The Teaching
of
Modern Foreign Languages
and the
Training of Teachers
By
KARL BREUL
LittD. (Cambridge), Ph.D. (Berlin) Cambridge University Reader in Germanic
THIRD EDITION
Revised and Enlarged
Cambridge
at the University Press 1906
(Me
GEwlHAi.
First Edition, 1898. Second Edition, 1899. . Third- Editian^ 1:906.
PREFACE.
THE paper on ' the teaching of modern foreign languages ' was first read, in the Lent Term of 1895, to tne students of the 'Cambridge Training College for Women Teachers' and was twice repeated, with but a few alterations, in subsequent years. It was also read, by the request of the Syndicate, to the students attending the Cambridge University Extension Courses in August 1896.
The lectures were originally intended to form an Intro- duction to some criticism lessons of modern language lessons given by the students of the Training College, and the principles set forth in the lectures were at once .practically applied in the detailed criticism of the lessons heard. The lectures were intended to be above all suggestive and stimu- lating, but no attempt could be made to discuss in full the views either of the old school of language teachers and examiners who are hostile to any reform or of some modern extremists.
A few slight alterations were introduced and some references to recent literature on the subject added when the lectures were revised for the Press, but, apart from these exceptions, they are substantially printed as they were first written in the Christmas Vacation of 1894.
A paper ' on the Training of Teachers of Modern Foreign Languages,' read in April 1894 to the College of Preceptors
192633
vi Preface
(printed in the Educational Times, May 1894, and reprinted by Professor Victor's special request in Die Neueren Sprachen ii. 424 sqq., 585 sqq.), supplements in several respects the views set forth in these lectures and may be read in connection with them.
The essay describing the contents of a well-equipped ( reference library of a school teacher of German ' is a revised and enlarged reprint from the Modern Language Quarterly n. It was thought that many teachers would like to have it as a useful appendix to the first paper.
The author is anxious to tender his heartiest thanks to Dr Henry Jackson of Trinity College, Professor G. C. Moore Smith, M.A., of the Firth College, Sheffield, and the Rev. W. A. Cox, M.A., of St John's College, who kindly read through the lectures and contributed some valuable suggestions.
The author is convinced that many important changes are needed in our present system of Modern Language teaching and examining; he believes that many teachers share this conviction and are ready to consider new problems in con- nection with their teaching and to take part in the necessary re-modelling of the system. It is hoped that to such teachers the present pamphlet will be acceptable. The outlook seems promising. Modern Languages are at last beginning to re- ceive in this country the attention to which the subject is entitled not only by its practical usefulness but still more by its intrinsic value as an important element in a truly liberal education.
K. B.
ENGLEMERE, CAMBRIDGE,
October, 1898.
PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION.
THE fact that the first edition of the present little book was sold out in the course of a few months is a most encouraging sign of the rapidly growing interest of teachers and students in the problems connected with modern language teaching. There was neither time nor need to introduce any important changes into the new edition, but the whole book has been very carefully revised and the lists of books and pamphlets on modern language teaching have been considerably enlarged. This was chiefly due to the fact that several excel- lent contributions to important questions of method had quite recently been published. Among those who kindly contributed a number of valuable suggestions for the revision of the book the author wishes to mention, with due gratitude, the names of AV. G. Lipscomb and of Walter Rippmann.
K. B.
ENGLEMERE, CAMBRIDGE,
Easter, 1899.
PREFACE TO THE THIRD EDITION.
IN this third edition I have not only carefully revised and largely added to the lectures printed in the previous editions, with a view to bringing them up to date and of making them as useful and suggestive as lies in my power — but I have added to them an enlarged reprint of my lecture 1 on the training of teachers of modern languages' which was originally given twelve years ago to members of the College of Preceptors. The lectures * on the teaching of modern languages, and those 'on the training of modern language teachers,' supplement each other and may well be read together. The last chapter is an improved reprint of my sketch of an ideal ' reference library for a school teacher of German ' which I hope will be found as widely useful by young teachers in the future as it has been helpful to others in the past. A few slight cases of overlapping in the various chapters of the book could not, from the nature of the subject, be altogether avoided, and will, I hope, not be felt to be very troublesome. A full index at the end of the book will enable the reader readily to obtain information on any question discussed in any of the lectures.
A kind reviewer of the original edition expressed the hope that in a revised edition I might unite the various lectures into one comprehensive treatise, and map out in it a complete course of modern language, or German, study from its
Preface to the Third Edition ix
beginnings up to and including the University curriculum. For more than one reason I have not been able to comply with this wish. One is that, even if I had wished to do so, the very limited time which has been at my disposal during recent years has prevented me from embarking on so laborious an undertaking. I also believe that part of the stimulus given by my lectures has been due to the somewhat easy and uncere- monious form in which the subject was treated. But above all I feel very strongly that a detailed scheme of teaching foreign languages in schools ought to be elaborated only by a practical school teacher. I have for many years followed the teaching of modern languages, more especially of German, in this country and abroad with much interest ; I have had, as an examiner, exceptional opportunities of studying the results obtained by all kinds of teachers in our various secondary schools for boys and girls ; I have thus been able to make many interesting observations and comparisons, and feel quite confident as to the general principles according to which the teaching in our schools ought to be conducted — but it would be presumptuous on my part to advise practical school teachers about points of detail. I sincerely hope that before long a comprehensive book on the subject may be produced by one of our leading teachers. Till then I wish to call attention to the excellent American book of E. W. Bagster-Collins (see p. 56) in which the teaching of German has been very ably and fully treated. I am myself at the present moment preparing a book on the higher study of German at universities1, which I hope may prove a useful continuation to a book on the school teaching of German and meet a real want in our educational literature.
1 It will be considerably fuller than Heinz Hungerland's recent pamphlet ' Das wissenschaftliche Studium der deutschen Sprache und Literatur. Ein Wegweiser fur Studierende.' Lund and Heidelberg, 1906.
x Preface to the Third Edition
Many important steps in advance have been made in this country during the last seven years with regard to the teaching of modern languages and the facilities given for the training of teachers. At the University of Oxford the much needed Honour School of modern languages has at last been established and some provision at least been made for a higher scientific teaching. At the University of London two professors and three readers have been appointed with a view to creating in London a school of German, and it is hoped that French will soon find the same encouragement. At Cambridge, where the Medieval and Modern Languages Tripos has now for over twenty years been an instrument of training many excellent teachers and professors for our schools and colleges, two fellowships have of late been given to modern language men. At some of the newer universities lectureships have been raised to the dignity of professorships, assistants have been appointed, and at Bangor a lectureship in French and German has been fitly split up and changed into a professorship of French and (for the present) a lectureship in German. At Edinburgh it is hoped to change before long the existing lectureships in French and German into professorships. Several headmasterships have of late been given to modern language men. The numbers of the members of the Modern Language Association have been steadily increasing, and the Association is now bringing out two periodicals, one concerned with the higher study, and one with the teaching, of modern languages, apart from the interest shown in the subject, not only by the ' Journal of Education ' (which has always been friendly and encouraging), but also by its younger contemporary the * School World.' The number of travelling scholarships for teachers and students has been increased. The scheme of international correspondence of pupils and of teachers, and the quite recent important scheme of an official exchange of
Preface to the Third Edition xi
teachers between England on the one hand and France and Prussia on the other, are sure to bear good fruit. Oral examina- tions and improved methods of teaching are now found in many universities and schools. Scholars' and teachers' libraries, wall-maps, phonographs, and other apparatus are to some extent beginning to be provided at several of the best schools. Many important questions as to the methods of teaching and examining have been discussed at the General Meetings of the Modern Language Association, where many opportunities for a useful interchange of views and experiences were given to individual members. Successful interchanges of visits between English and French teachers of modern languages have taken place in recent years.
If thus it is clear that much has been done during the last seven years, I still know very well that much more remains to be achieved. I have no doubt that now, when so many able and enthusiastic teachers, men and women, are at work under improved conditions and with many opportunities of comparing notes with English and foreign colleagues, the methods of modern language teaching will soon be further improved, the results obtained be still more satisfactory, the status of duly qualified teachers be raised, and the great importance of the new humanities for a liberal education of the rising generation be more fully and effectively recognised.
My best thanks are due to some friends and former pupils of mine for helping me, by sending suggestions and otherwise, in the preparation of this new edition and in bringing it in every respect up to date. They are Professors A. W. Schiid- dekopf, Ph.D., H. G. Atkins, M.A., Walter Rippmann, M.A., and Miss Josephine Burne, late scholar of Newnham College.
K. B.
10 CRANMER ROAD, CAMBRIDGE,
August, 1906.
CONTENTS.
PAGE
I. THE TEACHING OF MODERN FOREIGN LAN-
GUAGES IN OUR SECONDARY SCHOOLS . . i — 77
a. General part i — 55
b. Special part : The Teaching of German . 56 — 77
II. THE TRAINING OF MODERN LANGUAGE
TEACHERS 78 — 101
III. BIBLIOGRAPHICAL APPENDIX .... 102—114
IV. THE REFERENCE LIBRARY OF A SCHOOL
TEACHER OF GERMAN 115 — 144
V. APPENDIX 145—151
INDEX 153—156
THE TEACHING
OF MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES IN OUR SECONDARY SCHOOLS.
THE subject which I propose to discuss in these lectures can certainly not be likened to a smooth and flower-strewn path. If it is not exactly beset with thorns, it may yet appear to outsiders to be stony, dull, and probably devoid of those beautiful vistas which those who unweariedly climb the upward path have a reasonable hope of beholding in the end. Moreover my lectures must of necessity be somewhat technical, and the limited time at my disposal strictly forbids me to enter some of the by-paths from the main road which often afford no small amount of amusement beside material for very serious reflection. One of these digressions would be a short sketch of the early days of modern language teaching, a discussion of the old quaint ' babees bookes ' or ' bookes of Curtesy ' which sometimes combined teaching of modern languages with teaching of good manners1. Another digression would - be a discussion of the results frequently obtained by the present system of modern language teaching in some of our Secondary Schools. It has been my lot for many years to
1 See my edition of the fifteenth century poem 'The Boke of Curtesy' in Englische Studien, ix. (1885), pages 51 and foil. Cp. also W. Victor 1 Die Methodik des Neusprachlichen Unterrichts,' Leipzig, 1902, pp. 4 ff. (Vom Mittelalter zur Neuzeit).
B. I
2 The Teaching of Modern Foreign Languages
make from time to time a careful study of that very remarkable and ever increasing part of educational literature which is known to the scholastic world by the high-sounding name of 1 examination papers.' From the questions asked in these papers and the answers to them one may gather some ideas as to the aims and results of modern language teaching — here I refer especially to the teaching of German and French — in our Secondary Schools, and if I were to tabulate my experiences, the results would in some cases be very curious. In what way, do you think, must a girl have been taught, in what spirit must she have read that great masterpiece of Goethe, his lofty play ' Iphigenie,' when in answer to my question ' Why do we take an interest in the character of Iphigenia ? ' she candidly writes 1 Because Iphigenia is the heroine of the play which we had to get up for this examination ' ? But I must abstain from telling anecdotes which are none the less interesting for the fact that they are absolutely true.
Again, I can only allude in passing to the history of the ' reform movement' in the teaching of foreign tongues, the leading ideas of which were set forth lucidly and forcibly by Professor Wilhelm Vietor (of Marburg) in his famous pamphlet: < Quousque tandem ! Der Sprachunterricht muss umkehren*-.9 This revolutionary little treatise was written in this country in 1882, and though not absolutely the first work in which a reform of modern language teaching was advocated, was yet the first which, by virtue of its shortness, terseness, and common sense, produced a great stir among modern language teachers. Since that date very many books and papers have been written pro and contra, in Germany and in other countries, most of them advocating a more or less radical reform of the old system of teaching in the spirit of the so-called ' direct,'
^
1 (3rd edition, with notes, 1905.) Cp. also W. Vietor * Wissenschaft und Praxis in der neueren Philologie.' Speech delivered Jan. 27, 1899. Reprinted in 'Die Neueren-'Sprachen,' vn. i (April), 1899, and also in pamphlet form, 1902.
in oiir Secondary Schools
* analytic ' or ' imitative ' method. The ' New Method ' or ' Neuere Richtung ' has been fully developed in Germany, and its main principles have been deservedly adopted by a small band of energetic modern language teachers in this country. I cannot undertake to discuss here even the best books and pamphlets on these new methods. They will be enumerated in a special chapter, and students and teachers should make a point of reading the principal ones.
These lectures are especially intended to be suggestive, and, in my own small way, I hope to fire your enthusiasm. Instead of discussing many different modern methods1 I shall venture to lay before you my own opinions and experiences together with my reasons for holding the former. I propose to throw out some hints on all the more important points of modern language teaching in schools, and shall take my instances mainly, but not exclusively, from German. On the whole it may be taken that what holds good for German holds good for French, but one important fact should never be lost sight of, viz. that the children beginning German in our schools are as a rule considerably older than those beginning French. If French is the first or at least the second foreign language learned^ German is usually either the third or the fourth and is as a rule only taken up in the higher forms of boys' schools. For this reason the necessary elementary drill cannot be provided by means of the same kind of exercises that will do for very young children. The beginners in German invariably require a better mental pabulum — a fact that has often been overlooked. It is also very unwise to start German immediately after French — one language should be allowed to have a fair start before another is begun.
I suppose I may take it for granted that you are all more or less well acquainted with the general methods of teaching, and have some notions as to what can be reasonably expected
1 See Miss Mary Brebner's pamphlet ' The Method of Teaching Modern Languages in Germany' (London, 1898), Chapter v.
4 The Teaching of Modern Foreign Languages
from school children. I can therefore restrict my observations to the more technical part of the modern language teaching in Secondary Schools and the various questions intimately connected with it.
Some years ago there was a great deal of controversy as to the educational value of modern languages1 — fortunately that time is now definitely passed. People are becoming more and more anxious that modern languages should be taught, and should be taught efficiently by thoroughly well trained teachers. I firmly believe that there is a great chance for good modern language teachers in the immediate future, that great oppor- tunities will before long be given, and that all we have to do in our schools and universities is to prepare ourselves most carefully so as to be ready when the time comes2. It should not be said of us ' Aber der grosse Moment findet ein kleines Geschlecht.'
The question arises : How should the necessary improve- ment in the teaching of modern foreign languages be effected ? I think it can be brought about if the following five conditions be fulfilled :
y/ (i) More time should be allotted to the study of modern languages at school. This is of paramount importance. Our leading public schools should set the example3.
(2) This time should be used much more systematically, with special reference to the educational needs of the pupils, and not merely with regard to the requirements of certain examinations. A great deal of harm is done to modern
1 See, among others, C. Colbeck, ' On the Teaching of Modern Lan- guages in Theory and Practice,' Lecture I. Cambridge, 1887, Fr. Storr, 'The Teaching of Modern Languages' (1897), p. 274, and H. W. Eve, 'The Teaching of Modern Languages' (1901, reprint 1905), pp. 230 sqq.
2 See my pamphlet on 'Greek and its humanistic alternatives in the Little-Go,' Cambridge, 1905.
3 In fixing the times it should be borne in mind that for school-children 6 periods of 40 minutes are more helpful than 4 periods of an hour, and 4 periods of 45 minutes better than 3 periods of an hour.
in our Secondary Schools
language teaching throughout the country by the conflicting regulations of our host of examinations — even though many of them have done a great deal of good in their time and may still have much to recommend them — and by the fact that nearly all of them are still conducted exclusively by means of printed papers and without any compulsory oral test1. This seems to me a fatal mistake.. The modern tongues should not be treated like the classical dead languages ; a viva voce test should as far as possible be insisted on, in spite of the many practical difficulties of which I am well aware. Written ^examinations for beginners should be discouraged.
(3) The classes to which modern languages are taught should be of a manageable size and should if possible not exceed twenty to twenty-five pupils. They should be taught in special rooms, the decoration of which, should, as far as possible, be characteristic of the foreign country. In large schools there should be at least one German and one French class-room containing large wall-maps of the foreign countries2, photographs, pictures and picture post-cards of all kinds, portraits or busts of some of the great classical authors, collections of coins, flags, a phonograph, etc., and a well supplied library of suitable foreign books and magazines.
(4) From the very beginning none but duly qualified teachers should be entrusted with the teaching of modern languages. The qualifications which I believe to be desirable are discussed in a lecture first given in 1894 before the College of Preceptors, and now reprinted, with some modi- fications and additions, on pp. 78 sqq. I have since been told that the qualifications desired in that paper were too high for human capacity to attain, that they represented the ideal rather than the feasible. My answer is that I know from experience that in many cases the ideal has been reached, that
1 In the London University School Examinations an oral test is com- pulsory.
2 Ed. Gaebler's school wall-map of Germany deserves to be strongly recommended.
6 The Teaching of Modern Foreign Languages
I believe that in another twenty-five years it will be realised much more completely, that the training of a modern language teacher does not end with his having taken his University degree1, and finally that it is a mistake to put one's ideal too low. He who forms an educational or any other ideal must set it high ; time will show if he was right or if his demands were excessive. I confidently leave you to judge for yourselves. (5) There should be a more general agreement as to the chief points of method to be adopted and the books to be read in school. To this fifth point I wish to devote special attention. It is the one which is still engrossing the attention of modern language teachers in this country2 and abroad.
Methods.
There are in the field many different methods of teaching modern languages — all claim to be the one true method, — all have zealous adherents — and I need hardly tell you that all promise wonderful results — most of them in a remarkably short time too3. Still it seems to me, and my experience as a teacher and examiner confirms my impression — that 'the true method' has not as yet been discovered.
It has not been discovered either in England or abroad.
I certainly do not natter myself that I have discovered it. I doubt if one uniform method applicable in all cases — a universal panacea which nobody can modify with impunity— can ever be devised. We are clearly just now in a time of transition and experiment, and I think we have even now arrived at an agreement on several essential points. Many practical and experienced teachers in this country as well as
1 See page 97.
2 See the valuable discussions in the Journal of Education, in the School World) and especially in the Modern Quarterly of Language and Literature (since 1897), and in Modern Language Teaching (since 1905). Cp. also the Bibliographical Appendix, pp. 102 sqq.
3 See Canon Bell's paper, mentioned on page 105.
in our Secondary Schools
abroad are at present actively working in this field ; much that is good has of late been said and written on the subject, — and much, as it seems to me, that is quite worthless, unscientific and impracticable; a universal agreement even on all the principal points of method has not, however, as yet been arrived at. Much m'ore interchange of ideas and experience is required. The chief work is still being done in Germany, Scandinavia, and America — England, in spite of a few note- worthy exceptions, has unfortunately till pretty recently lagged behind, but has during the last nine or ten years made great progress.
Before going into details I should like to caution intending teachers on one or two points :
(1) Do not be too confident with regard to certain new methods, especially do not believe too easily in certain in- fallible ones which promise to teach many wonderful things in a very short time. These short cuts to proficiency are mostly very unsatisfactory, containing one good idea, but carrying it too far to the neglect of everything else. They are as a rule more or less mechanical, of but little scientific, literary or educational value; they afford a certain routine, but do nothing to form and educate the minds of the pupils. They merely aim at drilling the pupil in the use of a number of commonplace phrases and small everyday chit-chat. But the acquisition of a certain practical, though naturally very limited, command of a modern tongue by means of some series of words and phrases, the knowledge possessed by head-waiters, couriers and interpreters, although it is no doubt sometimes useful, cannot be the chief aim of modern language teaching in our higher schools. A language which has so subtle and elaborate a syntax as French, or a language which is so deeply saturated with poetry as German, cannot and ought not to be studied by older boys and girls after the unconscious fashion of an infant !
(2) Again, method itself, even the best method, however important, is not everything. A very great deal of the
8 The Teaching of Modern Foreign Languages
success depends on the natural gifts, the previous training, the energy and the experience of the individual teacher1. It is well known that the best modern language scholar does not always obtain the best results as a teacher. Consequently the ideal modern language teacher will not only be a well-trained scholar2, but in addition something of an artist and of a man of the world. He must have the power of speech, an easy mastery of the foreign idiom, and the gift of drawing out his pupils and of making them speak, one and all, the shy ones no less than the others, at every lesson. He must have, — more I think than any other master, — the great gift of readily imparting his knowledge, of really interesting his pupils in using the foreign idiom and in studying foreign life and thought, and of enabling them not only to speak but to think in the foreign language. I fully agree with Dr Munch, who at the general meeting of German modern language teachers held at Hamburg in 1896, insisted that "a teacher should have a certain amount of natural eloquence, quickness of perception, and appreciation of foreign character, as well as an interest in all that concerns modern life."
Whatever the method adopted may be, each master will vary it in accordance with his own individuality and the requirements of different sets of pupils. He will continually modify and improve his ways of teaching in the light of his extending study and increasing experience.
Nevertheless, although the possession of a certain, even a very good, method is not all that is wanted by a young and zealous teacher in order to command success, it would not be right to underestimate its value. On the contrary, it is most important for us to make up our minds as to what seem to be the most satisfactory principles to be generally adopted in modern language teaching.
1 See Modern Language Teaching, n. i (February, 1906), pp. 14 — 15. *J See pages 93 sqq.
in our Secondary Schools
Happily on a few important points there seems to exist even at the present day an almost general agreement among experts. Let me take these first. They are :
(1) It is necessary that modern language teachers should have a much longer and better training1 than they have had up to now in the great majority of cases. Their preparation should be at once more scientific and more practical. The improvement of the masters must needs precede the improve- ment of the children entrusted to their care. The number of hours modern language masters are expected to teach per week should be reduced to about 18, and should in no case exceed 20.
(2) Modern languages should not be taught in the same way as the ancient tongues. But even with regard to these there have been of late remarkable signs of improvement in books, texts, public utterances of leading scholars, etc. See, among others, W. H. S. Jones, 'The Teaching of Latin.' London, 1905. The modern languages are not studied mainly in our schools for the sake of their form, not even exclusively for the beauty and value of their literature, but in teaching modern languages we also aim at teaching in the broadest outline and as
far as it is possible with young people the principal features of the life, character and thought of great foreign nations. Modern languages should not only or mainly be studied and taught by means of translation-exercises, by getting up many paragraphs of grammar, remembering rare exceptions and turning over the pages of dictionaries. There should be no lessons more interesting and delightful to children than a modern language lesson given by the right teacher.
1 On the method of training of Modern Language teachers see pp. 78 — 101, also cp. Bruno Busse, 'Wie studiert man Neuere Sprachen? Ein Ratgeber fiir alle, die sich dem Studium des Deutschen, Englischen und Franzosischen widmen,' Stuttgart, 1904 (with many bibliographical re- ferences). I am myself preparing a book on the study of German at English Universities.
io The Teaching of Modern Foreign Languages
(3) And again, modern languages should be much more closely connected with the study of English on the one hand, and with History and Geography on the other. If groups of languages are studied together, those naturally related to each other should be taken by preference. French should be con- nected with Latin, and German with English. From a purely theoretical point of view it is even desirable that the two foreign tongues should not be taught by the same person, as not many men will possess the power of transforming themselves now into a Frenchman and now into a German with equal ease and success. There are, on the other hand, many advantages in entrusting the teaching of English or of Modern European History and Geography, all of which are often sadly neglected at school, to a modern language master who is qualified to teach them.
I have maintained that modern languages should not be taught in the same fashion as the ancient classical languages. Much greater stress must be laid on the language as a living and spoken organism. Hence it follows that
(a) Pronunciation should be most carefully taught by trained teachers and from the very first lesson. The pronun- ciation of the children should be correct from the beginning and should become easy through much practice. This aim can only rarely be reached by mere unconscious imitation, a certain amount of phonetic drill is in the case of some especially difficult sounds absolutely necessary in order to shorten and to smooth the way of the pupil. No one should undertake to teach modern languages, especially to beginners, who has not previously had some training in phonetics.
(b) Ordinary phrases and characteristic idioms should be taught from the very beginning. The children should learn to choose them correctly and to use them readily. And lastly,
(c) Their vocabulary should be made as large and as useful as possible.
Under the old system of studying modern languages cases
in our Secondary Schools 1 1
like the following often occurred : a great scholar would read French easily, but would scarcely understand a word of the spoken idiom if a French colleague happened to address him in French. Another scholar would write German fluently and without a single grammatical mistake, but it would be mere book-German, a dictionary language, a ' papierner Stir as it has been called by O. Schroeder1, a language in which there \ would be scarcely a single sentence such as a German would \ write. A letter on ordinary topics written by this scholar would smack so much of translation and be so utterly academic and unreal that it would require re-writing from beginning to end in order to become living German. On hearing a noise outside he would perhaps say : ' Welches ist doch jenes Gerausch, welches ich eben jetzt dort ausserhalb vernehme ? ' while a German would say : ' Was ist denn da draussen fur ein Gerausch ? ' or possibly in familiar language : ' Was ist denn draussen los ? ' Only the other day I heard a gentleman who professed to know modern languages well say in a public lecture home for homme, vou for z% and Enfenk for Anfang, swonsig for zwanzig, Studien for Studien, etc.
