Lecture On The Best Methods Of Teaching The Living Languages

Author : George Ticknor
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9781330649015
Total Pages : 24 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (49 download)

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Download or read book Lecture on the Best Methods of Teaching the Living Languages written by George Ticknor and published by . This book was released on 2015-07-03 with total page 24 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Excerpt from Lecture on the Best Methods of Teaching the Living Languages: Delivered Before the American Institute, August 24, 1832 Mr President and Gentlemen: The most important characteristic of a living language, - the attribute in which resides its essential power and value, - is, that it is a spoken one; that it serves for that constant and principal bond of union between the different individuals of a whole nation, without which, they could not, for a moment, be kept together as a community. This great and prevalent characteristic is, therefore, everywhere visible in its structure, arrangements and expression; hardly less so in books, than in conversation. The main object, indeed, to which every other is sacrificed, in the formation of a language is, to facilitate personal intercourse; to enable one human being, in the easiest and most direct manner, to communicate to another his thoughts and his wants, his feelings and his passions; and to this great object every living language is essentially, and, it may almost be said, is exclusively adapted in its vocabulary, its forms, its inflexions, idioms and pronunciation. The easiest and best method, therefore, for persons of all ages and all classes to learn a living language is undoubtedly to learn it as a spoken one; since this is not only its paramount characteristic, but is the only foundation on which the written language has been built or can rest. Persons, then, who have the opportunity, should learn the living language they wish to possess, as it is learnt by those to whom it is native. They should reside where it is constantly spoken, and use it, as it is used around them. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.