Reading aloud is also an excellent practice. It improves the pronunciation and trains or keeps the ear in practice. Its benefit is not to be measured by what is retained by the memory. It confers also a benefit similar to that which is derived from a course of arithmetic. Grammatical peculiarities may be noted at the end of the book, and the page added. As the limbs are invigorated and strengthened by suitable exercise, so the powers of the mind are strengthened and developed by following a great mind at its best, following its train of thought, of reason.

Mr. John Cryer in his school board electioneering address, 1894, ranges promising pupils in the order of workers, plodders and bright ones. The last are frequently overrated, the memory more quick than retentive. “Wie gewonnen, so zerronnen,” “Lightly come, lightly go,” mere quickness may prove a will o’ the wisp, and may be peculiar to one subject, but the capacity for patient, honest, painstaking work is a vastly more valuable quality, which can be applied with fair success to any pursuit. It gives earnest of the sense of duty, of responsibility, and that capacity for self-sacrifice, which peculiarly fit and qualify their possessor for positions of trust and responsibility; it is a pledge that the amount of labour will be forthcoming to render equal to the position. “Practice makes perfect” says the proverb. “Habit becomes second nature” and the facility and aptitude which nature sometimes bestows as a free gift can be acquired at the cost of application and diligence.

Whilst mastering the first language the pupil is also learning how to learn languages, each successive one becomes more easy.

Let the pupil make it a rule always to do his best. He will naturally take a pride and a pleasure in work well done, and by continually striving and studying to do better, he cannot fail to improve in it. This is the road to honest success, to happiness and to self-improvement: this will continually enlarge his capabilities and strengthen his natural powers, and, even if he fail in accomplishing all he aimed at, there can be no better consolation than that of knowing that he has nothing to reproach himself with that he has manfully done his best, and that he is the better for the effort.

In their desire to disparage and discredit the already existing system of learning Foreign Languages by means of a

Grammar, the exponents of the “Natural Method” and “Method of Nature” choose to ignore the existence of the large number of Linguists who have acquired their knowledge through a Grammar.

Mr. Gouin is of opinion that one can learn a language perfectly in 900 hours, or 300 lessons of three hours each, one can know enough French to feel at home in France, to understand what is said in street, cafe, or railway, to read a French newspaper with ease and to talk French with a French accent in six months lessons of 2 hours each, five days per week—see “Review of Reviews” 1892, page 512, and January, 1893.

Most teachers under the Grammatical Method have to achieve success or make the best of one lesson of one hour weekly. This is one-fifteenth, or one-tenth of the time per week mentioned by Mr. Gouin.

The saving of time shown by the Grammatical Method is due to generalisation. It distributes words into classes, defines the laws or rules that govern their use, and regulates the construction of sentences. Sentences are thus taught in groups and not singly. The pupil learns to construct sentences, and does not simply learn by heart to repeat them. He can thus supply himself at will with an infinite number. If he fail thus to apply his knowledge, only his own lack of diligence is in fault.

The writer first commenced the study of languages nearly forty years ago, and during this time he has spent nearly twenty years abroad, in various foreign countries, but he never met with a case where a pupil had continuously, daily, earnestly, and honestly devoted one-fourth of the time mentioned by Mr. Gouin to the study of a good grammar of a foreign language who could reasonably complain of failure, nor indeed a shorter space of time applied under the same conditions which did not meet with a proportionate measure of success.