It is not easy to say to what extent oral and colloquial German and French should be combined in school teaching with the study and analysis of the written literary language. Different schools have different aims and needs. In order to arrive at a satisfactory conclusion and to strike a fair balance between the views of the old school who almost ex- clusively studied the written language of a few select classics, mostly poets, and the modern extremists who condemn whatever is not colloquial and, in their dread of elegant diction, often recommend and teach in school a familiar language bordering on slang, it will not be out of place before going any further to investigate still more carefully and to
1 Otto Schroeder, 'Vom papiernen Stil,' Leipzig, 6i9o6.
12 The Teaching of Modern Foreign Languages
settle definitely for ourselves the question : What should be the \ aim of modern language teaching in our Secondary Schools ?
We cannot ask merely : What is desirable on general theoretical grounds ? we are obliged to ask : What can be done in a limited number of lessons with children ? Hence it seems to me t'hat ' a practical mastery ' of a foreign language as promised by some methods cannot possibly be hoped for. How many adults can confidently assert that they are absolute masters of their own language ? But a good deal may be done at school, and whatever is learned should be learned well so as to awaken a life-long interest in the modern languages and the literatures written in them, and also to become a good basis for later practice.
What will be of paramount importance to most learners in after-life? Here I deliberately look for a moment at things from the utilitarian point of view and maintain the following propositions :
Not one of them will have to translate English works into foreign languages (we are of course not concerned with the training of interpreters and professional translators).
Some may be called upon to speak fluently in a foreign tongue.
Some may wish to translate from the foreign idiom into English.
Others may wish to correspond in the foreign tongue, but
All want to read foreign books, periodicals and newspapers, and to enjoy the treasures of foreign literature. All will one day be anxious to have some knowledge and form a just appre- ciation of the general character, thoughts and manners of their neighbours and fellow-workers in the great field of European civilisation. For this most important aim the school teaching should fully equip them. Hence it follows that reading, and not translating, should be placed in the foreground. (On the use of translation see the debate of the Mod. Lang. Association,
in our Secondary Schools 13
December 23, 1902, in Mod. Lang. Quarterly ', 1903.) 'Sprach- gefiihr should be early aroused and carefully fostered by much reading of first-rate modern authors. A sufficient amount of grammar should be learned chiefly, although not exclusively, from the reading and a subsequent systematic analysis of the most important jsentenresV.. But in school (the University system is of course different) grammar should not be taught for its own sake, but rather as a subsidiary subject, to promote the full and proper understanding, and to facilitate the reproduction or imitation, of the author's words and phrases. Trjjislation from the foreign language into good and idiomatic English (not lKe~usual shocking translation-English) should be practiseb! only in cases of real difficulty, after the first foundation has been laid in class. At an early stage some very easy original compo- sition in the foreign language, based throughout on the vocabulary and stock of idioms acquired at school, might be attempted with advantage. But very little ordinary com- position,, i.e. translation from English into the foreign language, should be done at first, and only with the more advanced pupils. This is, I believe, the greatest mistake made in our schools. The worship of early composition in French and German is as unjustifiable as it is detrimental to the best training in the lowest forms. In almost all schools composition is begun much too early, when the children know but little grammar, have met with hardly any idiomatic turns and phrases in their reading and class teaching, and have consequently not yet developed any ' Sprachgefiihl.' Most examinations unfor- tunately still prescribe it at a stage when the children cannot possibly be expected to produce a piece of decent composition
1 See F. Spencer's 'Aims and Practice of Teaching' (Cambridge, 1897), pp. loosqq. and J. Findlay's 'Preparation for Instruction in English on a direct method' (Marburg, 1893). See also some of the pamphlets and essays enumerated in the Bibliographical Appendix, especially those by W. Rippmann and O. Siepmann, in which different views are ably advocated.
14 The Teaching of Modern Foreign Languages
of ordinary difficulty. The regulation requiring early compo- sition and the pieces set may look very nice on the syllabus and in the printed papers of certain examinations — but read the Examiners' Reports in order to estimate the value of the work sent up by the vast majorit^of the junior candidates. Rather set them some easy original composition and insist on their reaching a reasonable standard of proficiency, or give the pupils taught by more modern methods the option between ordinary and free composition, insisting in the same examina- tion on a slightly higher standard of attainment in the case of the latter. Original compositions or reproductions are easier than translations from the mother-tongue and at first better calculated to make the children enter into the spirit of the foreign language. In saying this I do not mean that I should like to give up the valuable practice afforded by ordinary composition in the middle and upper classes. For older boys and girls regular practice in translation from English into the foreign language seems to me to be absolutely indis- pensable by the side of free compositio'n. The writing of easy letters on familiar subjects which would interest the children should be encouraged early and practised constantly. Little stories read or told by the teacher should be reproduced by the pupils, longer stories briefly recapitulated, short accounts of ordinary things and occurrences should be frequently given. The children should be encouraged to write and to speak about all they have actually seen and experienced. As far as possible during a modern language lesson no English appella- tion should stand between the objects and their foreign name. In higher forms paraphrases of easy poems should be attempted, and at the end of their school time the most advanced pupils might write about the principal characters in a story or a play which they have read, or on similar subjects. Some of the best pupils might also be induced to take part — under due supervision — in the lately instituted International Corre- spondence between pupils attending German, French and
in our Secondary Schools
English schools. This movement is a very recent one, but much good is reported of it1.
Having now settled the various preliminary questions concerning the requirements and aims of modern language teaching, I shall proceed to the more detailed discussion of the teaching of pronunciation, spelling, grammar, and similar points of language, while in a subsequent lecture I shall discuss reading, composition and the study of reading-books, the proper selection and explanation of authors, and the teaching of the history of foreign literature. In a third lecture I shall speak of some special points referring to the teaching of German only. A final lecture will deal with the training of modern language teachers.
Pronunciation.
Any child that is instructed in a foreign language has a right to hear and to learn from his teacher a correct and idiomatic pronunciation of the foreign tongue. Am I wrong if I maintain that in many schools, even in good ones, this condition is at present far from being fulfilled? I do not require a teacher to dwell too long on phonetic niceties or to give a great deal of precious time to the teaching of phonetics
1 Apply to Miss Lawrence, at the Review of Reviews, Mowbray House, Norfolk Street, Strand, W.C. and read her article in Modern Language Teaching, n. 3 (April, 1906), pp. 88 sqq. See Cloudesley Brereton, 'The Teaching of Mod. Languages,' London, 1905, p. 42. In 1904 a 'Societe d'Echange international des enfants et des jeunes gens' was established, the founder and director of which is M. Toni-Mathieu, 36 Boulevard de Magenta, Paris. Compare also the similar undertaking by Mr Victor Willemin, Villa Monplaisir, Epinal (Vosges), France, con- cerning which all desirable information is given in the pamphlet (published by Prof. Willemin) * Nos fils a 1'etranger. Echange des jeunes gens et des enfants.' i Year's Report. Epinal, 1906. See also Miss M. Brebnepf' The Method of Teaching Modern Languages in Germany,' pp. 38 — 39.
1 6 The Teaching of Modern Foreign Languages
pure and simple. There is neither time nor need for that1. He should at first speak and read to his pupils a good deal himself, in order to train their ear and to accustom them to the characteristic sounds and intonation of the foreign idiom. His own intonation should be free from local or individual pecu- liarities, his enunciation should be clear and careful, but natural and free from affectation. After they have been bathed, as it were, in the foreign element and have become somewhat familiar with the foreign way of articulating sounds, words and phrases, he will make them repeat his sentences over and over again, immediately and carefully correcting mistakes of any impor- I tance. He will not infrequently make the whole class pronounce i some sentences in chorus, in order to force shy and backward pupils to speak out and to form their sounds after the model of the others. He will thus readily detect the faulty pronunciation of an individual child. The chief difficulties will be noted down and tabulated. Victor's Lauttafeln (for German, French, and English) should be used throughout in connection with this work. They should be hung up in the class-room. They will be continually worked at, every mistake pointed out on them, and thus the difficulties will finally be overcome by the large majority of children2. Such difficulties are for instance the French front vowels with lip rounding, and the nasal sounds, cousin, mon oncle, on entre, etc. -3 the 1 mouille \T\ famille , feuille, Corneille, Versailles, and the n mouille in agneau, the guttural r in French and German, the pure (undiphthongised) long
1 I need hardly insist on the importance for the teacher of knowing something of English phonetics generally and in relation to German and French phonetics. For a first orientation nothing can be more helpful than a perusal of W. Rippmann's excellent little book called 'The Sounds of Spoken English,' a manual of ear training for English students. London, Dent, 1906.
2 On the whole question see the able lecture ' On the use of Phonetics in Modern Language Teaching ' by Dr Paul Passy, an abstract of which is printed in The Modern Quarterly of Language and Literature, I. (1898) pp. 64sqq.
in our Secondary Schools 17
vowels and the modified vowels in German, the German initial z, the ich and ach sounds, etc. In French, the front rounded vowels, as in pu, peu, peur, are seldom properly acquired, no difference is made between vu and vous, or vu is pronounced like view, Victor Hugo as Victor Yoogo. The instruction in actual phonetics should of course be as short and as simple as possible, but its fundamental physiological principles should be imparted even to children, and Bremer's Wandtafel i. might well be hung up in the modern language class-room for occasional reference. The children should be told and shown that the spoken words consist of sounds and not of letters (e.g. veau, deuil, feuille ; schwarz, sicken, sprechen, etc.). There is no very great differ- ence in the pronunciation of the German Vieh, the English y& and the French fi, although the vowel sound is sometimes a diphthong in the English word ( =feeee, phonetically fij or fit), especially in Southern English. Again a teacher would probably .. nze an opportunity of showing the children that our ordinary alphabet is not by any means complete, as it is far from repre- senting each sound occurring in a language by $ special symbol, but uses the same letter for various sounds, e.g. ^ in ich, ach, or b in Weib, Weibes, ng in der Ganges (river) and des\ Ganges (walk), e in wer, werden (three kinds of e !), o in Schoss and schoss ; or a in man, father, small, or oo mgood, floor, flood ; or th in thin and thine ; g in gin and gun \ I in fusil, peril and fils (' sons ' and 1 threads ') ; // in famille, ville; or g in gant, mangeant ; or on the other hand, different letters may represent the same sound, as in Sie, sieh ; Mai, Mahl, Maal\ wir, ihr, vier\ war, wahr \ Haar, Schar-, bot, Boot, droht', dltern, Eltern, etc. Again — • and here lies a great source of danger with regard to idiomatic pronunciation — the same letter may represent different sounds in different languages, and in pronouncing foreign words the child should be early accustomed to give to the letters their foreign and not their usual English pronunciation, e.g. Mann and man, Ball and ball. In the case of the German words the mouth is in this case much more opened and the vowel
B. 2
1 8 The Teaching of Modern Foreign Languages
sound perfectly short. The German Quell ' source' is to be pronounced kvel (bilabial or labio- dental, but without pro- truding the lips at all), the English quell is kuell with a strong protrusion of the lips. Or again, in many German words the characteristic ' glottal stop ' or ' glottal catch ' should be carefully noticed, e.g. Verein ( —fdr^'ain\ erortern ( — ?2r?'<t>rfcrn), abdn- dern (^=-'ap^enddrn\ entarten (=$mft ' a\rt2n)fenteilen (=}2nfi'aibri), geachtet ( =gft'axfot\ Wachtelei ( = 'vaxtdftai), but verteilen Prugelei ( = pry.gJ lai] , and compare entern and enterben ( — ^^nt'erbdn)] erroten ( = ?2r'Q:ten) and erbffnen ( = ^dr^'^fndn) ; Wustenei ( — vy.std'nai) and Straussenei ( = fftraus9n?ai) ; Pvgelei ( ='fo\g*l?ai) and Lorelei ( = 'lo\rdlai\ etc. The ' glottal stop' is formed by bringing the vocal chords together, so as for a moment to close the glottis, and then suddenly opening them with an explosion, as is done, more violently, in coughing, or in clearing the throat. It is not a sound difficult to produce !, but; as it is not ordinarily written, it is often neglected by English teachers of German. Students who wish to speak German at all well must be careful not to neglect the glottal stop and to make a clear distinction in the pronunciation of words such as vereisen ( —for? aizzri) and verreisen (fzr'aizzri). See Miss Laura Soames, ' Introduction to Phonetics,' p. 146, W. Vietor in 'German Pronunciation,' pp. 56 sqq., W. Ripp- mann, ' Elements of Phonetics,' pp. 6, 24, and my word lists in Series I and II of the 'Cambridge Phonographic Records,' German Series, Records 95 and 107.
A word exists as a rule only as part of a phrase, hence the ' proper reading of whole sentences should be started at once. Here the characteristic foreign intonation and the peculiar accent of the phrase should be carefully taught from the beginning. The teacher should insist on his pupils reading and reciting the French sentences in the even, rhythmical and distinct manner which is so characteristic of the French
1 It is sometimes heard in emphatic English speech. See W. Rippmann, 'The Sounds of Spoken English,' p. 12.
in otir Secondary Schools 19
enunciation. He should not allow them to jerk out the words one by one, but should strictly insist on their emitting them in breath groups, producing one continuous flow to the end of the sentence or part of a longer sentence, however slow the pronunciation of the whole group of words may be at first. This is often neglected in school teaching, the masters being satisfied with a fairly correct pronunciation of individual words. Reciting should be regularly and carefully practised from the beginning, and here, as well as in teaching the pronunciation of separate words, a good phonograph or gramophone will be found of great value. The fhechanical uniformity of the instrument enables pupils to learn a piece of poetry or a song far more quickly than if it were recited or sung to them by the master, who, however good, is certain to vary slightly his articulation or expression with each repetition, and so confuse and distract the children's minds. There are now very fair instruments obtainable at a reasonable price, and it is not too much to hope that before long the instruments may be still rther improved. Dictation also is of great value in training the ear to catch foreign sounds quickly and reproduce them correctly, and is far too much neglected in many schools, especially large public schools for boys. In order to ensure success it is essential that both teachers and pupils should have a good pronunciation, otherwise confusion between such words as vous and z/«, feu, fut, fou, desert and dessert \ Ahre and Ehre, Schiffe and Schiffer, Goethe and Gotter, Gase and Gasse, Saum and Zaum, Holle and Hohle, wagt and wacht will in- evitably occur.
In order to teach pronunciation effectively, most advocates of the ' Neuere Richtung ' strongly recommend beginning with a phonetic transcription of foreign texts and not letting the children see the ordinary spelling at all during the first few weeks (or months). They maintain that children will catch the foreign accent very much better if they do not start with the confusing spelling of the present day, and they are of opinion
fu
' <.U
2O The Teaching of Modern Foreign Languages
that the transition to the ordinary spelling later on is not nearly so difficult as one would believe. They say that the experi- ment has frequently been tried with excellent success, while those who most strenuously oppose it have never given it a fair trial. This vexed question (of which I have no practical experience) is still much discussed and far from being settled1. Practical experiments by competent, well-trained teachers are still wanted, but it seems to me that the number of advocates for beginning with phonetic script (at least for French) is on the increase. Skilful teachers have no doubt obtained good results from it, as I know for instance in the case of the boys taught by L. von Glehn at the Cambridge Perse School for Boys. Still, as far as I can see at present and have been able to gather from the experience of others, it is not absolutely necessary to introduce transcribed texts — indispensable as no doubt they are for students and teachers — into class teaching. Dr Passy's system as used in his periodical ' Le maitre phonetique/ and introduced into many English, German and French primers of modern languages, bids fair to become the recognised International alphabet for phonetic transcrip- tions. Single words of exceptional difficulty might well be transcribed in class teaching in the symbols of this alphabet. The books on phonetics from which a teacher will derive useful information are enumerated in my ' Handy Guide,' § 4, b, and in Dr Passy's pamphlet ' Aims and Principles of the International Phonetic Association,' Bourg-la-Reine, 1904. I can specially recommend Victor's ' Kleine Phonetik des Deutschen, Englischen und Franzosischen,' Leipzig, 1897, together with the useful translation and adaptation of it by
1 See 7^he Mod. Quarterly of Langiiage and Literature, n. 150 — 3 and 157 — 8; the Interim Report of the Mod. Lang. Association Sub-committee on Phonetics appeared in the Modern Language Quarterly of April, 1899, pp. 318 — 321. Mr D. L. Savory, in his Introduction to Cal vert's and Hartog's 'First Book of French Oral Teaching' (London, Rivingtons, 1906), has given strong arguments in favour of phonetic notation.
in our Secondary Schools 21
Walter Rippmann (London, 3i905), and also W. Rippmann's recent little book on the ' Sounds of Spoken English/ London, 1906. Otto Jespersen's 'Lehrbuch der Phonetik,' Leipzig and Berlin (adapted from his Danish 'Fonetik,' 1897-99), goes more into details and will be especially useful to more advanced students of phonetics1.
After the ordinary pronunciation has been thoroughly mas- tered by the children, the teacher should discuss with them, as occasion arises, noteworthy exceptions occurring chiefly in the rimes of the classical poets. The apparent irregularities of French rimes such as rot : parlerais : Francois should be explained by an account of the earlier pronunciation of -oi (like oe). The rimes of Schiller and Goethe, e.g. gluhn : ziehn ; Euch : bleich ; krone : Thrdne \ an : Bahn \ keck : weg ; Getose : Schosse ; Schosse : Rose ; erbotig : gnddig ; Choren : lehren, etc. are not impure in the South German dialectic pronunciation of these great poets. In the highest forms an occasional word about the changes of pronunciation and the standard of pro- nunciation would not be out of place.
Spelling.
As to Spelling a word or two must suffice. German spelling will be discussed in a later lecture. In nearly every language there is a discrepancy, more or less marked, between the way in which the words are written and that in which they are pronounced. The spelling is not so arbitrary as is often supposed, but represents an earlier stage of pronunciation : it is more or less ( historic' (cp. knight, veau, Sta/il). Much has
1 For French pronunciation, Leopold Sudre's * Petit manuel de pro- nonciation fran9aise a 1'usage des etrangers,' Paris, Didier, 1903, and Benjamin Dumville's ' Elements of French Pronunciation and Diction,' London, 1904, deserve to be warmly recommended. See also E. Braunholtz, 'Books of Reference for Students and Teachers of French,' London, 1901, where useful lists are given on pp. 32 sqq. and 45 sqq. For German pro- nunciation see pp. 61 — 4, 84, 87 — 8, 125 — 6 of this book.
22 The Teaching of Modern Foreign Languages
now simply to be committed to memory, but again the advan- tage of a good pronunciation on the part of the children will clearly show itself. If children have been taught from the beginning to distinguish in French properly between e, e and e, they will without fail write reponse, but repos, and representer, pere, arid desespere. If they are accustomed to pronounce the German modified vowels — one of the greatest stumbling-blocks in the way of English students of German — no confusion between Tochter and Tb'chter, Burgen and Burgen, geachtet and gedchtet, tauschen and tauschen ; Kampfer, Kdmpfer ; Madchen, Mddchen ; schatzen, schdtzen ; zahlen, zdhlen ; dorren, dorr en ; stutzen, stutzen, etc. would be possible. They would distin- guish in writing between Hiine and Huhner, between reisend, reissend and reizend, between Senne, Sehne, Szene, and Zdhne. It is acknowledged on all hands that the best way to teach spelling is frequent dictation. Consequently writing from dictation should in the earlier stages be part of the regular drill. In many schools dictation exercises are unduly neglected in junior forms, and bad habits are allowed to grow up which it is sometimes very hard to eradicate. The proper way of dividing words (which is not the same in English and in German) and also punctuation should receive due attention ; the use of semicolons, colons, inverted commas, marks of interrogation and exclamation is often neglected by children writing down a dialogue from dictation.
Grammar^.
It is pretty generally admitted that hitherto the getting up of grammatical niceties and curiosities has been far too prominent in most of our schools, and that Grammar should not be taught and learned at school principally for its own
1 I will here only touch in passing on a question that has recently begun to attract much attention, viz. should the mother-tongue continue to be used in teaching foreign grammar, and should grammars written in English still be put into the hands of children learning French and German? I believe that the time has not yet come to pronounce definitely on this
in our Secondary Schools 23
sake — not even in our modern 'grammar schools.' It should be taught in order to explain difficult passages and in order to help the pupils to group together, to compare, and thus better to understand certain important linguistic phenomena. The study of grammar and the careful analytical examination of sentences is no doubt a most valuable mental training — although it is wrong to say, as is often rashly done, that the study of grammar is a study of logic ; grammar is often not logical — still the special and minute study of grammar as such is not school work, but should be left to the scientific treatment of the University. Every school child should know the chief points of the ordinary grammar of the foreign tongue — it might even be shown how to make its own grammar (see page 71) ; but only the master should have made it a special study. He should of course be thoroughly well grounded in his grammar ; moreover — and this is important — he should be able to give, wherever it may be desirable, the ' why ' no less than the ' what.' He should know the historical or phonetic reasons of the chief
point — so much depends on individual circumstances of teachers and pupils that the laying down of a general rule seems out of the question.
One thing, however, cannot be doubted. French grammars used in France by French children and German grammars written for German children ought not to be introduced into our schools. In every case the special difficulties of English-speaking children ought to be treated at some length,while niceties, interesting to foreigners but comparatively unimportant to English children, should be strictly eliminated. If this is skilfully done, and French and German grammars — or rather the essentials of French and German grammar— are written in French and German for English-speaking pupils, they may probably be put to excellent use in the higher stages. A few French grammars of this description (by Berthon — Poole — Hartog — and Anderson) are now available, but — as far as I am aware — not yet a German school grammar written in German. In the lower stages, however, where every word of the foreign language pro difficult for the young beginners, and explanations cannot be too sinv and easy, I very much doubt the advisability of starting with grammar: editions with introductions and notes written in the foreign language, little time that at most schools is available for modern languages may be spent more profitably on texts of greater interest.
oves^_ •
*
24 The Teaching of Modern Foreign Languages
grammatical phenomena1 — but it would be a grave mistake if he were to introduce much of this special knowledge into his class teaching. The classics should be read and enjoyed — I am not sure whether they always are at present — and they should certainly not be turned in class into a hunting-ground for grammatical curiosities. The somewhat elaborate notes to the classics in the Pitt Press and similar editions are merely intended to facilitate home preparation, and to help the pupils thoroughly to understand the words of the text; they are certainly not meant to be learned by heart in order to be reproduced in an examination paper. They are intended to relieve the teacher and to give him time for the reading aloud of the text with proper pronunciation and intonation, and for a short and stimulating discussion of the scenes and charac- ters of great plays, for which it is so often urged there is no time left in class teaching.
From this there follows as the very first precept addressed to the teacher of foreign grammar : Do not burden the memory of your pupils with too many rules, still less with numerous lists of words following their own rules, those words which we call 'exceptions,' and which are generally so very largely utilized by a vast number of examiners whom I wish I could call excep- tions also. All we want to teach and to impress firmly on the memory of the children is a number of ever-recurring facts, certain rules, briefly and clearly expressed, as far as possible deduced from the texts by the children themselves, and in addition to these only a very few of the most noteworthy exceptions. Most 'practical' school grammars contain far too much ; they would certainly be twice as good if they were half as full2. They should chiefly be used as books of reference.
1 See pp. 82—83, an(l also Ernst Laas, * Der deutsche Unterricht auf hoheren Lehranstalten ' (2nd ed. (by J. Imelmann), Berlin, 1886), pp. 217 — 222.
2 The well-known * Skeleton Grammars ' by H. G. Atkins (London, Blackie) certainly serve a very good purpose in the earlier stages.
in our Secondary Schools 25
Another important point is that the rules should invariably be preceded by a number of well-chosen instances, selected phrases . from which the pupils with the assistance of the teacher will find it easy and interesting to deduce the rules for themselves. This is the natural process of thinking— by com- parison of similar* facts the underlying law is discovered1. All the rules which a teacher wants to impress upon his pupils, he should as far as possible make them find for themselves. The process may be at first somewhat slow, but the interest of the children will never be allowed to flag, and ultimately the rules will be much better known, being remembered in their appli- cation and not merely in themselves. Nothing should be given to learn that has not been carefully explained in class.
Our model teacher will, I fear, in many cases have to make up his own illustrative sentences, for what shall we say of exercises such as the following: Decline in full: 'The blind mouse,' or of the exercise on the numerals: 'Have you got two apples?' 'No, but my four sisters have six dolls'?...! have often pitied teachers and pupils who had to work through elaborate grammars, often containing subtle distinctions of which the Germans themselves are entirely ignorant and which only live an artificial life in the German of certain examination papers, such, for instance, as that capital distinction between der Vorwand and die Vorwand, of which the latter is hardly ever — if at all — used in ordinary German speech. You might read in connection with this a pamphlet which, although it is full of exaggerations and indeed not free from mistakes, yet contains a great deal of truth; it is 'The caricature of German in English Schools,' by C. A. Musgrave, London, 1894, and also G. G. Coulton in 'Public Schools and the Public Needs,' London, 1901, in which a shrewd observer has given facts about modern language examinations that afford ample food for reflection.
