(1) Let the example precede or even replace the rule. A well-chosen example or set of examples may so completely embody the rule that the rule itself will be superfluous.
(2) Give many examples to each important rule. We have noted that the suggested treatment of the problem of anterior duration was not an ideal one. In order to make it ideal we should have taken a second example (e.g. How long have you been learning English?) and still more examples (e.g. How long have you been in this room?—been living in England?—been living at your present address? Have you been sitting here since twelve o’clock or since a quarter past twelve? How long has France been a republic?). Too often the teacher imagines that one example constitutes a complete exposition of a given point: whereas in reality it is by finding (consciously or unconsciously) the common element in many examples that we come to grasp the usage exemplified.
(3) When teaching or alluding to the peculiarities connected with nouns, choose as examples the nouns which are the names of various objects actually in the room, and in each case point to or handle the object in question. Handling pencils, pens, and books while talking about them very much facilitates the grasping of principles of declension.
(4) When teaching or alluding to the peculiarities connected with verbal forms, choose as examples verbs such as take, put, see, go, come, sit, stand, etc.—that is to say, verbs that can be ‘acted.’ Present, past, and future tenses are much more easily distinguished and retained if the teacher illustrates them by actions. (In a moment I shall take the book—Je prendrai le livre. J’ouvrirai le livre—J’ouvre le livre—J’ai ouvert le livre.) If a Frenchman cannot grasp the difference between to go in and to come in, it is because the explanations given to him are lacking in concreteness.
(5) When teaching or alluding to the peculiarities connected with adjectives, choose as examples such words as black, white, large, small, round, square, etc., and avoid the traditional good, bad, beautiful, idle, diligent, etc.
(6) When teaching or alluding to the peculiarities and semantic values of prepositions choose as far as possible prepositions such as in, on, under, over, in front of, behind, beside, etc. Useful work in this connexion can be done with a match and a matchbox (in the box, on the box, under the box, etc., etc.).
(7) Choose as many real examples as possible, examples suggested by present and actual conditions. Do not teach the mechanism of direct and indirect objects by allusions to imaginary farmers giving imaginary oats to imaginary horses, but give books, pencils, and pens to the students and make them give them to you, and then talk to them about what you are doing. Do not illustrate the active and passive voices by reference to men beating boys and boys being beaten, but speak about writing words and words being written or about speaking English and English being spoken.
(8) In as many cases as possible cause the student to make active use of any form he has just learnt. When you have taught him to say I don’t understand give him an opportunity of using the sentence. If you teach him to say It’s time to stop see that he duly makes use of the expression at the end of the lesson.
(9) Encourage gestures, even in the case of English students. In the earlier stages they should shake their heads when uttering a negative sentence, raise their eyebrows when using an interrogative form, and use other appropriate gestures for such words as here, there, me, that, these, etc.