuable practice. Arminius Vambery thought it a matter for congratulation when having begun by learning ten words daily, he was able to reach sixty. The column of twenty foreign words can be mastered in about one quarter of an hour, and I have myself done over 200 at this rate on some days, though I do not say they can be retained without repetition.
Lord Dufferin says that in a work of about 600 pages, there will probably be three thousand words of which the meaning will be unknown to the student. A list should be made of them, and they can be conveniently mastered at the rate of forty daily and thus all learnt in three months. With each successive work, the process should be repeated, until it becomes unnecessary. He adds that this has the advantage that, if necessary, after a long interval, by preserving such lists, the words can be relearnt with little trouble.
An able Swiss authority recommends the pupil to learn from 10,000 to 12,000 words of each language, dividing them into three or four classes according to their usefulness or frequency of occurrence. He recommends their periodical repetition.
Asher’s German Correspondent and Booch-Arkossy in the “Eco de Madrid” recommend the translation of a good idiomatic work into English and its translation into the language of the original, carefully comparing such retranslation with the original and noting mistakes. With the teacher, such translation may be made by word of mouth, the teacher translating into English and the pupil retranslating each sentence when uttered into the language of the original.