1 This point is not by any means ' new,' but was emphasized by Comenius ('Janua Linguarum Reserata,' 1631) and others.
26 The Teaching of Modern Foreign Languages
Must, then, grammar be dry and repulsive to children? It certainly was so under the old system when all schools were 1 grammar schools ' in the strictest sense of the word. But cannot even Dame Grammatica be made attractive to the minds of the young? I think she can, and that everything depends on the way in which a teacher introduces her to the children.
First of all he will not give too much at a time, and that modicum chiefly in connection with the passages read. He will also give the children some idea as to the actual meaning of ' rules' and ' exceptions,' and keep the rules, i.e. the large groups of facts, constantly before them, so as gradually to develop their Sprachgefuhl, the unconscious and unerring feeling for what is idiomatic and right, the creation of which is one of the highest aims of the teacher. He will discuss the terms 'regular' and 'irregular' in the proper way and choose a few easy and striking instances for his explanations. Even chil- dren at school should sometimes get a glimpse of the 'why' and the 'how, 'although often they have of course only to remember the very commonest 'what.' With children of the highest forms even a few somewhat more advanced grammatical phenomena may be discussed as occasion offers itself, viz. the problems of ordinary form-association (e.g. the line in Goethe's 'Legende vom Hufeisen ' : Das ein zerbrochen Hufeisen was — was, now war, through form-association with the plural waren ; but cp. English was and were, where the old difference is preserved) ; the development of Latin words in French, German and English ; the two large groups of words which are distinguished as ' mots populaires' and 'mots savants' (meuble, mobile — Kerker, Karzer — sure, secure), the former of which is the older group in which the words have undergone the effect of the usual sound- laws of the language. Of course all such instruction should be kept strictly elementary — yet it would be sure to interest the children and give them more correct notions of the growth and development of language. The linguistic relation of English
in our Secondary Schools 27
to French and German should be briefly and clearly explained. The relation of numerous words such as finir and finish, or Leib and life, might very well be shown. (Classified lists of correspondences between German and English words are given in my edition of ' Doctor Wespe ' by R. Benedix. Pitt Press Series, 1888, 2i895.) Rather than not touch at all on these and similar points, sacrifice the greater number of exceptions, in fact a good deal of what is given by our practical grammars in small print, and should not be got up, but only referred to as occasion offers. The brief explanation of some important general phenomena is of far greater educational value than the somewhat mechanical drill in rare exceptions or seldom used words and phrases — which is really quite beside the mark in school teaching and can no longer be half excused by pointing to the requirements of certain school examinations. Most of these have of late undergone very considerable alterations in the right direction.
Idioms.
The study of idiomatic phrases and the acquisition of a useful vocabulary cannot be begun too early. But only the really current idioms should be committed to memory, all slang should be carefully avoided, and sentences, not isolated words, should be learned. The principal idioms should be imparted gradually and, where this can easily be done, explained. Ancient manners and bygone customs have left many an interesting trace in the idiomatic phrases of everyday speech. An expla- nation of German idioms such as einem die Stange halten — einen im Stiche lassen — mir schwant Boses — einem ein X fur ein U machen — einen Korb bekommen — in die Schanze schlagen — auf die lange Bank schieben — den Kilrzeren ziehen — kurz angebunden sein, and many others would not fail to arouse the interest of the class, to set their imagination going, and thus to help them to remember the idioms which in most schools are unduly
28 The Teaching of Modern Foreign Languages
neglected. The necessary books of reference for the teacher of German are given on p. 127 and in my £ Guide ' on p. 39 ; there are some smaller books intended for the use of the pupils, e.g. those by Koop (London, 2i89i), Becker (London, 1891), and Weisse (London, 1892), Taker and Roget (London, 1900), but all have many shortcomings, and a really first-rate book for class purposes has still to be written. For French there is the useful book on ' French Idioms and Proverbs,' compiled by de V. Payen-Payne (London, 4i
Vocabulary.
Apart from the vocabulary, which the pupils will gradually acquire in a somewhat haphazard way from the reading of foreign authors, the teacher should from the beginning aim at adding systematically to the stock of words learned by his class. He will do this by regular discussions of small groups of words which are either connected by their sense or by their form and which, after they have been explained, will be learnt by the class. All the ordinary incidents of everyday school life, the technical terms of question and answer, getting up, coming to the blackboard, opening of books, etc., may very well be discussed by the teacher almost from the begin- ning in the foreign language. The pamphlet by Holzer and Schmidt (see p. 107) will help English teachers with regard to French, and a German counterpart could easily be devised. He will at first form short sentences showing the ordinary use of these words, or, in lower forms, have recourse to pictures composed for the purpose (e.g. Holzel's well-known * Wand- bilder fiir den Anschauungs- und Sprachunterricht/ 14 pictures, Wien, Holzel1), or the many useful ' Tableaux auxiliaires
1 In connection with these may be used the booklets called ' Konver- sations-Unterricht nach Holzel's Bildertafeln ' (German, French, Italian, English) published by Emil Roth at Giessen. The German, French, etc. parts can be had separately. Or the 'Description des tableaux d'enseigne- ment d'Ed. Hoelzel a 1'usage des ecoles' par Lucien Genin et Joseph
in our Secondary Schools 29
Delmas' (16 pictures avec livret explicatif par E. Rochelle, chez Delmas, Bordeaux or London, Hachette and Co.), or again to G. Egli's little picture-books with vocabulary called * Satze fur den Unterricht in den vier Hauptsprachen ' (Bildersaal fur den Sprachenunterricht), Zurich, or to W. Rippmann's ' French Picture Vocabulary ' and ' German Picture Vocabulary,' First Series, London, Dent, 1906. '• He will take such series of words as: father, mother, child, son, daughter... i.e. all those expressing ordinary family relationships. Another day he will take : house, court, garden, street, road;... or sun, moon, star, cloud, thunder, lightning... the sun sets, a cloud covers the moon, the thunder roars, the lightning flashes, the rain falls or pours down. . . ; or tree, bush, oak, beech, fir, willow... together with the verbs : to plant, to grow, to burst into leaf, etc. The teacher will do well to work the necessary words and phrases into short and interesting dialogues, or into stones which he will tell the children several times in the foreign language and which he will make them repeat, write down from dictation, and learn by heart. Irregular verbs should at first be avoided as far as is possible. Subjects such as 'a walk in the country,' 'a birthday party at home,' 'a schooltreat,' 'a thunderstorm at sea,' 'a cycling accident in the street,' * a visit of our uncle from Berlin or Paris,' would afford plenty of useful material for increasing the vocabulary of the pupils. The numerals, the pronouns, the forms of address make natural groups which should be studied together and worked into a number of well-devised sentences. Together with the numerals the chief foreign measures, weights and moneys should be given with their English equivalents. Some foreign coins should be shown to the class when their name and value are given. The Educational Supply Association now sell a set of
Schamanek, Vienna, 1905 (is. $d.}. The First French Book and the First German Book in Dent's Series will also be found most useful in this respect. In their latest editions there are many improvements, not the least among them being (in the French book) the new pictures of the seasons with French — instead of the original HolzePs Austrian — local colour.
30 The Teaching of Modern Foreign Languages
German coins (facsimile) for 4^. which should form part of a collection of modern language 'ReahV at every school. Coloured Picture Post-cards (id. each) giving splendid reproductions of foreign coins are also obtainable.
Another way of systematically increasing the vocabulary, which is often very useful with more advanced ' pupils, is the study of ordinary words which are connected by form : sitzen, setzen, Sitzung, Satzung, Sitz, Satz (Aufsatz, Einsatz, Vorsatz, Absatz), Setzer, aufsitzen, absitzen, nachsitzen, einsetzen, absetzen, vorsetzen, versetzen, besetzen, iibersetzen, Besitzung, Besatzung, Besetzung) Versetzung, Ubersetzung, ... or steigen, Steig (Bahnsteig^ Steigbilgel\ Stieg (Aufstieg, Abstieg), Steg, Stegrdf, ab-, auf-, aus-, em-, um-steigen...e\.c. The difficulty here is where to stop, but the conscientious teacher who has prepared his lesson beforehand, and has made for himself a carefully considered list of the words which he intends to give his pupils, will not be exposed to the danger of giving too much, viz. words which are of but little practical importance for school purposes. Word-formation is at present far too much neglected in school- teaching.
A third way of systematically widening the vocabulary, and one which should only be used occasionally in the highest forms by a skilful and well-informed teacher, is the method (so far as it can be used) of etymological comparison. The lists of ordinary sound-correspondences in my Pitt Press edition of Benedix' comedy ' Dqctor Wespe ' with numerous instances will be found useful for this purpose.
With regard to systematically imparting to the class a good working vocabulary I should not advise teachers to confine themselves to one of these methods only — some change is always refreshing — but to take the first-mentioned method as a foundation, and to make the children learn, gradually and systematically, all the most important words of the foreign language — and none but those.
Some hints how this may be done are contained in a
in our Secondary Schools 31
German pamphlet on the first teaching of French. It is by Dr Hermann Soltmann, and is called ' Das propadeutische Halbjahr des franzosischen Unterrichts an der hoheren Mad- chenschule,' Bremen, 1893. What is said there with regard to French at German schools holds equally good with regard to our English schools. Short but useful guides for English teachers of French and German have recently been written by W. Rippmann (' Hints on teaching French,' London, 1898, ^1904; 'Hints on teaching German,' London, 1899), wno has also contributed some valuable articles on the early teaching of French to the first numbers of ' The School World' (1899). On the first teaching of German see the ex- cellent advice given by E. L. Milner-Barry in 'The School World' (Oct.— Dec. 1899).
Conversation J.
It is of the utmost importance that a master should talk to his class in the foreign language as early as possible. He will begin by discussing pictures and objects which are placed before the pupils (e.g. Delmas', Rippmann's, Egli's, or HolzePs pictures; see above). For this he will find useful the ' Konversations- unterricht nach Holzels Bildertafeln,' Giessen-Roth, 10 parts, each 40 pf. (i.e. 5^.), and ' Description des tableaux d'enseigne- ment d'Ed. Hoelzel a 1'usage des ecoles par Lucien Genin et Joseph Schamanek,' Vienna, is. 3^. I have already mentioned E. Rochelle's * Livret explicatif des Tableaux Auxiliaires Delmas,' Bordeaux, 1903. (Obtainable in London, at Messrs Hachette and Co., for 8J*/.) At first, in order to be under- stood, he will occasionally have to give some short explana- tions in English, and he will not talk French or German the whole time. Gradually the necessary explanations in the English language will become less^ frequent and the talk in the foreign language will be continued longer. The master must from the
1 See the discussions in Modern Language Teaching I. (1905), Nos. 6 and foil., and the summing up in M. L. T. n. (1906), pp. n — 15.
32 The Teaching of Modern Foreign Languages
beginning make all the children take an active part in the lesson and consequently the modern language classes ought never to be very large. The pupils must be interested— stimu- lated to make out what the master says and to express in the foreign tongue what they see him doing. In spite of all his attempts to draw them out many of the boys will at first prove most determined ' passive resisters.' But the teacher must be equally determined not to give in. He will first train their ear and their faculty of catching the peculiarity of the foreign sounds and intonation, then their faculty of speech. He must make them answer in complete sentences —all of them, not only the few forward pupils — he must in every way endeavour to overcome their shyness and disinclination to use the foreign idiom. Most English school-boys are unwilling to try to speak any other language than their own, they think it affectation to produce a proper French nasal sound, and it will require all the skill and tact of a master in whom they believe to draw them out. He will naturally make them speak at first exclusively of things which they see or have observed and experienced, about topics well known to them, the vocabulary of which they have mastered. In order to do this the teacher must of course be full of resource besides being able to converse in the foreign idiom with ease and fluency. A French candidate for the degree of Agrege is required by the regulations of the examination to discourse for an hour in the foreign language and is then questioned on his lecture. A German modern language master is required in his ' Staats- examen ' to show fluency and correctness in the practical use of the foreign language which he wants to teach. Our English examination tests are in this respect as yet far from sufficient. A change for the better seems however to be setting in1.
1 At Cambridge a viva voce Examination on a much larger basis and of a much more searching nature than the old oral test in connection with the Tripos has now been established for a number of years, and oral examinations are also in existence at all the other leading Universities.
in our Secondary Schools 33
In speaking the foreign language the teacher should with junior classes at first make use of some picture such as (the improved) Holzel's or Delmas'. With older pupils who have done at least one other foreign language a teacher of German may also take the map of Europe, and teach according to the direct method, beginning perhaps by pointing to England and saying1 :
Dies ist England. Was ist dies? Dies ist England. Dies ist Deutschland. Was ist dies ? Dies ist Deutsch-
land. England (Deutschland) ist em Land. Das Land ist groB,
das groBe Land. Deutschland ist ein grofies Land. Dies ist die Nordsee. Die Nordsee ist ein Meer. Dies ist der Rhein. Der Rhein ist ein Flufi. Der FluB flieBt in das Meer (in die Nordsee). Dies ist die Elbe. Die Elbe ist auch ein FluB. Die Elbe flieBt auch in die Nordsee. Der Rhein und die Elbe sind Fliisse. Die Elbe ist ein groBer deutscher FluB.
A number of questions and answers — carefully pronounced — would serve to make the children familiar with the foregoing
For the latest German regulations see the Ordnung ftir die Priifung, die praktische Ausbildung und die Anstellung der Kandidaten des hoheren Lehramts in Preufan. Halle a. S., 1906, pages 7 — 8; 15 — 17; 85 sqq. See also pages 145 sqq.
1 Cp. the excellent chapter on the teaching of German on a direct system by Fred. Spencer in his 'Aims and Practice of Teaching' (Cam- bridge, 1897), pp. 100 — 1 20. My specimen above given was constructed before the appearance of Mr Spencer's valuable experiment. On a similar experiment (by Mr Findlay, Mr Twentyman and Mr Kirkman) see the Bibliographical Appendix p. 61 under 8 and 15. In both cases the pupils were adults. But I cannot see any strong reason against starting with foreign life and ways in the case of young pupils. The mental difficulties will not be insuperable, the interest will be much quickened by the charm of novelty and pleasure in comparing.
B. 3
34 The Teaching of Modern Foreign Languages
sentences and the sounds contained in them. Then a sum- mary of the grammatical material contained in these sentences would be made by the teacher, speaking English, thus :
Der, die, das — ein — dies — groB ; groBer, groBe, groBes — ist, sind — flieBt — FluB, Fliisse — der FluB, das Land, das Meer, der Rhein, die Elbe, die Nordsee — England, Deutsch- land, deutscher — ein deutscher FluB, ein groBes Land.
It is scarcely necessary to remark that in the case of young beginners this would be far too much grammatical material for a single lesson. For a class of older boys and girls it will just be possible to master it.
Or a teacher might start with Rippmann's or Egli's picture- books and discuss the scenes of everyday life with his pupils, especially with young children in the lower forms. With older children historical and geographical pictures, with which every school should be well supplied, should be discussed also1.
In order to secure, without risk of losing it again, an easy command of the foreign idiom, teachers of modern languages should after the completion of their University training have resided abroad and should from time to time go abroad again. But a prolonged stay in a foreign country will be valuable in other ways also. It will enable teachers to see with their own eyes and to speak from personal experience. They will be more just and sympathetic in their judgment of foreign excellence and foreign peculiarities. Residence abroad is so far nowhere compulsory, no European State requires it expressly
1 During the last few years as is well known the Universities of Cam- bridge and Oxford have added to their Local and Joint Board Examinations voluntary oral tests in modern languages. It is to be hoped that the number of schools going in for them will rapidly increase. So far there are not many candidates, especially among the boys, and the results are often not yet satisfactory, but at all events a beginning has been made that is bound to develop. I have been assured that some excellent results are obtained at the London University School Examinations, where an oral test is compulsory.
in our Secondary Schools 35
of its modern language teachers ; but in France, where of late the State has done much for modern languages, to have resided abroad is virtually a condition of appointment to good posts. Travelling exhibitions are given in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and France by the State and by municipalities ; and in Sweden, I am informed, on such a scale that every modern language teacher has at his disposal on an average one year in five. America gives a prolonged leave of absence every seventh year, and also bursaries. At the Neuphilologentag at Hamburg (1896) it was resolved to memorialise the German governments to the effect that ' for the maintenance of conversational facility and the knowledge of foreign life and customs, leave of absence should be granted to teachers of Modern Languages — whether in Universities or High Schools — at certain fixed intervals of time (at least every five years),' and this was emphasized again at Cologne in 1904. In England the State does not directly interfere, though it has helped, in these matters, but it is very desirable that teachers of modern languages should help themselves to keep up their practical efficiency, and that Headmasters should assist them by granting an occasional leave of absence. This is a point of very great importance and one that the Modern Language Association should be interested in taking up. At Birmingham Professor Fiedler has succeeded more than once in raising a sum of ^"50 to be given as a travelling scholarship to students of the University. There are also now at the Birmingham University the valuable Harding Scholarships for graduate honours students of German. With regard to subsidising duly qualified actual or intending modern language teachers, mention should also be made of the excellent facilities afforded by the Gilchrist Scholarships (given to Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds Universities) for honours graduates in modern languages ; also of the West Riding scheme of continuing their Modern Language Scholarships for a 4th or 5th year for residence abroad. The London County Council
3-*
36 The Teaching of Modern Foreign Languages
has also repeatedly given travelling bursaries to modern language teachers. Thus a beginning has been made, but it is to be hoped that before long County Councils all over England and also private donors will do much more.
Very much good may be done by the new system of exchange of teachers, by which English teachers are appointed as 1 assistants' in French and Prussian state schools (in Prussia, so far, this has not yet been extended to women). Information on the conditions of this extremely important new scheme of 1 assistants' in French and Prussian schools can be obtained by writing to the Director of Special Enquiries, Board of Education Library, St Stephen's House, Cannon Row, London, S.W.1 It is essential that only modern language honours graduates, that is, only such men and women as have made the study of modern languages their life's work, shall ultimately be sent abroad by the Board of Education, and it is moreover highly desirable that these ' assistants ' should as far as possible be attached to schools in foreign University towns. They would thus enjoy, in addition to the opportunities offered by residence in any foreign town, the many peculiar advantages naturally arising out of the facilities for study and research that can only be found in academic surroundings.
At present there exist in a large number of French, Swiss, and German University towns so called ' Holiday courses ' in which lectures in the language of the country are given, opportunities for the constant use of the foreign language offered, practice in phonetic drill arranged, and illustrations in the methods of modern language teaching given. Such summer meetings are being held in July and August at many German Universities, for instance at Greifswald (on the Baltic Sea), Marburg (on the Lahn), and Jena (near Weimar and the Wartburg). The French meetings are arranged at Paris by the Alliance Franchise (apply to the Secretary, 45, Rue de Grenelle) and (at Caen and Tours) by the Modern Language Holiday Courses Com- 1 See also pp. 85 sqq. of the Ordnung fur die Priifung etc. and pp. 150 — i.
in our Secondary Schools 37
mittee of the Teachers' Guild (apply to the Secretary of the Teachers' Guild, 74, Gower Street, London, W.C.). On the French and Swiss meetings see P. Shaw Jeffrey, ' The Study of Colloquial and Literary French/ London, 1899, pp. 35 sqq. The Edinburgh Holiday Courses in which much attention is paid to modern languages deserve also to be mentioned. Many of my own students have derived the greatest benefit from attending such courses abroad. Moreover the Ferienkurse are cheap, part of them specially devised for the needs of foreigners 1 and, from all I have heard of them from a number of students of both sexes, most enjoyable2. I have no doubt that our students and teachers of modern languages will very largely benefit by repeated visits abroad in the congenial society of fellow-teachers and in daily practice of the foreign idiom. They should live, if possible, in a German or French family where they could be the only foreigners (not merely the only English boarders) and on no account go to one of the large boarding-houses, which are obviously the most unsuitable places to live in if one wants to learn a foreign language.
There is a growing conviction that the teaching of modern languages in our secondary schools should henceforth as a rule not be entrusted to foreigners but to duly qualified English men and women. I believe that this is a very sound
1 The Holiday Courses held (since 1904) by the University of London are only intended for foreign students and teachers. At the University Extension Meetings held (during the month of August) alternately at the Universities of Cambridge (1906, 1908, 1910, etc.) and Oxford (1907, 1909...) special attention is now also paid to the needs of foreign students.
2 See the Journal of Education, 1899, p. 151. A useful table of Holiday Courses on the Continent for instruction in Modern Languages is now annually compiled by the Board of Education. It is usually ready for publication about the beginning of April in each year, and copies can be obtained on application to the Board of Education Library, St Stephen's House, Cannon Row, Whitehall, London, S.W.
38 The Teaching of Modern Foreign Languages
and well justified view — I cannot discuss it here at length1 — and the only advice I have to give to intending teachers no less than to those who have entered the profession, is : Go abroad as much as you can, improve and deepen your knowledge of the language and of the people as much as is in your power2. Here at Cambridge we have now (1906) for nearly twenty-two years past been training teachers of modern languages, and there have been among them very few indeed who did not manage to go abroad at least once, during the three or four years they were reading for their Modern Languages Tripos3. Most of them went abroad two or three times during their residence. In order to derive real benefit from their stay abroad, students should not go too early and should very carefully prepare themselves for it. The way in which they should proceed to study abroad is indicated on pages 100 — 101.
Reading.
As the object of modern language teaching is in my opinion to teach not only the foreign language, but at the same
1 See my paper on 'The Teaching of Modern Languages' contributed to Mr Spenser Wilkinson's 'The Nation's Need,' London, 1903, pp. 219 — 220.
2 Books such as R. Kron's 'French Daily Life,' London, Dent, 4i9O5, Kron's 'German Daily Life,' London, 4i9<>5, and Hamann's 'Echo der deutschen Umgangssprache,' will be found most useful. Students should be provided with Jaschke's little pocket dictionaries of French and German, with the Baedekers of Paris (or Northern France, in French) or Berlin (or Norddeutschland, etc. in German) ; if they read German, students of French might consult Langenscheidt's ' Sachworterbuch,' 'Land und Leute in Frankreich,' Berlin, 3i9O5 (where other references are given); Mahrenholtz, 'Frankreich' (Leipzig, 1897) ; and Klopper's ' Franzosisches Real-Lexikon.'
3 An account of the history and present position of the Cambridge Medieval and Modern Languages Tripos is given by me in the April number (1899) of the Modern Quarterly, pp. 322 — 26. See also my account contributed to P. Shaw Jeffrey's ' Study of Colloquial and Literary French,' London, 1899, PP- £73— 183. Some changes will probably before long be introduced into the existing Tripos scheme.
in our Secondary Schools 39
time by means of it the principal features of the life and character of a foreign nation, it follows that the material for reading should be chosen so as to promote this aim.
A most careful selection of suitable material should be made, and a systematic gradation of reading should be devised.
After a good many object lessons in which the common objects of the foreign country are called by their foreign names and discussed in a variety of sentences, there might follow the use of a Primer containing all the commonest words and well- chosen characteristic illustrations. From the very beginning the reading should be connected with the history and geography of the foreign country. A good clear school-map of Germany (or France) with German (or French) names should be hung up among other things characteristic of the foreign country, its. literature, institutions and principal buildings, in the German (or French) class room. German names of German placesr rivers (with the defin. article) and mountains should be taught throughout, e.g. Aachen, Koln, Braunschweig, Mainz, Regens- burg, Miinchen, Wien, Donau, Weichsel, Vogesen, Pfalz, Thiiringen, Sachsen, Schlesien, etc.
In the middle classes a well compiled Reader should form the centre of all modern language teaching. It would be a graduated continuation of the Primer used in the lower forms. The ideal German Reader for English Schools has not yet been written. E. Hausknecht's 'The English Student/ J. Klapperich's ' Englisches Lese- und Realienbuch,' perhaps also W. Victor's and F. Dorr's ' Englisches Lesebuch/ or O. Jespersen's and Chr. Sarauw's * Engelsk Begynderbog ' and O. Jespersen's ' England and America Reader ' are the books which I should set up as models to be followed, but some of the pieces should even at this stage be chosen, without regard for practical utility, merely for the sake of their literary excellence.
In the upper forms the Reader should be replaced by the study of some of the best classical works, and to aid teachers in their choice of these, a select list or 'canon' of such classical works as are suitable for the pupils to read either in school or
4O The Teaching of Modern Foreign Languages
at home should be compiled by a committee of practical teachers, and a small library containing a selection of suitable books in modern languages should be formed for the upper and middle forms of secondary schools for boys and girls.
Nature of the proposed ' Reader?
Our model ' Reader ' for middle classes l — which is as yet unwritten — should contain only pieces illustrating the life and thought of the foreign nation in olden and, still more, in our own times. The selection should be made by an experienced teacher with skill and tact, and above all in a spirit of sympathy with foreign excellence and of interest in foreign peculiarities. Its aim must obviously be to make the children understand foreign ways of thinking, but not to encourage in them a spirit of immature and self-assertive criticism, * The texts should as far as possible be accompanied by well executed character- istic illustrations, showing for instance the Roland of Bremen or Notre Dame de Paris. A glossary at the end, with easy phonetic transcriptions of especially difficult words, and short references to obvious etymological comparisons with English, would much enhance the usefulness of such a Reader.
Anything not in harmony with these principles should be strictly excluded from the modern language reading books. From a model Reader of French or German I should for instance unhesitatingly exclude a description, however brilliant, of the 'battle of Marathon,' or <a trip to the Isle of Wight,' or ' a sunset in the desert/ or 'the character of the Chinese,' or 'Warren Hastings.' I should also discard general anecdotes, such as ' remarkable cleverness of a fox-terrier,' or fables, such as ' the boy and the serpent/ etc. On the other hand I should gladly admit 'a trip from London to Paris/ 'a visit to the South of France/ or 'to the Rhine/ or 'to the Black Forest/ a 'visit
* For English students and teachers Wilh. Paszkowski's excellent 'Lesebuch zur Einfiihrung in die Kenntnis Deutschlands und seines geistigen Lebens,' Berlin, 1904, 2i9O5, deserves warm recommendation.
in our Secondary Schools 41
to the Louvre/ or Ho the Castle at Heidelberg,7 or 'to Cologne Cathedral,' 'a reception into the Academic Franchise/ 'a Provengal vintage,7 ' a speech by Bismarck in the Reichstag,' 'a German school-treat,' 'a Turnfahrt,' 'a Sangerfest/ etc. Again place might be found for subjects such as * Henri IV. and the foreign ambassadors,' 'the Emperor Max and his fool Kunz von Rosen,' ' Frederick II. and the miller of Sanssouci,' 'Bismarck and the Austrian Ambassador,' or 'Goethe's corre- spondence with Carlyle,' or some letters of Lessing or Schiller or of Moltke or Bismarck^
In the case of German, pieces such as these would be just as useful to the pupils learning the language as those contained in the present books, and they would— each of them — in addition illustrate some point of German history, geography, life and thought, and would furnish excellent material for com- parison and discussion.
In addition to the selected pieces in prose and verse I should put into the Reader :
(1) Good clear maps, not too small, of Germany and France ; rivers and places to be given with their foreign names, the rivers with the definite article, le Rhone, la Seine ; der Neckar, die Weser, etc. Special maps of Berlin and Vienna (or Paris) and surroundings should be included.
(2) Tables of foreign measures, weights, and moneys (the latter if possible with coloured illustrations — few English children realize the size and value of a German Pfennig, an Austrian Heller, or have seen German nickel money) together with their English equivalents.
(3) Pictures of the flags and ensigns of foreign nations, also the German spread-eagle (as seen on all official documents), the emblem of the French Republic, and similar illustrations of importance and interest which can easily be procured.
(4) Enumerations of the principal ranks and titles, together with the proper forms of address, and also the shape and style of visiting cards.
42 The Teaching of Modern Foreign Languages
(5) N Letters of various kinds, ordinary letters (social and commercial) as well as some of a higher and of the highest type. Some of the German letters should be in German handwriting. Forms of envelopes with all kinds of addresses and direc- tions, e.g. Eingeschrieben^ Postlagernd, Bitte nachzuschicken, Abs(ender), etc., and of postal wrappers (Drucfaachc, Ge- schaftspapiere, Muster ohm Wert, etc.), should also be given.
(6) A few typical forms of advertisements together with the usual notices of births, engagements (in Germany), marriages, and deaths.
(7) A list of the most common abbreviations used in the foreign languages, such as trie German G.m.b.H.] a.D.-, bezw.*, Hss.; m.E.-j s.Z.; s.v.w.-, u.a.\ ult., etc. '
A Reader containing all these items could most profitably be made the basis of instruction in the foreign tongues.
Study of the Classics.
For the use of the highest forms of schools a charac- teristic selection of truly representative works should be made, beginning with some rather easy works. A sort of ' canon ' of all that is really first-rate and at the same time suitable for school-reading should be drawn up. This again would be a really useful subject for discussion among the members of the Modern Language Association, and the columns of Modern Language Teaching would be at the disposal of persons of experience anxious to discuss this most important problem. As but little time can be allotted to modern languages in the curricula of our secondary schools, it is of paramount importance that no book but the very best, the most suitable and the most characteristic, should be set for school-reading or suggested for the private reading of the scholars. This is at present very frequently not the case; a number of the books prescribed and
1 Lists explaining all the ordinary German and English abbreviations are given in my revised edition of Cassell's German Dictionary (1906).
in our Secondary Schools 43
edited with English notes do not deserve to be studied in schools to the neglect of other works, which are no more difficult and far more attractive and important.
The ' canon ' of works to be read should be sufficiently comprehensive to admit of frequent changes : at one time one of Lessing's plays, at another one by Goethe or Schiller or Grillparzer or some other great dramatist might be set, the same standard of difficulty being; kept. But nothing that is not of real literary excellence sh6uld be read, and for this reason for instance Kotzebue's old-fashioned and one-sided farce, ' Die deutschen Kleinstadter/ which is at present much read in France and of which there is, unfortunately, also an English edition, should be sternly rejected. School-children would get nothing but wrong notions about German life from the reading of this farce, while a more modern and infinitely superior play, Gustav Frey tag's comedy, ' Die Journalisten,' is not read half as much as it deserves to be.
In the lists of suitable texts, to be drawn up by the joint efforts of a number of experienced teachers, there should be columns for easy, intermediate, and difficult texts, subdivided into prose and poetry, with indications whether the texts are specially suitable for boys or for girls or well adapted for both sexes. Symbols might be added to show if the books are recommended for class-reading or will do for private study, and in every case the names of the editor and the publisher, and also the price, should be given. Such lists, which would have to be revised from time to time, would prove of great value to teachers and examining bodies.
A ' canon ' of poems to be learned by heart — after due explanation and recitation by the master — should also be used. There should be a gradation from the easier to the harder, and the older poems should be repeated from time to time in later terms1.
1 During the first year of German some of the interesting and easy poems contained in the German Series i (Cambridge Phonographic Re-
44 The Teaching of Modern Foreign Languages
Some prose pieces (fables, passages from speeches) might also occasionally be committed to memory and recited with suitable intonation by the class. If properly treated this is really a most useful exercise, but the master must take care that the piece is well explained, understood, learned, and recited without a hitch and with the proper expression. The pieces thus learned should be models of style and need not be at all long. Here is a large field for really useful investigation and much wanted reform. These exercises will be found to ' pay ' all the better when our Modern Language examinations are still further reformed and due importance is attached to proficiency in the spoken language.
I sincerely trust that before long all the progressive schools in this country will assign more time to the study of modern languages, which is the first and foremost condition of success in teaching. In the meantime
(1) Find out how many hours for how many terms and years you have at your disposal in your school ; then
(2) Make a general plan of work on a clearly conceived system for yourself and your colleagues at the same school.
(3) Bring about a fruitful interchange of ideas with your fellow-teachers, as to what should be read and in what way you are going to read it in the different forms of the school.
The study of foreign classics in the highest forms should be less dependent than it is now upon 'set books' appointed for examinations. The drawbacks of getting up 'set books' are well known. They may be too hard or they may be too easy for a great number of pupils. They are often merely learned by rote — completely spoiling the child's pleasure in the book— and at all events a disproportionate amount of time is given in most schools to the getting up of one or two books, while four
cords, Cambridge, Heffer, id.) might be learned by junior pupils. The little book by W. P. Chalmers, 'Deutsche Gedichte zum Auswendig- lernen' (with notes in either German or English), 2nd revised edition, London, Harrap, 1906, is. 6d., will also be found very useful.
in our Secondary Schools 45
or five of the same size might have been read and enjoyed within the same space of time. Sometimes, of course, pre- scribed books may fit in well and be just the thing to study. But it cannot be denied that they often disturb the harmonious development of the subject, coming in at the wrong time for individual forms and taking the place of books which should be read by preference. The options that are now offered by some examining bodies are to be welcomed as a step in the right direction. The following is a true though rather an extreme case of the neglect of the classics. Some time ago I had to examine a candidate orally who told me that he had done German for more than three years. When I asked him what authors he had read in this time he answered, ' I have only read the set book, but I have worked through many — examination papers ' !
More than once I have been asked by teachers : Do you think that the French iyth and German i8th century classics should still be read in English schools ? This question is most frequently asked by teachers who know only of utilitarian and commercial, but not of educational ends in the study of modern foreign literature. We should here beware of our friends. There is no doubt a decided increase in the interest taken in modern languages all over the country, especially in French, but this interest I am sorry to see is in many cases not educational but purely commercial. These advocates of ' Moderns versus Ancients ' forget that education and culture are the ends of all higher school study, and that the very best is just good enough for the education of our children. That kind of education which the better schools should give cannot be got from the trashy stuff which some utilitarian pedagogues propose to substitute for the great works of the noblest minds. It is true that the study of Moliere's Misanthrope does not always help us to read the advertisements of 'Le Petit Journal,' still less are Schiller's ' Wallenstein ' or Grillparzer's 'Sappho' the most suitable preparation for the
46 The Teaching of Modern Foreign Languages
study of the ' Berliner Borsenkurier ' — but I trust that you will all agree with me that, practical as the teaching of modern languages must be, teachers have no right to withhold from their more advanced pupils the knowledge of some of the greatest works of modern literary art, works full of beauty and of noble ideas expressed in exquisite language. It is the privilege of a teacher to show to his pupils how these great works of art should be appreciated and enjoyed. His zeal and enthusiasm should fire those of his pupils. Above all, in schools in which the ancient classical writers are but little read or not read at all, all the more stress should be laid on the careful study of a number of foreign masterpieces of the iyth and i8th centuries. These convictions do not in the least prevent me from ad- mitting that some suitable thoroughly modern texts should be read from time to time by the side of the great classics, especially in the case of an unusually short or crowded term. There will be ample time for reading a considerable amount of real literature on the modern sides of good boys' schools and in all the high schools for girls, as teachers in the future will devote less time to the teaching of grammar pure and simple, and very little to the mechanical manufacturing of colourless translations from English into the foreign language. Moreover private reading on the part of the pupils should be constantly encouraged and discreetly directed by the master, not only in the vacations when pupils of the higher forms might quite well be encouraged to read an interesting French or German book from the school or form library, but also during the school terms. As I have pointed out on page 5, every form or at least each of the two main divisions (junior — senior) should have its special Modern Language Library — containing a good selection of fairly easy and well illustrated French and German books, some representative illustrated foreign magazines, some books on history and travel, good large maps of the foreign countries with the foreign names of rivers and towns, etc. Boys and girls should be encouraged frequently to spend
in otir Secondary Schools 47
some of their leisure time with these books and, if their spare time is very limited during term, at least to look at the pictures and read what is said in connection with them.
The method of reading with a class.
The most careful preparation on the part of the teacher — and not only of the young teacher — is absolutely necessary for success. He has not merely to consider what is to be said, but what is not to be said, and in the case of what he says how it should be said and impressed upon the minds of the young.
A good teacher will of course never be content with walking into his class room and saying on the subject he is to teach just what happens to occur to him — he will carefully sift his material, reduce and simplify, dwell on the important points, in short, work according to a well-conceived plan and without omission of any point of importance for the children. The fact that everything has been thought out beforehand need not make his delivery dry and dull, either to himself or to his class. In order to make his lesson interesting and fruitful I would advise a young teacher as follows : find out with the class, as far as possible by question and answer, the facts which you have decided to teach. Extract together with" them everything that is of importance -in the text you are studying, encouraging every child to help in the work. Be careful not to talk above the understanding of the children, especially of the average children, in the discussion of a great play or of a difficult poem — do not talk about what will interest you most, but about what the children want and have a right to learn. Great care and tact, also great self-abnegation, is necessary in the teaching of poetry and literature. The very best and deepest thoughts of the greatest minds are naturally beyond the reach of children — yet fortunately there remains a very great deal that can be taught and will, if imparted
48 The Teaching of Modern Foreign Languages
carefully and in an interesting manner, be sure to bear fruit in later life. The children should be early accustomed to look upon a poem or a play not as an exercise or as something to be crammed for an examination, but as a work of art to be appreciated and enjoyed. A good teacher will not use many words about it, but he will let this feeling arise naturally from the way in which he approaches and treats the poem. Before he begins to read a poem or a prose passage with the class he will be careful to create the proper atmosphere for it. A few introductory words will prepare the minds of the young, and then the poem will not fail to produce the desired effect upon them. But if you begin the reading of a poem by saying in a cold business-like tone : ( Smith, will you read the first stanza of poem No. 42 on page 96 of the Reader' — of course the Muse of Poetry will have left the room long before Smith has opened his mouth. All will be different if the teacher says a few simple words of introduction to prepare the minds of the children beforehand, and then proceeds to read the poem aloud with proper pronunciation, intonation and expression. Poems such as Goethe's 'Erlkonig' or Schiller's 'Graf von Habsburg ' require very careful reading in order to produce the fullest effect. Few masters will be able to read these poems really well without careful preparation — perhaps with the assistance of a good phonographic record. After the master has read the poem he will have it repeated by the pupils, the better ones being first called upon, and will insist on a good, careful and spirited reproduction. Sometimes a short poem may be advantageously read by the whole class together. The teacher should explain any real difficulties and ask questions concerning passages which require explanation — but he should not create difficulties. In the case of poems it is sometimes advantageous to give and to require a paraphrase of difficult lines in ordinary prose, or to give before the actual reading of a more difficult poem a brief summary of its contents. Two poems which I have found to be hard to render well and which
in our Secondary Schools 49
are not easily understood even by pupils of good ability are Schiller's ' Kampf mit dem Drachen ' and still more Goethe's so-called ' Ballade' ('vom vertriebenen und zurtickkehrenden Grafen'). Never give a poem to the class to be learned by heart without having first read and fully explained the whole of it. It is wrong to expect that this important work of initiating the children into a piece of foreign poetry should be done by the parents at home or the master supervising the * preparation class.' The same remark applies to poems which are sung. Too often the children are allowed to sing French or German songs which they do not properly understand. Teachers should also avoid setting very long poems in the lower and middle classes to be absorbed in homceopathical doses during the whole of a long term by the unfortunate children.
With the highest forms you will be able to read pretty rapidly, making the pupils invariably read out the German or French texts and only requiring an English rendering or a German or French paraphrase in the case of rather difficult passages. If you attempt at that stage some of the great foreign dramas you will find that your pupils really enjoy them, when not obliged to take line by line and scene by scene like drops from a dropper — the safest way of making them detest Racine and Schiller for many years to come. Many mistakes are made by teachers in giving superfluous information or requiring the pupils to learn by rote all the notes contained in their editions of the classic. A great play is too good to be treated as a storehouse full of grammatical curiosities. These should certainly be explained in the notes where they occur, but their importance should not be exaggerated and no disproportionate amount of time should be allowed for them. In saying this I do not wish to recommend that the teacher should pass over unnoticed any real difficulty of language or thought or allow any opportunity for awakening literary taste to slip by.
B. 4
5O The Teaching of Modern Foreign Languages
In dealing with a great play, if it be written in verse, the teacher should consider it his duty briefly to discuss the metrical form, of which nearly all school-children and even many advanced students of modern languages are entirely ignorant. They should know the elements of poetic form — it is by no means a matter of no importance in what way the poet has chosen to express his thoughts. Certain forms suit the poetic genius of certain languages — the iambic trimeter is the national tragic metre for the Greeks as is the alexandrine for the French and blank verse for the English. Lessing and Schiller deliberately adopted in their later plays the English blank verse, Goethe's metre in ' Iphigenie ' is more closely connected with the Italian endecasillabo, all three modified the adopted metre to suit their own taste and genius. Even school-boys • and school-girls may fairly be expected to have some general notions on such points — which, if properly brought before them, would be sure to interest them : for instance, a word about poetical licence would not be out of place with a sixth form ; the scholars should be warned against saying in the case of apparent or real metrical irregularities merely ' this is a poetical licence ' without having any clear notion of the precise meaning of this term. The use of vague terms should be discouraged from the beginning, and the characteristics of the few common dramatic metres should be familiar to every scholar who is allowed to read a great French or German classical drama. What is the state of things at present? Some years ago I had to examine a great number of schools in Schiller's 'Wilhelm Tell,5 a play consisting of 3,290 lines. I ventured to ask the question : ' In what metre is this play written? Give a brief description of it.' Here are some of the answers which I read with a shudder I can still recall : 'This play is written in the old Italian ballad metre, that is, the metre of Virgil's ^Eneid,' or ' The metre of this play is called Alexandrine,' ' Schiller's Tell is written in didactic hexameters.' Such were the extraordinary statements to which
in our Secondary Schools 51
they committed themselves after having read over 3,200 lines of blank verse ! It was disheartening, and the worst was that children writing such absolute nonsense did actually pass the examination with credit if their grammar and translation were correct. Another time I was assured that Grillparzer's ' Sappho ' was a 'trilogy,' because — there were three prominent characters in the drama (Sappho, Phaon, Melitta). Who was to blame? Not the children, but the teachers, who had plainly neglected to pay any attention whatsoever to form. A similar case is not unfrequent at a higher stage, where it often turns out to be the case that students coming up to the University cannot decently read a German hexameter — although they may have passed with distinction in their 'set book,' 'Hermann und Dorothea ' — and are usually quite unable to give a definition of a ' pure rime ' in German, or of the principal difference between the dramatic verse of Schiller and Racine.
Another point at which the teacher ought to work with his class is the making clear to every child the general intention of the poet — the plot — the connection of the scenes — the main stages in the development of the action — the exposition, climax, peripeteia, and the catastrophe — in short what we may fitly call the ' inner form ' of the drama, the moulding of the great mass of material in the mind of the poet so as to assume a higher artistic form. Think of the masterly structure of Schiller's ' Wallenstein.' Here the master can do very much to develop the taste, the judgment, and the general culture of his pupils. These lessons should be the finest fruit of all his teaching, they should never be forgotten. How much can be done in this respect by the right man for a whole form, I know from experience, gratefully recollecting a series of stimulating lessons on the German classics given during my last year at school by our head-master Dr Wiedasch of Hanover. But where is the corresponding teaching of English literature in our secondary schools? No good work can possibly be achieved by a
4—2
52 The Teaching of Modern Foreign Languages
modern language teacher unless his pupils have first received a thoroughly good grounding in their mother tongue. Great reforms in the teaching of English seem to me to be most urgently required in the immediate future in not a few schools1.
If you read great plays with your best pupils — they should only be read with good pupils — sum up after each scene, after each act. Discuss the development of the action, see how far it has advanced (and by what means), what is still expected (hoped or feared). Discuss the characters and their motives, group them, see in what way they develop (if they develop at all), and let some advanced pupils attempt to write very briefly in the foreign language about such of the characters as specially interest them. 'Goetz von Berlichingen,' l Maria Stuart 'and 1 Wilhelm Tell ' are easy plays in this respect, ' Minna von Barnhelm,' ' Iphigenie,' ' Tasso,' ' Die Jungfrau von Orleans/ and ' Wallenstein,' present greater difficulties2.
A teacher is considerably helped in his task of explaining a play and the chief characters occurring in it, if he has seen it acted abroad by good actors. This is one among many reasons why teachers of foreign languages in going abroad should go to large towns, to great intellectual centres where there are good theatres. Paris, Berlin, Vienna and many large German towns will in this respect supply all that can be desired. It is a great pity that there are still some students and teachers who are disinclined to go to the theatres — they certainly miss a great opportunity for better understanding the noble plays which they are called upon to explain to their
1 See * The New Regulations of the Board of Education, on the Study of English in Secondary Schools,' printed in the Educational Times ', Oct. i, 1904, pp. 438—439.
2 Compare my article * How to study a masterpiece of literature ' in the National Home Reading Union Magazine, Special Course, October, 1895-
in our Secondary Schools 53
pupils. It is a great mistake to ignore the obvious fact that plays are written to be seen on the stage and not to be read in an easy-chair. I cannot help feeling that he who allows 'moral' scruples to prevent him from attending first-rate performances of the great modern masterpieces of dramatic art by the best actors and actresses of our own times may be a most estimable person, but is wholly unsuitable for the office of teacher of modern languages. He would probably never care to do justice to Schiller's fine essay ' Die Schaubiihne als moralische Xnstalt betrachtet' and to numerous similar utterances by him, Lessing, and Goethe. A teacher of modern languages and literatures should do his best to cultivate and develop a taste for literary art for his own benefit no less than for that of his pupils. Teachers who wish to succeed should be infinitely more than mere maitres de langue. As to books for the proper explanation of plays, those by G. Freytag, Bulthaupt, Bellermann, Franz, and others enumerated on p. 132, and in my Handy Guide, pp. 75 and 103, will be found useful.
One more remark before I leave this subject. If a play should happen to be historical, do not dwell on all the points in which a poet has purposely or unconsciously deviated from history, still less allow them to be crammed for examination purposes, but show by one or two really striking instances in what manner and for what reason a great writer of tragedy has treated and transformed the facts of history. Goethe's 'Egmont' and Schiller's ' Maria Stuart ' or ' Jungfrau von Orleans ' afford good examples, Again, if the play should happen to be Goethe's * Iphigenie ' (how many children pronounce the name of the heroine correctly ?), do not waste much valuable time in pointing out conscientiously — if conscience has any part in such a proceeding — all the numerous cases in which Goethe differs from Euripides, but be careful to discuss fully the great difference of the spirit pervading the whole, the transformation of all the principal characters in Goethe's drama, and the all- important alteration of the ending.
54 The Teaching of Modern Foreign Languages
The last question connected with modern language teaching with which I propose to deal here is
Should the History of Foreign Literature as such be taught in School si
I think not. It cannot and it should not. It will he found difficult enough to give pupils in the highest forms some general notions concerning the development of their own national literature, a subject hitherto far too much neglected. But a short biographical account of some of the most prominent modern authors — carefully prepared by the teacher and told in an attractive manner — may very well be given. The children should not only not be allowed to remain in com- plete ignorance of the authors whose works they are reading — a state of things that is unfortunately too common — but they should be told something about the greatest foreign writers, they should know the main facts of their lives, aims, and achieve- ments— they should be shown pictures of them and be made to take a real interest in them. Wherever it is possible to do so, the chief characteristics of great foreign authors should be illustrated by short and well-considered comparisons with the greatest English classics1. But the foreign writers to be thus treated must only be the stars of the first magnitude. We must not attempt to do too many things in class teaching, but whatever we undertake to teach, let us teach well.
This- is what I wished to say about the teaching of modern languages generally. I have an ideal before me of the manner in which a modern language teacher should set to work and of the success which he may reasonably hope for with children
1 Cp. A. R. Hohlfelcl, « Der Litteraturbetrieb in der Schule, mit besonderer Rucksicht auf die gegenseitigen Beziehungen der englischen und der deutschen Litteratur,' Lecture, reprinted in the American Pdda- gogische Monatshefte, Broadway, Milwaukee, Januar — Februar, 1902.
in our Secondary Schools 55
of ordinary ability and not extraordinary industry who get only a few hours of German and French a week, while all the other subjects are taught by means of the English language. Under ordinary conditions the pupils can never learn to swim freely in the foreign element, but they may and should take a great deal of interest in their work, lay a good and solid foundation at school, and — as the languages are modern and living — continue in later life to extend their knowledge of the foreign tongues and the great nations who speak them. ^The stimulus and taste for this study must needs be given in the first instance by their teachers — what a great and noble task is theirs if only they will approach it in the proper spirit ! Even those whose interests are chiefly directed to the promotion of technical or commercial education and who realise the great importance of modern languages for these branches of human activity, should remember that all special training in technical and commercial subjects, if it is to be sound, must needs rest on a satisfactory basis of thorough general information. The teaching of modern languages, if properly promoted and improved, will no doubt produce much better results than now for the benefit of those who merely need them for technical or commercial pursuits — but the study and teaching of modern languages has a much higher aim and a much more important duty to fulfil in the curriculum of the secondary education of the twentieth century. At the beginning of our century I foresee a great future for modern language study in our schools — let us then all do our best to make the most of our great opportunities and never forget that, in spite of all the pressure from without, we must not degrade the study of modern languages to a successful analysis of the various types of business letters and newspaper articles, or an acquisition of a certain amount of everyday prattle on some trivial topics, but that it is our duty to teach modern languages in secondary schools as one of the most valuable elements in a truly liberal education.
THE TEACHING OF GERMAN IN OUR SECONDARY SCHOOLS1.
MY aim is to throw out some hints as to the special objects and the special difficulties of the teaching of German and to give my opinion as to some much discussed points of spelling, pronunciation and reading, for it is of the greatest importance that intending teachers should start with definite views on such vexed points. At present unfortunately the position of German in most of our secondary schools — especially boys' schools — is far from satisfactory. This subject has of late been losing in- stead of gaining ground. In most boys' schools it has never yet had a fair chance, it has never been taken seriously — Clifton College, Manchester Grammar School and a few other schools forming noteworthy exceptions. This decline is due to cir- cumstances over which the teachers have not had any control, but it is a serious national danger which in the best interests of higher education should be averted. At all events the less flourishing the general condition of the study, the better equipped should the teachers of German be for their difficult and responsible task.
Before entering into details I am anxious once more to say most emphatically that to teach German in the highest sense, even in middle-class schools and to children of ordinary ability,
1 Readers of this chapter may like to work through the valuable book by E. W. Bagster-Collins on ' The Teaching of German in Secondary Schools,' New York, 1004.
The Teaching of German in our Secondary Schools 57
does not merely mean to teach Grammar and Composition, or Conversation on a few everyday topics, but above all to teach the spirit of the language, the ready understanding and use of it, and by means of language and literature to spread a just understanding of the spirit of the German nation, and to produce a sympathetic appreciation of the life and thought of a people so nearly related to the English. The close con- nection of the two greatest Germanic peoples in language, literature and feeling should from time to time be pointed out. The interest in the study of a tongue so nearly akin to the English will thus be kept up and intensified1.
On the other hand it will be the task of a good teacher to find out the chief and most characteristic differences between English and German. He will do well to note down all the main difficulties experienced by English children in learning German, to tabulate them for his own use, to keep them continually in view and to make the children pay special attention to them. By doing this he will bring it about that the chief and most annoying mistakes will disappear one by one, and that the children will leave school with as fair a knowledge of German as can be reasonably expected — a knowledge much superior to that now possessed by most pupils at school and by not a few students coming up to the Universities.
German Letters.
In a previous lecture I have discussed the relation of letters and sounds in a general way, reminding students of the facts that spoken words consist of sounds and not of letters, and also that the pronunciation changes more rapidly than the spelling, which on this account never accurately represents
1 English teachers of German may like to join the Zweigverein London des Allgemeinen Deutschen Sprachvereins (apply to the Secretary, Dr Hirsch, Bonna, Gleneldon Road, Streatham, London, S.W.), or to the English Goethe Society (apply to Dr Oswald, 29, Adelaide Road, London, N.W.).
58 The Teaching of German
the actual pronunciation. To-day I have to deal with the German letters, the peculiar alphabet in use in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The question arises : Should the use of German small and capital letters, two new alphabets for English children, still be taught in our English schools ? This is a question which is frequently asked. I have no hesitation in answering that they should certainly be taught from the begin- ning1, the new letter in connection with the foreign sound2. The initial trouble is not very great, and the reason for incurring it is, that whatever the absolute or the scientific value of the German alphabet may be, yet as long as the great majority of Germans use the German letters exclusively, it would be very wrong in English teachers to withhold from their pupils familiarity with these characters and not to train them in their use while they are young and can easily acquire them. It may hamper some of them very considerably in later life — I know it from experience — if they cannot read or write German characters with ease and fluency. Books from which the reading of the German handwriting can be learned are not wanting, see p. i2$3. Clerks, officers, secretaries, persons travelling abroad, let alone scholars, will one day be glad to be able to read German writing and German print. Even those who in later life do not actually need to read or to write the German handwriting may like to be able to write the language as the Germans do — they will look
1 Professor Rippmann advocates the adoption of German printing and writing after the initial difficulties of German have been overcome by the pupils. Consequently his First German Book is printed in Latin characters and the Second German Book in German characters. Another practical teacher of much experience, Mr Otto Siepmann, of Clifton College, at the beginning of his Pttblic School German Primer prints the same passages on the same page first in Latin and then in German characters.
2 This is called in German Schreiblesen.
3 For exercise books for writing German apply to Mr Nutt, 57 — 59 Long Acre, W.C. There is also a 'copy book,' — "Modern German Writing," by John Dalziel Maclean, London, Simpkin, Marshall and Co. ; and Glasgow, I. N. Mackinlay, 1900, 6d.
in our Secondary Schools 59
upon it as an accomplishment. It is true that in * Local ' and other Examinations candidates are ' not required ' nor even en- couraged to use the German handwriting, but this does not mean that those who write German really well are forbidden to write it. But the examiners have found by experience that in most cases up to now the handwriting of the candidates has been too bad for them to encourage its use in examinations. Writing against time does not tend to improve any handwriting, and many pupils seem only to be able to draw German words letter by letter in a medieval monkish handwriting, and cannot pos- sibly hope to finish their task in time if they use German characters. Some teachers who agree that the German hand- writing should be taught prefer to start it after the initial difficulties of the language have been overcome by the pupils. Professor Rippmann, for instance, prefers the German sound chart at the beginning. This is a question which teachers of the elements of German will eventually settle from practical experience.
The same remarks apply with still greater force to the use of German characters in German books printed in this country, especially in English school editions of German classics. I think we are bound to keep them, and that teachers are bound to teach them. As long as most German books and all the newspapers are printed in German type we cannot afford to neglect it. Knowing the history of the so-called Gothic or black-letter type1 in Germany and elsewhere, I am far from seeing in its use something specially German which it would be a patriotic duty for the Germans to retain. I even wish the German type were replaced by the common round type which for various reasons deserves to be recommended — still we teachers of German in England have no right to initiate so great a change and to deny to our pupils that
1 See G. Hempl, German Orthography and Phonology, Boston and London, 1897.
60 The Teaching of German
proper training in the use of the German letters which cannot anywhere be given with more facility and success than at school. Why do we not first abolish the use of Greek and Hebrew letters in the grammar schools? They are certainly at least as hard — or not more easy — and not more practically useful to most students of these languages. The type to be selected for elementary German books should be bold and clear and mark the differences between certain similar letters. There are but few German letters which present any difficulty.
In reading German letters teach the distinctions between CU and en, ie and et, b and b, f and f, r and £, 33 and 23, $Jt and 9B, X and 3, 9t, 23 and ff, the confusion of which gives rise sometimes to amusing mistakes in reading, e.g. fcfytenbetn for fcfyleubevn, Seliebtljeit for 33e(eibtt)ett, Sieb for £eib, fttnberpeft for DtinDerpeft, ber fteilige ftater, ber ^anbibat, faugen for fatujen, faufen for faufcn, £itftd)en for Suftcfyen, SScttel for SSettel, 5Jlrt for 2l£t, etc. All the other letters are easy1. In writing German insist on your pupils noting the modification of vowels and of au (au, and not afi), the u hooks, and the difference between 6, f, ff, f , and in writing Latin characters call the attention of your pupils to the fact that English and German Latin characters are not always the same, especially in the case of capital T and J.
The new Imperial Spelling of 1902 should certainly be adopted. It can very easily be taught, and it prevails now in all schools and is used by most publishers and nearly all the newspapers. It will soon be found in the dictionaries2. It is decidedly the spelling of the future, being a moderate reform on the right lines but no revolution of the traditional spelling. It is not ideal, but it is without doubt better than anything to
1 Cp. the useful word-lists in O. Siepmann's excellent ' Public School German Primer,' pp. xxvii — xxx, which afford ample reading practice.
2 It will be found in the English-German portion of Cassell's New German Dictionary (London, 1906).
in oiir Secondary Schools 6 1
be met with in the seventies or eighties of the last century, and certainly much better than the previous anarchy in spelling. There is, moreover, no reason why at some future time the present official orthography should not be revised again. The best books of reference for teachers are named on pp. 124-5, and in my Handy Guide to the Study of German^ pp. 34, 5 1 ; to which should now be added, Johann Meyer : " Die Abwei- chungen der neuen von der alten Rechtschreibung, nebst Ubungsaufgaben, Diktaten, und einem Worterverzeichnis. Fiir den Schul- und Selbstunterricht bearbeitet." Hannover und Berlin, 1902, 20 pp.
German Pronunciation.
The most elementary teaching — the laying of a good foundation — should invariably be entrusted to a carefully trained and thoroughly qualified master. He should be well acquainted with the elements of phonetics and should have a good pronunciation ; he should have been abroad and should go again from time to time. He should know the principal differences of pronunciation in different parts of the country and should be acquainted with the chief shortcomings of the colloquial Hanoverian, Saxon, Swabian and Berlin pronunci- ation1. He should have carefully considered what pro- nunciation he is to teach and what the standard of refined German speech requires2.
The present standard pronunciation of Modern German is the pronunciation of the best actors on the stage3. Here a common pronunciation is absolutely necessary. A play like * Iphigenie ' would be completely spoilt if Orestes were to speak Swabian, Pylades Westphalian, Iphigenia Saxon, and King Thoas East Prussian. While the forms of the literary language
1 See pages 88-89.
2 See 'German as she is spoke' (Journal of Educ., 1897, pp. 533 sqq.), and pages 63 sqq.
3 See pages 15 sqq.; 125-126.
62 The Teaching of German
are a compromise between South and Middle German, their pronunciation should be in the main North German. The pronunciation of refined Berlin ladies who will never be heard to say Jenu$, jlicklich^ or Bealina ( = Berliner), Brandenbuaja { = Brandenburger), is particularly recommended. The Hano- verian pronunciation — excellent as it is in many respects — is not free from a number of provincialisms which should not be imitated. A teacher should beware of acquiring the Saxon pronunciation, the defects of which are especially marked.
A teacher should invariably read out the German text to be explained to his pupils once or twice before they read it to him. He should prepare this reading most carefully. In reading or reciting he should not only pronounce the individual words correctly, but give to the sentences their proper accen- tuation and modulation. Professor W. Victor's little book on 'German Pronunciation' (pp. 112 — 133, Leipzig, 3i903) will help him to catch the proper accent of the sentence.
The use of the phonograph — strongly advocated by me in lectures for many years — will be found a great help in this. There are now three sets of German records, spoken by me, in Mrs Frazer's series [Cambridge Phonographic Records, records 95 — 130]. It is most useful for the teaching of the right intonation and also for precision. Experiments with the gramophone have also been made for English by the Langen- scheidt firm of Berlin, and for some time by Professor Rippmann for foreign languages.
None of these is as yet absolutely perfect, but some of the records have been found very useful in class teaching, and others, while not yet sufficiently good for use with large forms, will yet be found useful for the private study of teachers and students. Probably it will not be long before the records and machines will be materially improved1.
1 See my lecture on the use of the phonograph for the teaching of modern languages reported in the 'Cambridge Chronicle' of Aug. 17, 1906, which will be printed in full in Die Neueren Sprachen.
in our Secondary Schools 63
Occasional readings and recitations by well qualified foreigners are now much encouraged in many German schools, and should if possible be secured for English boys and girls.
In some cases of special difficulty resort may well be had to a simple method of phonetic transcription of German words and sentences, such as is used by Prof. Victor1 in the latest edition of his * Deutsche Lauttafel ' (which should be hung up in the class room during German lessons) or in Dr Passy's periodical publication £ Le maitre phonetique.'
The following is a rough tabulated summary of the chief difficulties experienced by children in pronouncing German.
The chief difficulties of German pronunciation'*, experienced by English speaking pupils.
1. 2, as in Mann, Hals, hart, Anfang.
Pupils should be accustomed to open their mouths wide in pronouncing this sound, which is the a in North Engl. father, but quite short and slightly more open. The sound is heard in English unstressed are.
2. 1, e, o, u, especially before r, as in ihr, Lehm, rot, Rohr, fuhr.
Here the difficulty lies in the necessity of producing a long uniform vowel, without sounding a second element after it, e.g. vier is not to be pronounced like /<?#?-, Lehm not like lame, Rohr not like roar, rot not like wrote, pur not like poor. The lips should be well rounded in pronouncing o and u.
3. 6, 6, ii, ii, a as in Holle, Hohle ; fulle, fuhle ; ware.
1 Unfortunately up to now no large sound chart is obtainable for school use in which the sounds of German are given in the transcription of the Association Phonetique Internationale.
2 The symbols used are largely those of the Association Phonetique Internationale. Compare the useful observations in W. Rippmann's Hints on Teaching German, pp. 18 — 22. The following remarks do not lay the slightest claim to completeness. See now W. Victor, 'Deutsches Lesebuch in Lautschrift,' Part I. 2nd revised edition, Leipzig, Teubner, 1904. Part II. ist edition, Leipzig, 1902.
64 The Teaching of German
The modified vowels o, u (short and open — long and closed) do not exist in English and require special practice. Teachers should not allow pupils to say fu\r instead of///r, or funf instead of funf, etc., but they should at the outset give the class a brief and clear phonetic explanation of the position of the speech organs in sounding u and o, and should practise these sounds whenever an opportunity occurs. The best way of doing this is to allow the pupils first to pronounce the simple sounds / and e, and then show them that by keeping the tongue in the same position and gradually rounding the lips, the more difficult u and o sounds are obtained, thus, Hindin — Hiindin, Nixlein — Fuchslein, sehnen — (ver)sohnen, Helle — Holle. They should also point out the difference in the sound of the vowels in ware and wary, Kdfer and chafer, Ahre and airy, Ahre and Ehre, Sale and Seele, and so forth.
4. au as in rauschen, heraus, auch, Raum.
The mouth should be opened sufficiently for the a element of the diphthong, which is also longer than in English, while the tongue is, as a rule, not raised in front. The second element resembles more an open o than a u, which is not expressed in the phonetic transcription adopted by the Associa- tion Phonetique Internationale, which renders au by au (not a\o) and ai or ei by at (not a:c).
5. a in unaccented syllables is to be distinctly pronounced, e.g. KommSi (not like Komm^\ Anna, Fulda, Walhalla..
e in unaccented syllables is nearly always reduced to a dull 2, e.g. behende should be pronounced bz'hendd-, nehmen is 'ne\mdn\ Hameln is 'ha\ mdln; Kinder n is 'kinddrn^ gegeben is gz'ge : bdn • Ehre is ?'e : rz • Ehe is ?'e:9.
In final -er the r should be clearly sounded; many mistakes in dictation occur from the failure on the part of the scholars to distinguish between such words as Burge — Burger, Schiffe — Schiffer, Stddte — Stadter, ehe — eher\ Herder is not Horde, etc.
In familiar pronunciation, which is not to be imitated in
in our Secondary Schools 65
reading poetry or high style prose, the e in unaccented syllables usually disappears, e.g. leben becomes le\bm, sieden becomes zi\dn, tragen becomes tra :gij.
6. The glottal stop before the initial vowel, even if the word is the second part of a compound, should be carefully noticed and practised, see p. 18. Thus Goldammer should be pronounced 'golftam9r\ umarmen is um'Varmdn, vereinigen is for'^ainigtH) etc. Distinguish between Baumast and Baumeister, Dreimaster ; Post ami and Postament, etc.
7. h is now absolutely silent between vowels, as in sahen^ except in compounds (Hoheit], where English children are inclined to drop it. It is sometimes sounded in this country in artificial school pronunciation. Wehen is to be pronounced 've-.zn, ziehen is 'tsi\ dn, Ehe is "?e:z, nahe is 'na\9, etc.
8. Final b, d, even when at the end of the first part of a compound, are to be pronounced as voiceless sounds (/, /). Hence Weib is vaip^ Held is he It, Gold is go It.
b and d after a consonant do not lengthen the preceding vowel in German : e.g. Hand\& hant, Mund is muni, derb is derp. Exceptions to this rule are Mo : nt, Pfe : rt, we : rt, etc.
9. w has the sound of z>, not that of English w (although the German w has less friction than the English v\ e.g. wichsen ("to black boots") is 'viksdn. English children should be careful to distinguish between such words as Wetter and Vetter. After sch w is either bilabial (but without any rounding of the lips) or labio-dental (v). Most authorities now recom- mend the latter (v) pronunciation1. Thus schwarz \sfvarts.
10. U after q has likewise the bilabial or labio-dental sound (gu = kv), e.g. Quell is kvel, Qua/ is kva-.l, qudlen is 'kvt:hn, quer is kve\r [not kuel, kua\l^ kut\bn, kue\r\.
11. The guttural n before g and k when followed by a vowel must also be noted, g following n is never sounded in German, but invariably turns the n into a guttural (#), there is
1 See Siebs, Biihnenaussprache, 2i9oi, p. 59, and Victor, German Pronunciation, 3i9O3, pp. 40 — 41.
B. 5
66 The Teaching of German
in German no instance of a pronunciation like the English finger (for finger\ nor of the uneducated English darlin or darlink (for darling).
The guttural n is usually transcribed /<?. The German Finger is pronounced 'fiwdr, singen is 'ziwzn, while sinken is 'zinkzn. The pronunciation of words such as Engel — Enkel, Range — Ranke, Sang — Sank, Drang — Trank, bang — Bank, sengen — senken, langen — lenken, etc. should be practised. If the n preceding the g is the final letter of a prefix or of the first part of a compound, the g must of course be sounded, e.g. angehn is '?ange\n, while bangen must be pronounced 'banzn. Cp. also drangen and dr angehn, Angel and angeternt.
12. The peculiar German ch has a two-fold pronuncia- tion after front and back vowels, e.g. lacheln is ' Itpln, but lachen is 'la^n, cp. also ich and dock, cp. Scotch ' loch* \ Friichte, Frucht ; Tochter, Tochter ; rachen, Rache.
The English child will need to be carefully taught not to say ish, ik, ak, etc. The difficult pronunciation of the front ch may be taught by making the pupils first say the English word yearn, then say it as if the y were voiceless. This gives the front ch sound initially and by saying i-yearn (still with the voiceless y\ the final and medial front ch is obtained. In hue the sound is often heard following the h.
As ch may be sounded differently in forms of the same word (e.g. Buch — Bilcher), great care is necessary in practising the pronunciation. The sounds cht and gt must also be carefully distinguished, or confusion between such words as (ihr) wagt — wacht^ sagt — sacht, liegt — Licht will arise.
13. z in German words (and c in certain foreign loan words) is a consonant diphthong denoting ts. Pupils should be early accustomed to pronounce it well (neither like s nor dz). Thus a clear distinction must be made between Seiten and Zeiten, sauber and Zauber, saugen and zeugen, Saum and Zaum, sehen and Zehen, unselige and unzahlige, Schweift and Schweiz (fvaits], Sehne, Zdhne and Szene ( = 'stse\n<>\ Siege and Ziege, Selbstsucht and Selbstzucht, reisend, reissend and rci-
in our Secondary Schools 67
zend, etc. ; zwanzig must be pronounced 'tsvdntstf, Zeder ' tse : d^r.
14. Initial sp and st even at the beginning of the second part of a compound should be pronounced fp, ft, as on the stage and in the greater part of Germany. The labialisation of s before / and / should take place just as it has taken place before /, m, n, w all over the country. The North- West German (e.g. Hanoverian) pronunciation is, in this case, archaic and obviously influenced by Low German. The retention of the obsolete spelling in words such as sprechen and streiten must probably be accounted for by the desire not to write schprechen and schtreiten. Hence sprechen should be 'fprefzn, gestehen should be gd'fte \dn\ but the South German pronunciation of medial and final st as ft should not be imitated, e.g. Meister should not be pronounced 'mai/t9r, bist not bi\ft, Oberst not '?o \berft.
Dialectic pronunciation may indeed be found in the works of the great German writers ; Schiller, for instance, never freed himself from his strong Swabian accent, and we find in his poems frequently a confusion between the voiced and voiceless sibilants, in the rimes Rose ( = ro\zz} and Scheme (=fo\sdy. This confusion of the voiced and voiceless hissing sounds is a South and Middle German characteristic.
A number of smaller points might still be touched upon, such as the difference between the thinner and clear German and the fuller and dark English //, cp. voll and full, Kessel and kettle, but the space at my disposal does not admit a discussion of them, and these hints must not become a treatise. The books and pamphlets by Vietor, Siebs, Rippmann, Miss Soames, Braune and Johannson2 will give teachers all the necessary information as to particular points. A teacher of German will do well to consult them in cases of difficulty or doubt.
1 See the interesting account of it given by E. Genast, Aus Weimars klassischer und nachklassischer Zeit. Erinnerungen eines alien Schattspielers (evL by Robert Kohlrausch3, I. p. 69). Schiller pronounced /<? : z9.
2 See the lists given on pages 113 — 114.
68 The Teaching of German
Open Questions.
The pronunciation of initial and medial r (lingual or guttural) and of medial and final g are moot points with the Germans themselves. I should allow a good deal of latitude in the teaching of them, that is to say, I should not force the children to learn the guttural r if it gives them a great deal of trouble. Lingual r is heard everywhere in Germany on the stage and in the concert room. I should advocate the teaching of medial g between vowels as a voiced mute and not as a spirant. Hence I should transcribe Wege as 've : g? (not 've '-J3\ Medial g before / also should be a voiced mute, er siegt not er siecht (c conquers,' not ' languishes from disease') ('zi'.gt, not fzi:ft). About final g I do not feel so sure and should (at present) admit the pronunciation ve\k or ve\f for £Feg. The latter (ve:f) is the more familiar one and is more generally heard ; it seems to be the pronunciation of the future. Hence perhaps the best plan for the present is to pronounce final g hard in high style and in poetry, as it is pronounced on the stage (see Siebs, Buhnenaussprache, 2i9oi, p. 76), but as a spirant in reading ordinary prose and in conversation. In case this is thought inadvisable, I think the spirantic pronunciation of final g should be adopted in both cases. At all events the g in words such as moglich, tauglich is in ordinary German almost always pronounced as a spirant, and in school teaching it seems more natural to adopt this pronunciation. In the suffix -ig the final g is spirantic, e.g. ewig is '?e\vi$\ ewige is '?e \vig9, while eitfge should be pronounced '?e:vJ9. If followed by -lick the g is always hard, e.g. ewiglich is '?e : viklif.
Grammar.
The few words I propose to say under this head are entirely dictated by the practical considerations of school
1 See Siebs, Buhnenaussprache , 2i9oi, p. 76, iv.
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teaching. The general principles have been discussed on pages 22 sqq., e.g. that only the chief facts of grammar should be taught, and everything exceptional at first be eliminated, also that grammar should not be taught at school for its own sake and that everything should be as far as possible deduced from carefully chosen examples of good modern German which would mainly be prose.
What is the standard? I think the usage of first-rate modern writers such as Heyse, Spielhagen, Wildenbruch, Storm, Ompteda, Polenz, Stratz, Geibel, Bodenstedt, Fulda and others. But teachers should be careful in the use of examples from Freytag, Scheffel, Keller, Raabe, Rosegger, Sudermann, Hauptmann and others whose writings are not free from archaisms, mannerisms, dialectic usages and even a good deal of slang. These writings may be great works of art, but they cannot be used with beginners because they cannot be held up without reservation as models of refined modern prose.
The existing Grammars of German compiled for the use of English schools have nearly all serious defects in addition to those general shortcomings noted on page 24.
(r) They do not sufficiently distinguish between familiar, ordinary and historical, and elevated modern prose.
(2) They do not as a rule distinguish carefully enough between prose and poetry.
(3) They do not generally distinguish between the modern language and the language of the great i8th century classics. In many cases we cannot say and write now what Lessing, Goethe and Schiller could say and write.
Thus a prevalent fault is the failure to distinguish between the cases used in connection with certain verbs, e.g. entbehren^ rufen, °enie$en, etc. It is absolutely misleading to say, as most grammars and dictionaries do, l entbehren takes either the gen. or the ace.' It is true that Hermann (in * Hermann und Dorothea,' written in 1797) says : Ich entbehre
7<D The Teaching of German
der Gattin^ but it is archaic and cannot be said now. In good modern prose the accusative is used exclusively. Again in the case of rufen the accusative is now the only possible case, e.g. er ruft mich. The dative which occurs sometimes in elevated style, and still in South German and Swiss language, is very expressive, e.g. when the Spirit of the Earth calls out to Faust Wer ruft mir? ' Wh<^ calls for me?' 'But such rare or dialectic or poetic constructions should be briefly explained when they occur in the text read by the pupils and not before.
Hence the instances from the German classics in most of our Grammars require a very thorough overhauling. A teacher should know German very well himself, so as not to be hope- lessly dependent on the grammar he happens to use.
A good teacher should not only teach the dry facts of grammar, but sometimes in appropriate cases give an explana- tion. . I have "cautioned teachers not to go too far (see page 26), but now and then they may well give some colour to their teaching by supplying an easy explanation, e.g. on the origin of many German prepositions, kraft — laut — wegen — wdhrend — mittels (/) (why are they followed by the genitive ?) or of adverbs \flugs — rings — spornstreichs — aller dings, etc. A word on the nouns in -ei and the ending -ieren in verbs would interest many of the older boys; also on doublets such as Kerker and Karzer, Ferien and Feier, Partie and Partei, Bursch and Borsey dichten and diktieren. Even the inorganic t in eigentlich, geflissentlich after the analogy of hoffentlich, flehentlich (for flehend-lich * like one imploring '), the inorganic s in Reiters- mann, Hoffnungsstrahk> and similar cases, might be explained to more advanced pupils. They will thus get a glimpse of the life of the language. There is no lack of handy books of refer- ence for the teacher of German who is anxious to obtain fuller information1.
1 See ' The Reference Library of a School Teacher of German,' pages 123—4.
in our Secondary Schools 71
But be very careful that your pupils do not use any scientific terms without properly understanding their exact meaning and their full bearing. Do not allow them to explain away difficulties by one of the four ever-recurring phrases : 1 for the sake of euphony,' ' by false analogy ' (with what ? why false ?), * by poetic licence,' or, ' for the sake of the metre,' as if Goethe or Schiller could not have managed their versifi- cation properly ! They should not be allowed to prefix a statement about which they feel extremely doubtful, by a bold 1 of course ' or to use the favourite phrase * more or less/ e.g. ' these lines rime more or less.'
I have said that a good teacher will take pains to find out the chief difficulties of his pupils and will work hard at these while he will pass quickly over things which are naturally easy to English children.
Some of the principal difficulties of German Grammar seem to me :
(i) The right use of the prepositions^ and of the case required in connection with them. Many grammars are not sufficient in this respect, e.g. the short rule as to ' rest ' and ' motion ' is misleading in the case of prepositions with two cases. The right use of the prepositions is a great difficulty, and can only be mastered by dint of constant practice and observation2.
1 Cp. the original illustrated pamphlet * German prepositions at a glance,' by C. Kaiser and A. Thouaille of the Gouin School of Languages, 35 Bold Street, Liverpool.
2 It would perhaps be a good plan if the children had grammar note- books with suitable headings to each page. The examples would be entered as they occur, e.g. iiber : Er steht Uber den Parteien — Der Ballon schwebt uber der Stadt — Der Wind treibt den Ballon iiber die Stadt — Er schreibt iiber das Theater; auf: Er sitzt auf der Bank — Er steigt auf die Bank — Die Ente schwimmt auf dem Teich — Er schilt auf die Zeitungen. — When there are enough examples the children, with the help of the
72 The Teaching of German
(2) The inflexion of the adjectives. The threefold use of the adjective (strong and weak inflexion and uninflected form) is characteristic of the German language. This difficulty should, however, soon be overcome — a number of typical instances will suffice to teach it. These examples should be gathered from the Reader and learned by heart. Cases such as auf gut Glilck, bar Geld, Roslein rot, in Jung und alt en Tagen, nach solchen Opfern, heilig gro$en, mit neuem kolnischen Wasser and others should be briefly discussed when they first occur.
(3) The modifications of root-vowels in plurals, comparisons, and derivatives. Here a careful pronunciation will be of great help — but much must simply be learned by heart, e.g. Tag, Tage, but Schlag, Schlage; Laut, Laute, but Haut, Haute.
(4) The principal types of declensions, strong and weak.
(5) The strong verbs ; the separable verbs.
The principal ones must be committed to memory; com- parison with English (singe, sang, gesungen: sing, sang, sung) will in many cases be helpful, and will at all events remind pupils that a verb may be strong. In the case of reflexive verbs the first person, and not the infinitive, should be learned; thus ichfiirchte mich, ich denke mir (not sichfurchten, sich denken), ich nehme mich in acht, ich stelle mir vor, ich bilde mir ein, ich erinnere mich, ich bin mir bewusst, ich mache mir Gedanken, etc. The most important of these should be entered in the pupil's note-book and committed to memory. In the case of the separable and inseparable verbs the principal ones, but only the principal ones, should be learned early, and a good pronunciation should be insisted upon. Here again the first persons ich setze iiber, ' I put across ' and ich iibersetze, ' I trans- teacher, deduce the rules themselves and may afterwards be constantly referred back to them. See W. Rippmann, Hints on the teaching of German, p. 59, where this is worked out in detail, and see also Rippmann's New First German Book, p. 138.
in our Secondary Schools 73
late,' should be employed in class-teaching instead of the infinitives (ubersetzen, ubersetzeri).
Pupils should be told that as a rule in cases where the force of the preposition is still felt and a local meaning prevails the verb is separable, but that it is inseparable where its equiva- lent is not a true English verb plus a preposition or adverb, but a compound borrowed from Latin or Romance and where the meaning is abstract. Thus ubersetzen ' put across,' uber- setzen 'translate'; wiederholen * fetch back, ' wiederhblen ' repeat'; durchgehen ' go through,' durchgehen ' pervade'; iimgehen 'go round about,' umgehen 'circumvent,' etc.
(6) The order of words in a sentence. This is of the very greatest importance and causes a great deal of difficulty at first, but the chief points can perfectly well be learnt at school. Begin early with very simple sentences, enlarge them, alter them and turn them about, gradually introduce the various kinds of dependent clauses. Make your own examples if necessary, let the children copy them, refer at first invariably to the same examples until the Sprachgefuhl of the children is sufficiently well developed. Begin with a number of sentences such as :
Ich kenne den Knaben.
I know the boy.
Der Knabe, welchen ich kenne.
The boy whom I know.
Das Made hen findet das Buch.
The girl finds the book.
Das Madchen hat das Buch gefunden.
The girl has found the book.
Many instances of a similar kind should be given before you go on, always adding a little :
Das [schone] Madchen, [welches wir (heute) sahen], hat seinen [guten] Vater verloren, etc. etc.
Invent a story or a fable, and embody in it the chief things you are anxious to illustrate, e.g. the principal differences
74 The Teaching of German
between English and German syntax. Let this be written down and learned by heart and refer to it again and again when mistakes have occurred. By means of frequent repetition the memory will be trained and at last the teacher's highest aim will be attained — the} development of Sprachgefuhl on the part of the pupil.
Genders.
The German genders are certainly very troublesome to foreigners, e.g. der Rest, die Pest, das Fest, Nest\ der Ast, Gast, Mast, die Hast, Last; Die Bewandtnis, das Verhangnisy Der Monat, die Heimat, der Vorrat, die Heir at, der Hochmuty die Armut, etc. Unfortunately there are not many good rules about them. I wish there were. I cannot say more than the grammars. Historical and etymological explanations are as a rule out of place in school teaching. One will probably explain the reason why Madchen is a neuter, but the reason for the neuter gender in the case of Weib-\§ beyond the information to be given at school. I freely admit that children, while at school, cannot be expected to acquire an absolutely correct knowledge of genders, and I should certainly be much more annoyed by a bad mistake in pronunciation than by a mistake about the gender of a less familiar word. On the other hand I do not think that the genders are quite as hard as they are sometimes made out to be. In the amusing chapter ' On the awful German language' added to his delightful ' Tramp abroad/ Mark Twain has with a great deal of humour exaggerated the difficulties. I think that even school-children may not unreasonably be expected to know the genders of all or nearly all the German words of everyday occurrence. Here the * systematic vocabulary' referred to on pages 28 sqq. should be useful, and more the school cannot be expected to give.
Die Sonne — der Mond — der Stern — die Wolke — der Nebely etc. In learning words children should not say Sonne — Mond but die Sonne — der Mond, always adding the definite article
in our Secondary Schools 75
and perhaps an ordinary qualifying adjective, e.g. Dieliebe Sonne, der gute Mond, der helle Stern, die schwarze Wolke, der ivarrne Regen, der heulende Wind, der dichte Nebel, der gldnzende Schnee, das glatte Eis, etc. A story might be made up by the teacher which he should first tell and then dictate to the class. The pupils would learn it by heart and could, in case of subsequent doubts or mistakes, be referred back to it. An account of a ramble in the country might end as follows : ' Der Gipfel des Berges war bald erstiegen. Von ihm sahen wir die Sonne unter- gehen und bald nach ihrem Untergang den Mond und den Abendstern am Himmel aufgehen. Eine diistre Wolke verbarg uns den schonen Stern auf kurze Zeit, ein starkes Gewitter zog herauf, ein greller Blitz folgte dem andern, der Donner rollte, der Regen flofi in Stromen ; bald aber war das schwere Wetter vorbei gezogen, der Himmel wieder klar, von der Wiese stieg der weifie Nebel empor, und das Licht des freundlichen Sternes leuchtete wieder zu uns herab.' Or the following slightly more difficult piece which contains many of the ordinary terms con- nected with the sea might be dictated and discussed : ' Hans, Hans, wo bist du? Beeile dich ! Komm schnell auf Deck! In fiinf Minuten fahren wir ab und hinaus auf das Meer, das ruhig und dunkel vor uns liegt. Ich sehe einige Lichter weit hinten auf dem Wasser, und links das helle Licht des Leucht- turms oben auf der Klippe. Horch, die Glocke tont, die Laufbriicke wird zurlickgezogen, und die Schiffspfeife gibt das Zeichen zur Abfahrt. Die Anker werden gelichtet, die schweren Ketten rasseln, jeder Matrose ist auf seinem Posten, und oben auf der Kommandobriicke steht der Kapitan. Langsam ver- lasst unser Dampfer die Landestelle. Vorsichtig gleitet er durch die kleineren Fahrzeuge, welche im Hafen vor Anker liegen, und steuert in dunkler Nacht hinaus auf das offne Meer. Sieh, wie freundlich die Lichter der Stadt noch zu uns herii- berblitzen ! Der Strahl, welcher uns plotzlich trifft, kommt von dem elektrischen Scheinwerfer des Forts dort oben. Nun aber sind wir weit vom Lande entfernt, die Lichter ver-
76 The Teaching of German
schwinden, und das Kommando erschallt "Volldampf voraus!" Lass uns noch ein wenig auf Deck bleiben und plaudern ; wenn morgen friih die Sonne aufgeht, werden wir die hollan- dische Kiiste vor uns sehen.'
Word-formation .
Only the most important facts of German word-formation (derivation and composition and the old formation by vowel gradation) should be taught, but word-formation will naturally play an important part in the construing lessons and will be sure to interest the children if it is properly brought before them. Philological knowledge will be indispensable to a teacher even of ordinary German1. He might show, for instance, the impor- tance of noticing older case forms in word-formation, e.g. Sonncnschdn, Frauenkirche, Gansejeder, Hahnenkamm, Brdu- tigam, Biirgemeister, etc. A well informed teacher may also profitably now and then explain the formation of a word with a view to giving the pupils a glimpse of old German life, customs, and beliefs. The discussion of the names of the days of the week, words such as Ostern, Weihnachten, Fastnacht, Mahlstatte, Kurfurst, Hochzeit, Brautlauf (in Schiller's * Tell'), and of such verbs as erfahren, verteidigen, sich enischlie$en, would be sure to interest and instruct the children. In saying this I am far from advocating a display of etymological information which would be beyond the understanding of the children and altogether out of place in school teaching. Again an occasional word as to family names such as Baumann, Agricola, Munch, Thurn, Gottschall, Wigand, Wurmb, Jacobi, Jacobssohn, Jacobs, or of German and foreign proper names, such as Dietrich, Leopold, Ludwig, Wolfram, Gottschalk, Gerhard, Reinhart, Rudolf, Walter, Minna, Adelheid, Gertrud, Hedwig — Andreas, Philipp, Moses, Ludovica, Louise — Wolfgang Weber and Elisabeth Textor, Lorelei, Riibezahl, or names of towns and countries, such as Aachen, Koln, Braunschweig, Mtinchen, WeiBenburg, 1 See pages 82—83.
in our Secondary Schools 77
Wittenberg, Marienwerder, Sigmaringen, Lothringen, could be made most interesting and valuable even to children. Their attention might also be drawn to English names of the same old stock, e.g. Hilda, Mildred, Winifred, Alfred, Harold. Attention should be called to the German spelling and pronunciation of Elizabeth [?e : '// : za : bet], Phi/i// ['/*':/*>], and Ewanuel [?e : 'ma \nud\ Immanuel ['?ima:nucf]. Such instruction should, however, never be given systematically at school, but only as occasion offers.
I shall be much pleased if in these lectures on modern language teaching I have succeeded in throwing out some hints which will prove useful in your future work, and in firing your enthusiasm for a subject, the study and teaching of which grows more attractive and is being more fully developed with every year. You will soon be called upon to take your full share in it. The way is long, the aim is high — let us make a resolute attempt to reach the goal or at least not fall too far short of it !
THE TRAINING OF MODERN LANGUAGE TEACHERS.
IF in the following pages I shall mainly confine myself to the discussion of the training of a future teacher of German, I trust that mutatis mutandis my remarks will be found equally useful for intending teachers of French and other modern languages. Nor shall I speak here of those general qualifications which every good teacher of any subject must possess, viz. culture, character, energy, tact in maintaining discipline, and a thorough understanding of the minds of young people, but only propose to discuss the special training of a modern language teacher, i.e. I shall only speak of such qualifications as can be won by scientific and practical training with regard to (i) language, (2) literature, and (3) facts and studies illustrating these which, for the sake of brevity, I shall in the following paragraphs call 'realia.'
A modern language master of the best type must, I believe, (a) not only study the language and literature of the foreign nation for their own sake, but also by means of them the genius and civilization of that nation ; (fr) gain his knowledge not only in England, but, to some extent, abroad ; (c) overcome com- pletely any shyness in speaking, free himself from all prejudice, look at what he sees not only from his own insular standpoint, but also from that of the foreigner, and judge of things and conditions as they present themselves to his mind.
* What is the best linguistic and literary training for a teacher of modern languages, and especially for a teacher of German, in secondary schools ? '
It will be easiest, I think, to give a satisfactory answer to the above question, if we first agree as to what a competent
The Training of Modern Language Teachers 79
teacher of a modern language should know. He must, I believe, (a) know the modern language thoroughly in its present condition ; (/^) be able to explain the chief linguistic and literary phenomena historically.
It is altogether wrong to oppose these two qualifications, as if the one excluded the other, as if the empirical and the scientific mastery of a language must not of necessity supple- ment one another. Surely both are necessary and should go hand in hand. The past must be illustrated by the present, but no less the present by the past.
The study of German in the widest sense comprises the study of
(A) First, the living language, which may be subdivided into (a) the familiar (spoken) language ( Umgangssprache) ;
(b] the literary (written) language {Schriftsprache, also Redner- sprache). This requires a practical and scientific study;
(c) A slight acquaintance with a few of the most striking peculiarities of some of the most important dialects, e.g. Low German, Saxon, Bavarian, or Alemannic. To the whole of the first division must be added the auxiliary study of phonetics.
(B) Secondly, it must embrace the older phases of the language, i.e. some selected Old and Middle High German texts, with the elements of O.H.G. and M.H.G. grammar.
(C) Thirdly, the history of the German language. In this country the connection with English should be pointed out everywhere. As an auxiliary study I mention the outlines of the science of language and of comparative philology.
(D) Fourthly, literature, comprising (a] the study of representative authors of different periods ; (fr) a historical survey of the development of literature, in which the' manifold connections of German with English literature should be espe- cially carefully noticed. The principal auxiliary studies are : (i) theory of metre ; (2) theory of poetry.
(E) Fifthly, realia, i.e. illustrative facts and studies, com- prising a study of German life and thought, customs, and
8o The Training of Modern Language Teachers
institutions at different periods, but mainly those of the present time, to be partly acquired abroad by personal observation and experience. The chief auxiliary studies are : history and geography1.
The importance of most of the branches of study which I have mentioned is fully recognised, and consequently they do not require any comment. But, with regard to a few subjects, a general agreement has not yet been arrived at, and I must set forth my views on them somewhat more fully.
Historical and Philological Study of German is indispensable.
A true philologist is bound to investigate the language and literature of a nation in their historical development, or else he will be a mere maitre de langue. As a rule, I have found that those who have objected most strongly to the historical study of German, and to the training of the students in the philo logical (which is not merely an equivalent of ' grammatical ') explanation of older German authors, themselves know nothing of Old German. The mere name of Old High German, and above all of Gothic^ is enough to frighten them. While thus strongly objecting to the study of the older stages of German,
1 Is it too much to expect that a teacher of German should be able to make clear to his pupils the significance of the term das heilige romische Reich deutscher Nation and the difference between the authority and the functions of the Hohenstaufen and Hohenzollern emperors? What differ- ence is there between the Sachsenkaiser and the Konige von Sachsent Why is William II called deutscher Kaiser and not Kaiser von Deutsch- land"? Who are die Welfen and die Wittelsbacherl Who were die Deutschherrnl What difference is there between a Markgraf and a Pfalzgrafl Who was der grofce Kurfiirst ? What does die Mark Bran- denburg mean? What difference is there between Schlesien and Schleswig! What is meant by der deutsche Kriegl die Mainliniel die schwarz-Tveifc- roten or die blau-weifcen Grenzpfdhlel What is meant by a Kronungsstadtl What is a freie Stadt in modern Germany ? By whom is it governed and in what relation does it stand to the Empire ? What are the chief functions of the Bundesrat, Reichstag, Herrenhaus, Abgeordnetenhausl etc.
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they require a classical master to study the old Greek dialect of Homer, and are pleased if he has devoted some time to the study of dialects and inscriptions. They justly expect a botanist to know something of fossil plants, and rightly insist on a geologist knowing more than the mere surface of the earth. For the same very good reason, we maintain, no linguistic training, whether in an ancient or in a modern language, can be called scientific and thorough which is not largely historical. We want to trace and to show in the language the law of development, physiological and psychological.
By the aid of such study fossilized forms in modern German, typical phrases, apparent exceptions to general rules, become clear, and the close connection between German and English is forcibly brought out.
The history of the German language and literature, so far as we can trace it, covers a period of more than a thousand years, and shows us both in very different stages of develop- ment. Can we doubt that the study of the chief characteristics of each of these phases forms a most excellent schooling for the future teacher's mind? What can be more helpful for ^forming large views and a proper historical sense? What can afford the teacher a clearer insight into the real character and constitution of the German language and literature ? We observe German speech while it remains still tolerably free from any foreign intellectual influence ; we then perceive the gradual operation of the influence of Roman civilization ; then that of the Christian Church makes itself strongly felt in language and literature ; then we observe the influence of late Latin and early French and Italian civilization ; the deep impression produced by the Crusades can be traced everywhere ; now French medieval literature becomes of the greatest importance ; the influence of the Renaissance and of the Reformation of the Church demands, and rewards, care- ful study ; French and English culture, and the rapidly increasing intercourse between the great modern civilized
i',. 6
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nations — all these influences have left lasting traces in the language no less than in the literature. Let me remind you of Paul Heyse's pretty l Spruch ' : —
* Die Worte werden dir manches sagen, Verstehst du nur sie auszufragen.'
By the foregoing remarks I do not, however, intend to require a future teacher of German to give his chief attention to Old German or to Medieval literature. A schoolmaster only wants a sound knowledge of the principal facts of historical grammar ; he wants a knowledge of the older periods of the language mainly in order to obtain through them a correct understanding of its modern form, a knowledge which saves him from making any of the annoying mistakes that are so often made by philologically untrained teachers.
If up to now I have only insisted on the importance of philological training on purely theoretical grounds, I now maintain that for practical reasons a good training in historical grammar is of the greatest importance. A teacher may, at any moment, be called upon to give an explanation which he cannot give without some knowledge of older German or of historical grammar. Questions,, often of an apparently elemen- tary nature, must crop up constantly in reading the great classics, or in discussing composition in the higher forms.
Let me give a few examples : Why do we say Mond, but Monat ? Wahn, but Argwohn ? Shall we say allesfalls or aUenfalls, reines or reinen Herzenst Meine edeln, teuern Freunde or edlen, teuren Freundel Is it right to say bar Geld^ or should we say bares Geld? We always say : auf gut Gliick. Is verstunde just as good as verstande, dducht as dunktyfodem as fordern, empfahn as empfangen ? How are hangen, hdngen and henken used in older and in Modern German ? Would you allow pupils to say der Rock hangt am Nagel or da hangen drei Hiitet Why is it der Henkert Ought one to write er frug or erfragtet Does it matter which is used ? How would
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you explain lines in well-known poems of Goethe, Uhland and Dach, such as : Die Augen tdten ihm sinken ; die Statt, wo Roland jimgst gestritten hdtt ' ; der wackre Schwabe forchf sick nit \ kani alles Wetter gleich auf uns zu schlahn ? Ought a teacher of German to be ignorant of the reasons why it is er nimmt but sie nehmen • wenden, wandte but blenden, blendete ; denken, dachte, but senken, senkte; gehe, ging, but stehe, stand, sehe, sah, wehe, wehtet Why is it er bei$t, but er zveifi? er macht, but er mag ; er gonnt, but er kann ? How would he account for the plurals Mann, Manner, Mannen ; Lande, Lander \ Orte, Orter\ Worte, Worter ; or for the reasons for the different gender in der Heide and die Heide, der Tor and das Tor ? or for the composi- tion of Mondlicht, Mondenschein, Mondesglanz ; Frauenkirche, Frauenzimmert Explain: uber See, but ubers Meer fahren; im Himmel und auf Erden. Explain : Er blieb stehen ; der zu schreibende Brief; es (and das) nimmt mich wunder; Hier ist seines Bleibens nicht ; saget niemand nichts ; keinen wirklichen Nebel sake Achilles nicht ; Gott schuf den Menschen ihm zum Bilde ; der Sohn, so ihm der Herr gegeben ; Ich bin ein guter Hirte ; JEs fiel ein Reif in der Fruhlingsnacht ; an ein hohes Ministerium ; Was da der edeln Garben auf alien Feldern lag \ er kiifcte sie an den Mund so bleich ; etc. An acquaintance with older German is also indispensable for the right explana- tion of nouns such as Bursch. (Es zogen drei Bursche wohl uber den Rhein), Knabe (Jung Siegfried war ein stolzer Knab], Frdulein (Bin weder Frdulein weder schon], Tugend (ich messe mich mit Euch in jeder ritter lichen Tugend), etc., or of common adjectives such as stolz, mild, frech, fromm, frei, reich, hell (in in hellen Haufen\ schlecht (in schlecht und recht}, and others. Again, it is most instructive to compare German and English — within proper limits. Some knowledge of older English, including Chaucer's ' Canterbury Tales,' is, no doubt, possessed by most Modern Language teachers. Why, then is it, if in a great many cases English o (pa) corresponds to German ei (e.g. home, stone, bone, alone, soap, broad, etc.),
6—2
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we find in some strong preterites English o corresponding to German i (rode, smote, wrote, etc.) ? The slightest knowledge of M. H. G. explains the apparent anomaly.
Teachers should have definite \dews, based on scientific principles, on important everyday questions concerning their subject, e.g. the much discussed question of spelling reform (German, French, English). How far is reform still needed in Germany since the changes of 1902? How far is a spelling reform practicable ? Should reformers adopt the historical or the phonetic principle, or a mixture of the two ? What attempts have been made in Germany up to the present time? Is it desirable to have an academy regulating the spelling from time to time ? Is there at present in Germany any Society the authority and functions of which can be compared with those of the Academic Fran$aiset What are the aims and what is the influence of the Allgemeiner deutscher Sprachverein ? Ought an English teacher of German to support it? To what extent should capital letters be employed? When and in what way were they first introduced into German writing and printing? Should we teach the use of Latin or of German letters ? Are the so-called Gothic letters a national cachet and a valuable characteristic of the German language ? How did the u hook and the modification marks arise? What is the best German pronunciation ? Is it Hanoverian German ? If an older pupil is sent abroad for one or two months, does it much matter if he goes to Dresden or to Bremen, to Bochum or to Stuttgart? To what extent does an ordinary German New Testament as sold by the Bible Societies represent the linguistic form of Dr Luther's New Testament ? Are the differences at all important? Teachers should have thought about all these things during their academical course, and should have worked out these and similar questions for themselves under the guidance of the University professor.
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Why should a Teacher of MODERN German know some OLD High German ?
There are many people who, while fully admitting the necessity of a future teacher being trained in historical grammar, yet suppose a knowledge of Middle High German to be sufficient for the purpose. Correspondences, such as / rode — ich ritt, are easily explained by M.H.G., and so are, in fact, many of the more elementary questions of historical grammar. Is, then, M.H.G. not really sufficient for the wants of a teacher? I have been asked this question more than once; allow me to answer it once more in this connection. I thoroughly believe some knowledge of O.H.G. to be indis- pensable to a future teacher of German. My reasons are the following: Firstly, O.H.G. is essential on account of the preservation of the full^vowejs in unaccepted syllables, which were in M.H.G. all weakened into the same monotonous e. Thus in O.H.G. we have the clue to the explanation of vowel mutation (Umlaut}, e.g. scorii>schdn, scono>schon, hendin, handun > Handen, vor-handen. (For the explanation of handun some Gothic is welcome.) The modern change in the radical vowels of words, such as Erde, irden ; sehen, sieht ; nehmen, nimmt ; Gold, gulden ; bieten, beut ; wurden, wurden can only be satisfactorily explained by the O.H.G. forms erda, irdin; sehan, sihit \ neman, nimit ; gold, guldin ; biotan, biutit ; wurdun, wurdin. In O.H.G. many of the later contractions had not yet taken place. The modern and M.H.G. Mensch is still mannisco, our welsch is walhisc, our Amt (M.H.G. ambef) is ambaht, glauben is gilouban, Menge is managi, etc. A know- ledge of O.H.G. consonants is needed for a full scientific understanding of the laws of sound-shifting, and analogous cases might be given from other parts of grammar. Even some elementary Gothic is sometimes helpful, e.g. in explaining such preterites as er hie$, from hiez, hiaz, hez, het, *heht, hehait (Gothic spelling, haihait], or /*>/?, from Hez, liaz, lez,
86 The Training of Modern Language Teachers
let, */#•/, lelot (Gothic lailof)\ the O.H.G. reduplicated form teta (' I or he did ') immediately explains the indicative tdte in Uhland's Da tdten sie sich trennen. The reduplication in Latin and Greek will suggest itself for comparison.
Again, if the student wishes to form a correct idea of the oldest German versification — i.e. the style of alliterative poetry — he will find some scanty fragments of it preserved in O.H.G. alone, while in later German only isolated alliterative phrases (singen und sagen, Leib und Leben, etc.) survive.
I should therefore advise every future teacher of modern German to read some representative O.H.G., M.H.G., and sixteenth century classics. He should have read them in order to study the language in connected texts. He should not, like many students of comparative philology, study isolated words. He must examine sentences, explain idiomatic expressions, investigate peculiarities of style (in prose and poetry), appreciate the metre, in short, enter fully into the spirit of the language at different periods, but at the same time not lose sight of the fact that it is not for the sake of the language only that he ought to study the old classics.
For these reasons I insist on my pupils reading a sufficient, though not excessive, amount of Older German. I know from a long experience that most of those who care for the study, and other students should not be encouraged to become teachers of Modern Languages, do this willingly. I am personally quite free from any undue predilection for medie- valism, but I am concerned that all parts of my subject should receive the attention which is due to them. While taking a great deal of interest in Old German authors, I certainly consider Modern German literature, on the whole, to be much superior to the Old, quite apart from its greater practical importance, and consequently deserving of much closer study. But it cannot be seriously questioned that a good foundation in the philological study of any modern language should be laid at the University — the only place
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where it can be laid satisfactorily — otherwise it must be left to the energy of the individual teacher to acquire a sufficient amount of the necessary information by private reading. To obtain this information by his own unaided efforts is a very difficult task.
There seems to be much less doubt as to the training which a teacher of German wants with regard to the modern language. It is agreed on all sides that he should, (a) pro- nounce German words correctly, and the sentences with proper intonation ; (/>) secondly, that he should find his words easily, choose them fitly, master the synonyms, etc. ; and (c) thirdly, that he should construct his phrases not only correctly, but idiomatically.
Pronunciation.
I think the very great practical importance of pronun- ciation is not yet sufficiently insisted on in all quarters, and the high value of phonetic training is recognised still less.
A teacher should possess a correct pronunciation, and a sufficient knowledge of the auxiliary science of phonetics, to be able to teach the conscious imitation of foreign sounds.
He must show his pupils that sounds which are usually considered to be the same are by no means pronounced exactly alike in German and. English. He will point out the difference between apparently similar groups of sounds, such as the English fear and German vier ; he will not allow his boys to pronounce the German rot like the English wrote, Koffer like (s)coffer, or Lehm like lame, as they are told in some books to do. He will inform them of the different values of r, or s, or /, etc., in the two languages. See pages 16-7 and 63 sqq.
Every mistake of the master will be magnified by his boys. The acquisition of a good and idiomatic pronunciation should therefore be from the first lesson an object of constant effort. Dictation given by a teacher with a strong Saxon pronunciation will make the boys write Freide, umhillen, etc.
88 The Training of Modern Language Teachers
No difference will be made between gefreut and gefreit, gb'nnen and kennen. The mistakes which a modern language master makes in pronunciation are much more serious than those of his classical colleague. It is certainly by no means unimportant how we pronounce pater peccavi or vicissim, but we cannot, under any circumstances, allow the boys to say : swonsig, Nacht (with palatal ch), Gold, Fin-ger, Boseuuikt, fumf. A criminal who is gedchtet (outlawed) should not be called geachtet (esteemed). It seems strange that this important part of a teacher's training should not have received full recognition till com- paratively recently. Scholars who shudder at the slightest grammatical blunder, e.g. the use of a wrong gender, a wrong case, or a wrong preposition, and who severely censure the smallest mistake made in the recognised spelling of a word, do not mind (or notice) a very bad pronunciation, which would grate on a native's ear.
The question : What is correct German, and where should German pronunciation be studied ? has been discussed on pages 6 1 and following.
Importance of Training in Phonetics.
The scientific study of phonetics should be left to the University training, but a rough classification of sounds may well be given at school, and the fundamental axioms of phonetics (e.g. 'a (spoken) word consists of sounds and not of letters ' (cp. Scherz : Sch - i sound, z = 2 sounds, viz. / + s\ should be impressed on the boys and girls as early as possible.
At the University the training must become more full and systematic. The student must be trained, and train himself, to observe and to imitate consciously. He should learn to analyse the sounds of a foreign idiom, and to compare them with those of his native tongue. He must know the special difficulties which German offers to English students, in order to help his class to overcome them. Such marked provincialisms as the Westphalian Schinken (sxt'vfon), the Swabian Geischt, Oberscht,
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re(d)cht (with guttural ch\ the Berlin janz und jar, Mutta^ the Saxon inability to distinguish between treu and drei, Rote and Rede, Greis and Kreis, Bein and Pein will be studied scientifi- cally.
On the other hand, the importance of phonetics should not be overrated ; a teacher need not be a phonetic specialist. He has other and more important subjects to study; his time of preparation is too short. Phonetics must be for him merely an auxiliary subject. The chief thing for the great majority of school children will always be to be taught to read the foreign language with ease, and to enjoy the treasures of its literature.
This is what I believe a teacher of German should know. Now the question arises : What kind of training will enable him to put himself in possession of the above-mentioned qualifications ? I am aware of the fact that up to now many excellent teachers of German — Englishmen or Germans — have for one reason or other, not gone through a course such as I am recommending. Their way must have been all the more beset with difficulties, and our appreciation of their energy and talents will of necessity be all the greater. But the growing interest in the study of modern languages, and the increasing provision for it, have now given many encouragements and facilities which it would be wrong for intending students to ignore.
I shall, in what follows, distinguish between the training/ obtainable in England and the training which should be gone' through abroad.
The training in England may be considered under three heads, viz. : —
(a) Firstly, the preparatory training at school.
(b} Secondly, the University curriculum. (Three, and if possible four, years of higher study.)
(c) Thirdly, the self- training of the teacher at a school.
QO The Training of Modern Language Teachers
TRAINING IN ENGLAND. (a) At School.
I should like to make a few remarks under this head, as possibly some masters preparing boys for the study of modern languages may care to consider them.
A boy who wishes to become a teacher of modern lan- guages should not specialize too early, but should endeavour to become as proficient as possible in languages, ancient as well as modern, and also in history and geography. I much regret the hard and fast line which is usually drawn between classical and modern languages. A future teacher of modern languages should be most anxious to know something of both the ancient languages and literatures ; such knowledge cannot fail to be of great interest and advantage to him1. He will get in this way a good general linguistic training; he will learn many character- istics of the classical languages, which will be of great value to him in studying modern languages ; many words will be learnt which will be useful for philological comparisons. A boy who has read classics is, to some extent, familiar with the chief classical metres, a knowledge of which is indispensable for the study of modern German poets, such as Klopstock, Goethe, Platen, Geibel, etc. Ancient literature has exercised an im- mense influence on German and other modern literatures, which cannot be justly appreciated by a man destitute of classical knowledge. Many of Goethe's masterpieces were composed under the direct influence of classical models.
For these reasons I should strongly advise a boy who wishes to study modern languages not to neglect at school the study of the classics, and to learn more than the bare minimum required in order to enable him to pass the University Entrance Examinations ; nothing can afford a future language teacher
1 See my pamphlet on * Greek and its humanistic alternatives in the Little-go,' Cambridge, 1905, pages 4 and 18.
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a better preparation than a connected study of the ancient and modern languages, together with the elements of universal history and the main facts of European geography.
He should also be especially proficient in the mother- tongue. He should have had careful training in writing English ; he should know how to arrange and connect his thoughts ; he should have had years of practice in essay- writing, as schoolboys get it in Germany and in France.
With regard to the special school training in German, the following seems to be essential. First of all, a boy must acquire a good pronunciation. He should have, as early as possible, regular practice in speaking, his master making it a point to talk German to his classes almost from the beginning during some part of the lesson ; he should recite (and in some cases sing) first little popular rimes and songs, later on poems, prose fables, striking passages from speeches, etc. ; he should overcome his natural shyness in speaking and imitating foreign sounds. In the middle forms he should begin to write original German, which is really easier than translation from English into German. Little descriptions or renderings of a story afford good practice at the beginning ; simple letters might follow ; a natural gradation of subjects should be devised; he should regu- larly write from dictation ; he should not learn any Old German or receive any systematic instruction in historical grammar. But in a boy who wishes to become a teacher of languages the sense of historical development should be aroused early; he should have some notion of the real meaning of ' rules ' and ' exceptions ' ; he might be expected to have some idea of mots populaires and mots savants in French (menble and mobile), or, in German, have a notion of the existence of different groups of loan words coming from the same source, e.g. Kerker and Karzer ; Orgel and Organ ; Pfaffe, Papst, Papa, Pope, etc. An advanced boy might, before coming up to the University, read some little book on German, such as Wasser- zieher's ' Aus dem Leben der deutschen Sprache '
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But he should not go too far, and should be especially careful about the use of philological terms.
If a boy wants to compete for a scholarship, he might use Brandt's ' German Grammar ' in addition to his school gram- mar, and read through a number of well-annotated editions of modern classics. If he wishes to begin the study of M.H.G. between his school and his University course, he should not follow the usual guessing method, but should use Zupitza's practical and reliable 'Einfiihrung in das Studium des M.H.D.,' and read through one or two of the nice little volumes of the 'Sammlung Goschen.' But, above all, he should be well trained — as far as can reasonably be expected of a boy — in
[understanding, speaking, reading, and writing modern German; he should be able to do creditably a piece of easy composition, and have some practice in writing in idiomatic style a simple original composition.
It is most important that boys should come to the Univer- sity well prepared in general information, and also reasonably well grounded in their special subject. They have, as a rule, only three years at their disposal, and the terms are very short ; while in Germany most men find it now necessary to devote four years to their studies. Intending students should at once consult the University professors and lecturers about their work. In one respect it is .essentially different from that of all other students ; it cannot be well carried out in England alone. A parent allowing his son to study modern languages should be prepared to let him go abroad, at least once or twice in the vacations. The omission of such foreign training would be a great loss to his son. To him the foreign countries are what the laboratories are to the student of science.
All indications point to a great future for properly trained modern language students, men and women, but we want for the work bright students, not such as cannot do any- thing else and rely on their having lived abroad for some time. They should not take up Modern Languages because
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they think the study of them easier than that of anything else ; but because they care for the subject, and are anxious to know more of the language, literature, culture, and spirit of two of the most important nations of the world. They will some day, as teachers, be called upon to interpret foreign ideas to their own countrymen, to promote at home a just appreciation of foreign excellence. The minds of the next generation are to be formed partly by them ; their task is as noble as it is diffiQuJt. Idle boys without ideas or ideals who have merely resided abroad for some time will never perform that task.
A student who comes to the University, intending to read for an Honours course in Modern Languages, should have completed his reading for his Preliminary Examinations, so that he can devote at least three clear years to his special study. This is too often neglected, and the loss of time cannot, under the present system, be made up. If he is not ready to pass his Entrance Examination at once, let him defer coming up for a year.
(^) University Training.
The University course stands in the centre of a modern language master's training. The student gets here, better than he gets it from any books, a general and methodical survey of the whole domain of his subject. He will, later on, till but a limited field himself, but he should not start as a narrow specialist. He should be early accustomed to look over the fences and hedges, and see what place his work must take in the cultivation of the whole land. Perhaps he may some day single out a favourite and promising spot where he will dig deep. A science which is as young as ours requires frequent explanation and discussion by the professor. Here the student learns methodical work • he learns to view the development of language and literature in the light of history ; he learns not only the facts, but their inner connection; he becomes acquainted with the critical interpretation of old and modern texts. Much
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of a modern language student's work cannot be done by him- self in the study. It must be done in the lecture room.
At our Universities we teach much more than a master can and should directly use in class ; but a good schoolmaster - ought to be widely read in his subject. How else can he make a good choice of the books to be used, or decide about methods to be adopted? He must also know by experience how scientific results in his subject are obtained, or how far certain current linguistic or literary theories can be considered as well established. He ought not to be dependent on the primers on language and literature which he happens to use. This thorough information about his subject is the indispens- able background for every single piece of his work ; it is the shadow which he casts — to borrow a suggestive simile from Chamisso's 'Peter Schlemihl' — without which, although he cannot use it directly, he will everywhere feel hampered and embarrassed.
The University cannot and should not be expected to train students of modern languages exclusively for the profession of teachers. The University has a twofold aim, viz. : — (a) to promote science (die Wissenschaff) and to train scholars for that purpose ; (b) secondly, to prepare men qualified to do good work in different branches of practical life, which means, in our case, (i) teachers, (2) writers and critics, (3) diplomatists, (4) civil servants, (5) men of business. We have had students reading for all these different professions; the University course should be so arranged as to benefit all these different classes. It would be a serious mistake to neglect the wants of the scholar ; it must be our aim to estab- lish at the English Universities a thoroughly good English modern languages school, producing valuable work. It is true that a large percentage of men come up with a view to be- coming teachers ; but, without professing to prepare them for their task more than the others, I yet believe that, as a matter of fact, the Universities do this, and that he who knows how
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to profit by the instruction can secure an excellent training. He should only beware of imagining that the University can do everything for him. Much must be left to his own indi- vidual efforts, and the end of the University course does not at all imply that his training as a teacher has come to an end. He should go on working and improving his knowledge no less than his practical experience.
The chief subjects of University study are: — (i) Firstly, the advanced study of the language, including practical exer- cises, essays, phonetics, history of the language, and study of specimens of the German language in old and modern times. (2) Secondly, the study of literature, including representative authors from the various periods, history of German, and comparison with English literature, theory of metre, and theory of poetry. (3) Thirdly, 'realia,' i.e. the outlines of German life and thought, customs and institutions, in old and modern times.
To master even the chief facts of all these subjects is no small matter, and requires at least three clear years of con- scientious work. Provision is made in the Cambridge Tripos that a student may stay on for a fourth year, and take up, if he likes, one of the more strictly philological sections, or read for one of the English sections in connection with his modern language work, unless he prefers to stay a fourth year without taking any other examination solely with the view of extending his knowledge and, if possible, doing a certain amount of original work.
The student should attend all the University lectures by which he is likely to profit, and not be discouraged if, at first, he should fail to understand every word of those de- livered in the foreign language. The ear naturally requires considerable training, but I know from experience that, after some time, he will be able to follow with ease. He should take good lecture notes, and read them over and correct them, where necessary, soon after the lecture. He should add to
g6 The Training of Modern Language Teachers
them by later reading. Good notes are especially important in modern languages, because the subject is so new. Many printed books on philology and historical grammar are obso- lescent or superseded; new theories are crowding in from everywhere; it therefore would be indeed humiliating if it could be said of a University lecturer on modern languages : —
* Dass er nichts sagt, als was im Buche steht. '
The exercises in speaking and writing should never, during the whole course, be interrupted ; original composition, especially, should not be neglected. The ear should be trained also by dictation, and the speech organs practised by frequent recitation. Poems and prose pieces of striking excellence should be learned by heart, and often repeated ; philological and literary exercises should not be neglected, and, in an advanced class, students should be trained in the methodical explanation of texts, and in criticism. Such students as wish for private tuition, in addition to University and College teaching, should, if possible, seek scientific in- struction through the medium of the foreign language. The private work of the student should be partly scientific, partly practical. He ought to read up the prescribed subjects and, as far as he can, the great masterpieces of modern literature. He should work carefully through his lecture notes, alone or with a fellow-student. He should make it a point to go frequently to the University library or a Modern Language Students' library to read up references to books and scientific periodicals. The practical work includes reading of repre- sentative German of our own time, studying of the best magazines and newspapers, or well written novels representing German life and thought.
If the work during the term is chiefly scientific, the vacation work will be chiefly modern and literary.
A student who does not wish to spend the whole vacation at home or at an English University may very profitably spend
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some months on the Continent in a town where he can see some of the great classical plays which he is studying acted on the stage. At most English Universities there are oppor- tunities of conversing with natives of Germany and France. The student should try to profit by them. If there is a Modern Language Club, the student should join it. Many men have been abroad at different places ; an exchange of experi- ence and impressions must be of value for all members. The student should also try to get to know the professor or University lecturer of his subject and obtain his advice when in doubt or difficulty. I shall discuss the study of l realia ' in connection with the training abroad.
(c) Training after the University Course^ Self-Training.
A student who has qualified in the highest University examinations can safely be left to himself, but he will probably himself realize that, if he wants to become a successful teacher of German, his training is not yet finished. He will — apart from the necessary methodical study of the art of teaching and its auxiliary subjects, ethics and psychology, and apart from storing up practical experience gained by school teaching — go on studying the classical authors, reading foreign periodicals and magazines, scientific and literary, and also good news- papers. He may perhaps subscribe to one or two, such as Die Neueren Sprachen, the Archiv fur das Studium der Neueren Sprachen und Litteraturen, the Zeitschrift fur den deutschen Unterricht (see p. 103), and a magazine, such as Die Woche, Das literarische Echo^ or the Deutsche Rundschau. In reading German he should use Heyne's Dictionary, in which the words are explained in German. He should endeavour to keep up regular intercourse with natives, for which there are many opportunities in large towns, especially in London. He might exchange lessons or conversation, or even correspondence. No less should he cultivate the society of teachers of modern B. 7
98 The Training of Modern Language Teachers
languages. By joining the Modern Language Association he would come into contact with other modern language masters, and would have excellent opportunities of exchanging experi- ence. He should now turn earnestly to the study of books on method, and test promising theories by his practical experi- ence. At the University there was little time for such studies, but now is the right time for them.
Realia.
The adherents of the t new method ' have rightly insisted that in the training of modern language masters greater promi- nence should be given to the study of those auxiliary subjects, without some knowledge of which a master would not be fully qualified for his work. As I have said before, the life and thought of the nation, its institutions and customs, social relations, history and geography, philosophy and religion, are comprised in this general term. An English teacher of German should be especially well informed about German school and University life.
For general information and reference to larger works, nothing can be better than Meyer's handy 'Kleines Konver- sations Lexikon,' in three volumes, 6i905. For history and geography, the teacher will do well to buy the best current German and French school books. See pages 136 — 139.
TRAINING ABROAD.
We have seen that, however successfully a student and young master may work in England, a most essential part of his training must be gone through on the Continent. Large schools, Universities, County Councils, private donors should all help modern language students and teachers in obtaining this very necessary training abroad1. A student
1 For travelling bursaries, posts of assistants at Prussian state schools, etc. see pages 34—37 and J5O— r5r-
The Training of Modern Language Teachers 99
should, however, take good care to arrive on the Continent well prepared, or else the stay abroad will profit him but little. The importance of the place selected is too much underrated by Professor Breal in his book De r enseignement des langues vivantes (pp. 40, 41). A North German town is certainly to be preferred to a South or Middle German one, a large town to a small town ; a University town offers many additional advantages ; the capital of a country should be known to a teacher in the first instance. Berlin or Paris should consequently be chosen by preference. If they are well known to the student, and if a good pronunciation has been acquired, he may reside for some time in a small and pretty Middle or South German place, e.g. at Jena (near Weimar and Eisenach) or Marburg, or at Heidelberg or Freiburg. There is a great difference between North and South German speech, life, and character, and a teacher should know and appreciate both. The decentralization of Germany is as interesting as it is fortunate.
About the length of the stay abroad no definite rule can be laid down. Of course, the longer the better ; but the student should, at least, have passed one whole long vacation in Germany, and a teacher should make it a point to go again, from time to time, so as not to get rusty. The best plan for a future German master is to arrange to spend at least six months in Germany immediately after having taken his degree. Only then may he hope to become well acquainted with Germany and the Germans. Especially should a teacher beware of rash generalizations, and not say, after a very short stay in one place, ' I know Germany.7 A student should stay with a refined German family, and should avoid all boarding- houses announcing 4 English comfort,' * afternoon tea,' etc. He should stipulate that he should be the only foreigner received at that time. The family of a German secondary teacher will be, for obvious reasons, the best for him to go to. University professors do not, as a rule, take boarders.
7—2
ioo The Training of Modern Language Teachers
English teachers of limited means may sometimes reduce expenses by giving or exchanging lessons. Professor Victor has kindly consented to print applications in his periodical, Die Neueren Sprachen \ but one who is not absolutely obliged thus to reduce his expenses should not sacrifice part of his valuable time abroad to work which does not materially promote his own training. Teachers who have been abroad before may like to join some of the numerous Modern Language Holiday Courses1.
Once settled in a foreign country, a student should hear, see, and speak as much as possible ; he should attend public lectures, University lectures, hear sermons and political debates ; he should make German acquaintances, know stu- dents and teachers, walk, talk, and read with them. I usually tell my students : First of all speak much in the family with which you stay, and insist on having your pronunciation corrected ; keep studiously away from everything English ; live with Germans in the German way, even if you do not like everything at first; try to be introduced into good German society, and study society life; join in a Schulreise^ witness a great public festival, a Turnfest, Schulfest, Sangerfest, a military display ; attend the meetings of a Philologentag or Kunstler- verein or Liedertafel; go to the theatres, and read the plays beforehand ; buy and analyse different German newspapers and magazines, subscribe to a lending library; try to be admitted to the University library, and, if you happen to be at Heidelberg, see not only the great tun but the great Minne- singer manuscript ; see the great works of art, and endeavour to find out which subjects are best treated and which are treated by preference ; compare the North and South German comic papers, and compare them with the Austrian, French, and English — you will find that all have an individuality of their own ; take lessons in original composition, describe your impressions, and ask your teacher and your friends about 1 See pages 36—37.
The Training of Modern, Language Teachtr*. 101
everything that strikes you; take, if possible, some lessons on pronunciation and delivery of classical poetry and prose passages from a good actor or actress ; keep a diary in which you enter anything that strikes you as characteristic of foreign life; collect illustrated catalogues; buy photographs and picture post-cards, e.g. the Heidelberg Castle, Cologne Cathedral, Wartburg, Roland of Bremen and Halle, Lubeck gates, etc. Procure some collection of popular songs with music, and books illustrating German life and customs ; buy a good school atlas — you will want detailed maps of Germany with the German names ; read German books written in a truly German spirit, not the poor imitators of Zola and Ibsen ; try to be admitted to good schools, and attend lessons in different classes.
This is what I wished to say concerning the training of modern language masters. You will have noticed that a training such as I propose for intending teachers of modern languages is just as long, their work at least as hard, as sound, as important and dignified, as that of their classical colleagues. They have to master one, or even two, exceedingly difficult languages, to be acquainted with the masterpieces of a rich literature extending over many centuries ; they have not only to write, but to speak, these languages easily and with genuine foreign intonation. This requires them to go through a special scientific and practical training of the ear and of the speech organs, and involves an expensive stay abroad. .
To bring about an improvement in the status of duly qualified modern language masters is one of the principal aims of the Modern Language Association1, of which I most heartily approve.
1 Information about the aims of the association, list of members, etc. can be obtained from the Hon. Secretary, W. Osborne Brigstocke, Esq., 31, Cornwall Road, Bayswater, London, W. The annual subscription is icxr. 6d., for which members are entitled to receive The Modern Language Review and Modern Language Teaching post-free.
BIBLIOGRAPHICAL APPENDIX
PERIODICALS1.
1. The Modern Language Quarterly (for some years, The Modern
Quarterly of Language and Literature]. Edited by H. Frank Heath, with the assistance of E. G. W. Braunholtz, Karl Breul, I. Gollancz, E. L. Milner-Barry, A. W. Pollard, W. Rippmann, and V. Spiers. London. Seven Volumes 1897-1904. (2^. 6d. each part.) Quarterly. Now split up into two separate publications : —
2. The Modern Language Review. Quarterly. Edited (with
the assistance of an advisory board) by John G. Robertson. Cambridge. University Press. Since October, 1905. is. 6d. per number. This is the strictly scholarly portion.
3. Modern Language Teaching. Monthly. Edited- (with the
assistance of an advisory committee of secondary teachers) by Walter Rippmann. London. Black. Since March, 1905. Yearly eight numbers. 6d. a number.
4. The School World. Often contains good articles, sometimes
especially devoted to modern languages, e.g. March, 1901 (Vol. III. No. 27. Special number). 6d. a number.
5. Modern Language Notes. Edited by A. Marshall Elliott, James
W. Bright, Hans C. G. v. Jagemann, Henry Alfred Todd. Baltimore. Since 1886. Eight numbers a year. (Subscrip- tion in advance, js. a year2.)
1 The full titles of most of the above-mentioned and of many other im- portant periodicals are given in the first chapter of my Handy Guide. The Journal of Education and The School World should also be referred to and consulted throughout.
2 A number of American Periodicals, also Transactions and Proceedings of American Modern Language Associations, are not included as unfortu- nately they can hardly be anywhere consulted in this country. But see Reports 4 and 5.
Bibliographical Appendix 103
6. Archiv fur das Studium der Neueren Sprachen und Littera-
turen. Started by Ludwig Herrig. Braunschweig. Since 1846. Continued by Julius Zupitza and Adolf Tobler. Now edited (since 1903, Vol. in) by Aloys Brandl and Heinrich Morf. The u6th volume is in course of publication. Braunschweig. 1905-6. Half-yearly. (8s. per volume.)
7. Die Neueren Sprachen, Zeitschrift fiir den Neusprachlichen
Unterricht. Mit dem Beiblatt " Phonetische Studien." Pub- lished by Wilhelm Victor (with collaboration of Franz Dorr and Adolf Rambeau). Marburg. Since 1893. Yearly ten parts. (i2s. a year.)
8. Zeitschrift fiir Franzosischen und Englischen Unterricht.
Edited by M. Kaluza, E. Koschwitz ( + ), G. Thurau. Berlin. Since 1902. Yearly 6 parts. IDS. a year.
9. Neuphilologisches Zentralblatt. Organ der Vereine fiir Neuere
Sprachen in Deutschland. Monthly. xix. vols. Since 1887. 1905. Hannover. 8^. a year.
10. Zeitschrift fiir den Deutschen Unterricht, begriindet unter Mitwirkung von Rudolf Hildebrand, herausgegeben von Otto Lyon. Leipzig. Since 1887. Monthly. (i2s. a year.)
11. Wissenschaftliche Beihefte zur Zeitschrift des Allgemeinen Deutschen Sprachvereins. Berlin. Verlag des Sprachvereins. Cheap and valuable. Up to November, 1905 : 27 Hefte.
12. Zeitschrift fiir Franzosische Sprache und Litteratur, originally Zeitschrift fur Neufranzbsische Sprache und Litteratur, mit besonderer Beriicksichtiguhg des Unterrichts im Franzosischen auf den deutschen Schulen, herausgegeben von G. Korting und E. Koschwitz. The present general editor is D. Behrens. Oppeln und Leipzig. (Now Berlin.) Since 1879. This periodical is no longer devoted exclusively to Modern French. (15^. a year.)
13. Litteraturblatt fiir Germanische und Romanische Philologie, herausgegeben von Otto Behagel und Fritz Neumann. Leipzig. Since 1880. Monthly, (us. a year.)
14. Monatsschrift fur Hohere Schulen. Edited by R. Kopke and A. Matthias. Berlin. Weidmann. Since 1902. Monthly. i$s. a year.
IO4 Bibliographical Appendix
15. Revue de ? Enseignement des Langues Vivantes. Edited by A. Wolfromm. Paris. Since 1883. (15^. a year.) Monthly.
16. Bulletin mensuel de la Societe des professeurs de langues vivantes de 1'enseignement public. Since 1903. Monthly.
17. Le Maitre Phonetique, organe de FAssociation Phonetique Internationale. Edited by Paul Passy. Bourg-la-reine (near Paris). Since 1886. (4 s. a year.)
REPORTS.
1. Verhandlungen der Deutschen Neuphilologentage. Every
alternate year one volume of proceedings. Vols. I. — x. Hannover. Since 1886. Vol. XL Koln. 1905. 3^.
2. Jahresberichte fur das hb'here Schulwesen. Edited by K.
Rethwisch. Berlin. Weidmann. Since 1886. One Vol. yearly. Price varying from los. to 15^.
3. Special Reports on Modern Language Teaching. [Education
Department] London. Since 1899.
4. Report of the Committee of Twelve of the Modern Language
Association of America. With introduction by the Chairman, Calvin Thomas. Boston. 1900.
5. Report of the Committee of Nine of the Modern Language
Association of America, to consider the advisability and feasibility of extending the High School course in German. Prepared by Prof. A. R. Hohlfeld. Madison. 1905.
6. Full reports of the proceedings of the (English] Modern
Language Association and of papers read at their general meetings used to be given in "The Modern Language Quarterly," and will in the future be found in "The Modern Language Review" and in " Modern Language Teaching." See also the "Journal of Education."
7. Suggestions for a Modern Language Ctirriculum. Report by
a Special Sub-committee of the Education Sub-committee on an Ideal Curriculum in Modern Languages. See "Modern Language Teaching" I. (1905), 241-45.
Bibliographical Appendix 105
BOOKS, PAMPHLETS AND ESSAYS1.
1. Allcock (A. £.). The Teaching of Modern Languages (in
" Essays on Secondary Education by various contributors/' ed. Chr. Cookson, pp. 149 sqq.). Oxford. 1898. (43. 6d. cloth. )
2. Atkinson (H. W.\ An Experiment in Modern Language
Teaching (Journal of Education, May, 1897). On the articles by F. B. Kirkman ; his reply is contained in the Journ. of Educ. June, 1897.
3. Bagster-Collins (Elijah W.}. The Teaching of German in
Secondary Schools. New York and London. Macmillan. 1904. 6^. 6d. net.
4. Bahlsen (Z,.). Der franzosische Sprachunterricht im neuen
Kurs. Berlin. 1892. (is. $d. unbound.) There is an English edition of these lectures.
5. Baumann (Fr.). Reform und Antireform im Neusprachlichen
Unterricht. Berlin. 1902. (is. unbound.)
6. Bell (G. C). The Relative Advantages of Different Systems of
Modern Language Teaching (a paper read at the Headmasters' Conference, Cambridge, Dec. 1901 and published as a pamphlet).
7. Braunholtz (E. G. W.). Books of Reference for Students and
Teachers of French. A critical survey. London. Hachette. 1901. 2s. 6d.
1 The books, pamphlets and essays enumerated are unequal in value and not invariably written from the same point of view, nor do they always agree with the views set forth in the preceding pages, but they will all be found suggestive and helpful. These lists do not comprise all that is worth reading on the subject, their aim being simply to point out a large -1 number of recent contributions to the study of Methods of Modern Lan- guage Teaching, to which teachers will find it useful to refer. Several articles contained in the Journal of Education (October, 1896, and the following months) are very suggestive, also the contributions by "Zeitgeist" in y. of Educ. March, 1902, and " Sapere Aude," y. of Educ. April, 1902. For further information see Miinch's and Glauning's book (described under 40) which gives very valuable bibliographical lists. The books most useful for the teacher of German are discussed on pp. 115 sqq. Cp. also the Biblio- graphy in Bagster-Collins, pp. 224 sqq. (described under 3 in this list).
io6 Bibliographical Appendix
8. Brtal (Michel}. De 1'enseignement des langues vivantes.
Paris. 1900. (frcs 2 unbound.)
9. Brebner (Mary]. The Method of Teaching Modern Languages
in Germany. London. 1898. (is. 6d. cloth.) See also: Sadler's Reports, Vol. III. (1898), no. 8. (The whole volume is
3^. 6d. net.)
10. Brereton (Cloudesley). The Teaching of Modern Languages with special reference to big towns. London. Blackie. 1905. (is.)
11. Breul (Karl}. The Training of Teachers of Modern Foreign Languages. Lecture delivered at the College of Preceptors. (Educational Times, May, 1894.) See now pages 78 sqq.
12. Breul (Karl). Speeches on the needs of Modern Languages delivered at Cambridge (see Mod. Lang. Quarterly) and at London (see M. L. Q. iv. 2 (July, 1901) pp. 156-8). See also The Times, Dec. 26th, 1900— Jan. 29th, 1901, Sapere Audey "The means of encouraging the Study of Modern Languages"; also Journal of Education, April, 1902, "Modern Languages and the Universities,— Supply of Teachers"; also Morning Post (Oct. 3ist and Nov. ist, 1902), "On the teaching of Modern Languages." (Reprinted in T/>/> /y^/W^ /Yfifd PP 199 — 222 and 286, edited by Spenser Wilkinson.) London. 1903.
13. Breul (Karl). Greek and its humanistic alternatives in the Little-go. Cambridge. 1905. (is.)
14. Breul (Karl). A Handy Bibliographical Guide to the Study of German Language and Literature, for the use of students and teachers of German. Hachette. 1895. (2s. 6d. net.)
15. Breymann (H.). Die neusprachliche Reform-Literatur von 1876—93, Leipzig, 1895 (3s- unbound); von 1894 — 99, Leipzig, 1900 (2s. $d. unbound) ; von 1899 — 1904, Leipzig, 1905 (4^. unbound). The third part is called ' Eine bibliographisch- kritische Ubersicht,' contributed by Prof. Dr Steinmiiller.
16. Colbeck (C.\ On the Teaching of Modern Languages in Theory and Practice. Two Lectures. Cambridge. 1887. (2s. cloth.)
Bibliographical Appendix 107
17. Eggert (Bruno}. Phonetische und Methodische Studien in Paris. Zur Praxis des neusprachlichen Unterrichts. Leipzig. 1900. (2s. 6d.)
18. Eggert (Bruno). Der psychologische Zusammenhang in der Didaktik des neusprachlichen Reformunterrichts. Berlin. 1904. (is. lod.)
19. Eve (H. IV.). The Teaching of Modern Languages. (In National Education, London, 1901, 228 — 253.) Reprinted London, 1905. See also Educ. Times, February, 1901, pp.
55—57-
20. Findlay (J.). An Experiment in Modern Language Teaching. (Journal of Education, Oct. Nov. Dec. (with A. E. Twentyman), 1896.) See Kirkman.
21. Franke (F.). Die praktische Spracherlernung auf Grund der Psychologic und der Physiologic der Sprache dargestellt. Leipzig. 1890. (8<tf. unbound.)
22. Frazer (Mrs J . G.). The Phonograph as a School appliance. (Journal of Educ. Nov. 1905, 736 — 737.) See nos. 48 and 52.
23. Gouin (F.). The art of teaching and studying languages. Translated into English by Swan and Be'tis. London. 1892. 7s. 9*/. See no. 34.
24. Hartmann (K. A. M.\ Die Anschauung im neusprachlichen Unterricht. Wien. 1895. (6d. unbound.)
25. Hartmann (K. A. M.). Reiseeindriicke und Beobachtungen eines deutschen Neuphilologen in der Schweiz und in Frank- reich. Leipzig. 1897. ($s. unbound, 4^. cloth.)
26. Hausknecht (Emit). The Teaching of Foreign Languages. In Sadler's Reports, Vol. vm. (1898), no. 9.
27. Holzer (G.) und Schmidt (G.). Zur franzosischen und englischen Unterrichtssprache. Beitrage zu einer Schul- phraseologie. Heidelberg. Programm 666. Beilage. Hei- delberg. 1900.
28. Jeffrey (P. Shaw). The study of Colloquial and Literary French. London. Whittaker. 1899. (5*.)
io8 Bibliographical Appendix
29. Jespersen (Otto]. How to teach a foreign Language. Trans- lated from the Danish original by Sophia Ylsen-Olsen Bertelsen. London. 1904. (3^. 6d.)
30. Kirkman (F. B.}. An Experiment in Modern Language Teaching. (Journal of Education, February, April, 1897.) See Findlay ; Atkinson.
31. Kirkman (F. B.}. Reform in Modern Language Examina- tions. (Journal of Education, April, 1900, pp. 230 ff.)
32. Klinghardt (//.). Ein Jahr Erfahrungen mit der neuen Methode. Marburg. 1888. (is. 8d. unbound.)
33. Klinghardt (//.). Drei weitere Jahre Erfahrungen mit der neuen Methode. Marburg. 1892. (2s. 6d. unbound.)
34. Kron (7?.). Die Methode Gouin oder das Seriensystem in Theorie und Praxis. Marburg. 2i9oo. (3.$-. 6d. bound.)
35. Lange (Paul). Zur Reform unserer Neusprachlichen Schul- ausgaben. Leipzig. 1901. (3^.)
36. Mangold ( W.}. Geloste und ungeloste Fragen der Methodik, auf dem Gebiet der neueren Fremdsprachen. Berlin. 1892. (8d. unbound.)
37. Mangold ( W.\ Der Unterricht im Franzosischen und Eng- lischen, in the Reform des Hoheren Schulwesens in Preussen. Halle. 1902. Pp. 191 — 226, and bibliographical references at end. 12s. ; 145. cloth.
38. Montgomery (Miss J. D.). The Teaching of Modern Languages in Belgium and Holland. In Sadler's Reports, Vol. n. (1898), no. 26.
39. Munch (W.\ Zur Forderung des franzosischen Unterrichts. Heilbronn. 1883. 2nd (improved) edition. Leipzig. 1895. (2s. $d. unbound.)
40. Munch (W.) und Glauning (Fr.). Didaktik und Methodik des franzosischen und englischen Unterrichts. Miinchen. 1895 (from Dr A. Baumeister's "Handbuch der Erziehungs- und Unterrichtslehre fur hohere Schulen "). This book contains a most valuable and up-to-date bibliography. (4^. 6d. unbound.) New editions. Munch (1902), Glauning (1903).
Bibliographical Appendix 109
41. Miinch (W.}. Welche Ausriistung fiir das neusprachliche Lehramt 1st vom Standpunkte der Schule aus wiinschenswert? (In "Die Neueren Sprachen," IV. Heft 6.) Marburg. 1896. is. &d. A number of other essays of Miinch scattered in various German periodicals are likewise well worth reading.
42. Miinch (IV.}. Das Akademische Privatstudium der Neuphilo- logen, in " Lehrproben und Lehrgange der Gymnasien und Realschulen." 1905. Separately printed. Halle. 1906. (5^.)
43. Neumann (A.). Fiihrer durch die Stadte Nancy, Lille, Caen, Tours, Montpellier, Grenoble, Besangon, fiir Studierende, Lehrer und Lehrerinnen. Marburg. 1902. (2s. bound.)
44. Ohlert (A.}. Die fremdsprachliche Reformbewegung, etc. Konigsberg. 1886. (is. $d. unbound.)
45. Passy (Paul}. De la me'thode directe dans Penseignement des langues vivantes. Paris. 1899. (Armand Colin Cie.) (frcs 1.50.)
46. Rippmann ( Walter]. Hints on Teaching French. London. 3 1 904. (is. 6d. net, boards.) Hints on Teaching German. London. 1899. (is. net, boards.)
47. Rippmann (Walter}. On the Early Teaching of French. (A series of Articles in Macmillan's "School World," beginning in no. i.)
48. Rippmann (Walter}. The Production of artificial speech sounds. (In the School World, April, 1906.) See no. 51.
49. Roden (A. v.}. In wiefern muss der Sprachunterricht um- kehren? Ein Versuch zur Verstandigung iiber die Reform des neusprachlichen Unterrichts. Marburg. 1890. (is. %>d. unbound.)
50. Roden (A. v.}. Die Verwendung von Bildern zu franzosischen und englischen Sprechiibungen, methodische Ansichten und Vorschlage. Marburg. 1898. (is. $d. unbound.)
51. Rossmann (P.). Ein Studienaufenthalt in Paris. Ein Fiihrer fiir Studierende, Lehrer und Lehrerinnen. 2nd edition. Marburg. 1902. (3^. bound.)
52. Rouse (W. H. D.}. The Phonograph in the Class- Room. (Illustrated.) The School World. May, 1906. 6d.
no Bibliographical Appendix
53. Salhviirck (E. -z/.). Fiinf Kapitel vom Erlernen fremder Sprachen. Berlin. 1898. is. %d.
54. Savory (D. Z,.). Progress of the Reform Method of Teaching Modern Languages, in Speaker, Sept. 23rd, 1905. (Cp. article by same writer in Speaker, Sept. I9th, 1903.)
55. Schlapp (Otto}. Modern Languages in Scotch Schools and Universities, their present position and prospects. Edin- burgh. 1899.
56. Schlapp (Otto}. The Report of the Scottish Universities Com- mission and the place of Modern Languages in the Examina- tions for Bursaries of the Scottish Universities. Edinburgh. Darien Press. 1900. ($d.)
57. Siepmann (Otto]. The advantages and fallacies of the new method of teaching French. (An address delivered in London, Dec. 1903.) Reprinted from the Preparatory Schools Review. Oxford. Bocardo Press. 1904.
58. Siepmann (Otto). Modern Languages as an instrument of Education arid Culture. (A paper read at Oxford, April, 1904.) London. Hodgson Co. 1904. [Reprinted in the "Zeitschrift fur franzosischen und englischen Unterricht." 1905.]
59. Siepmann (Otto}. Preface to his ' Primary French Course.' London. 1902.
60. Sigwalt (Ch.}. De 1'enseignement des langues vivantes. Paris. 1906. (3^. unbound.)
61. Soltmann (H. C.). Der fremdsprachliche franzosische Unter- richt an der Hoheren Madchenschule. Leipzig. 1889. (is. unbound.)
62. Soltmann (H. C.). Das propadeutische Halbjahr des fran- zosischen Unterrichts in der Hoheren Madchenschule. Bre- men. 1893. (is. 6d. unbound.)
63. Spencer (Fr.}. Chapters on the aims and practice of teaching. Chapter ill. (French and German, by the general editor.) Cambridge. 1897. (6s. cloth.)
64. Storr (Fr.). The Teaching of Modern Languages (French and German) in "Teaching and Organisation, with special reference to Secondary Schools. A manual of practice, edited by P. A. Barnett." London. 1897. Pp. 261 — 280. At the end of this essay some other contributions by Mr Storr to the question of
Bibliographical Appendix 1 1 1
Modern Language Teaching are enumerated. See also A. T. Pollard's remarks on pp. 24 — 26 of the same volume. (6s. 6d. cloth.)
65. Sweet (//.)• The Practical Study of Languages. London. 1899. New York. 1900. (6^. net.)
66. Tanger (G.). Muss der Sprachunterricht umkehren? Berlin. 1888. (gd. unbound.) See no. 71.
67. Tuke (Margaret J.). Article in Journal of Education. November, 1902.
68. Thiergen (Oscar). Methodik des neusprachlichen Unterrichts. Leipzig. 1903. (4J. $d. cloth.)
69. Thomas (Calvin), A. Marshall Elliott, W. Stuart Macgowan and others. Methods of Teaching Modern Languages. Boston, U. S. A. 1891. (Essays and speeches very unequal in value and importance. $s. 6d. cloth.)
70. Veyssier (£.). De la me'thode pour Tenseignement scolaire des langues vivantes. Paris. 1898. (3^.)
71. Victor (W.}. (Quousque Tandem.) Der Sprachunterricht muss umkehren. Heilbronn. 1882. Third ed. with additional notes, 1905. (8d. unbound.)
72. Victor ( W.}. Die Methodik des neusprachlichen Unterrichts. Ein geschichtlicher Uberblick in vier Vortragen. Leipzig. 1902. (is. unbound.)
73. Victor (W.}. Wissenschaft und Praxis in der neueren Philo- logie. Marburg. 1899. ($d. unbound.)
74. Waetzoldt (St.). Die Aufgabe des Neusprachlichen Unter- richts und die Vorbildung der Lehrer. Berlin. 1892. (is. unbound.) Compare the " Verhandlungen des fiinften allge- meinen deutschen Neuphilologentages zu Berlin" (1892) (Hannover, 1893, pp. 25 sqq.) and the reviews of Waetzoldt's lecture in " Die Neueren Sprachen" I. 48 sqq. (Victor); " Mitteilungen zur Anglia" in. 361 sqq. (Wendt) ; "Zeitschr. fur franzosische Sprache " xiv. i sqq. (Stengel) ; " Englische Studien" XIX. 137 sqq. (Kolbing); " Litteraturblatt fur germanische und romanische Philologie" XV. 130 sqq. (Koschwitz).
112 Bibliographical Appendix
75. Walter (Max). Der franzosische Klassenunterricht. Mar- burg. 1888, 21895. (Is- 3d- unbound.)
76. Walter (Max). Englisch nach dem Frankfurter Reformplan. Marburg. 1900. ($s. 6d. unbound.)
77. Walter (Max). Die Reform des Neusprachlichen Unter- richts auf Schule und Universitat. Mit Nachwort von W. Victor. Marburg. 1901. (6d.)
78. Walter (Max). Der Gebrauch der Fremdsprache bei der Lektiire in den Oberklassen. Marburg. 1905. 9^.
79. Ware (Fabian]. Phonetics and Modern Language Teaching. (Journal of Education. August, 1897.) See Kirkman.
80. Ware (Fabian). The Teacher of Modern Languages in Prussian Secondary Schools. His education and professional training. In Sadler's Reports, Vol. III. (1890), no. 10.
81. Ware (Fabian}. The Teaching of Modern Languages in Frankfurt a/M and district. In Sadler's Reports, Vol. III. (1898), no. 7-
82. Widgery ( W. H.\ The Teaching of Languages in Schools. London. 1888. (With a very full chronological bibliography up to 1888.) Reprinted. London. 1903. (is.)
83. Winch (William H.}. Notes on German Schools. London. 1904. (Chapter XV. pp. 162 — 202, on the teaching of foreign languages in Germany.) (6s. bound.)
84. Wolfromm (A.). La question des methodes. Revue de 1'en- seignement des langues vivantes. Paris. 1902. (April number.)
SPECIAL BOOKS ON THE TEACHING OF GERMAN1.
85. Hildebrand (R.\ Vom deutschen Sprachunterricht in der Schule. Leipzig. 4i89o. (3^. unbound.)
1 Those books which are specially intended for the use of German teachers in German Schools contain much more than an English teacher can possibly expect to get through ; but as the smaller is contained in the.
Bibliographical Appendix 113
86. Laas (E.). Der deutsche Unterricht auf hoheren Lehran- stalten. Berlin. 1872. 2i886 (edited by I. Imelmann). (Ss. unbound.) See p. 141.
87. Lehmann (Rud.\ Der deutsche Unterricht. Eine Methodik fur hohere Lehranstalten. Berlin. 2nd edit. 1897. 9^. cloth.
88. Wendt (Gustav). Didaktik und Methodik des deutschen Unterrichts und die philosophische Propadeutik (from Bau- meister's 'Handbuch' Vol. ill.). 2nd edit. Miinchen. 1905. With useful bibliographical lists. (3^. 6d. unbound.)
89. Matthias (Adolf]. Handbuch des deutschen Unterrichts an den hoheren Schulen. A monumental work which will ulti- mately comprise six volumes, produced by the collaboration of a number of first-rate authorities. Miinchen. Only a small portion has so far appeared. 1906.
PHONETICS1.
90. Klinghardt (//.). Artikulations- und Horiibungen. Cothen. J^97- (5s- bd. unbound.)
91. Passy(Paul\ Les sons du Fran^ais. Paris. 3i892. (frcs. 1.50 unbound.)
92. Passy (Paul). Abrdgd de prononciation franchise. Leipzig. 1897. 2i9oi. (is.)
greater, English teachers of German will in many cases find such works of the utmost service — except in the case of the special conditions and special difficulties of the English learner. With regard to these and to a detailed account of the method of teaching German in English schools the best book is at present the American book by E. W. Bagster-Collins. See no. 3 of the foregoing list.
1 For more detailed information see my Handy Bibliographical Guide, pp. 8, 24 — 26, 35, and also pp. 125 sqq. of this book. For French, see Braunholtz, ' Books of Reference for Students and Teachers of French.' London, 1901. Here on pages 32 and 45 — 7 the titles of the important books by Beyer, Koschwitz, and others are given in full. See also Miss Brebner's pamphlet (No. 5), pp. 70 — 72, and Le Maitre Phonetique (January, 1897), pp. 39 — 41 (ouvrages recommandes pour 1'etude de la phonetique et de la pedagogic linguistique). (See also Rippmann in Modern Langtiage Teaching.} The larger and most useful works on Phonetics by Sievers, Trautmann, Victor, Jespersen and others are here not enumerated.
B. 8 \^
H4 Bibliographical Appendix
93. Rippmann (W.\ Elements of Phonetics. English, French, and German. Translated and adapted from Prof. Victor's uKleine Phonetik." London. 1899. (2s. 6d. net, boards.)
94. Scholle ( W.) and Smith (£.). Elementary Phonetics. English, French, German. Their theory and practical application in the classroom. London. 1903. (zs. 6d. net.)
95. Vietor (W.\ German Pronunciation, Practice and Theory. Leipzig. 3i9O3. (2s. cloth.) (See pp. 62 — 63 of this book.)
96. Johannson (Arwid). Phonetics of the New High German Language. Manchester and Leipzig. ($s. net.) 1906.
97. Siebs (Theodor). Deutsche Biihnenaussprache. Berlin, Koln, Leipzig. 1898. 2i9oi. ($s. $d. bound.) Grundziige der Biihnenaussprache. ibid. 21904. (2s. bound.)
98. Bangert (W.). Ubersicht liber die phonetische Bewegung zwischen 1878 — 93, in "Verhandlungen der Direktoren-Ver- sammlung der Provinz Schleswig-Holstein." Berlin. 1898. pp. 117—184.
99. Breymann (//.). Die phonetische Litteratur von 1876 — 1895. Eine bibliographisch-kritische Ubersicht. Leipzig. 1897. (3J. 6d. unbound.)
100. Bremer (Otto}. Wandtafeln der deutschen Aussprache. Tafel I : Die menschlichen Sprechwerkzeuge. Senkrechter Durchschnitt durch die Mitte des Kopfes. Leipzig. Breitkopf & H artel. 1903. is.
THE REFERENCE LIBRARY OF A SCHOOL TEACHER OF GERMAN1.
THERE are no doubt many difficulties which beset a teacher of German in this country, such as — want of time allotted to his subject in the school curriculum, necessity of preparing his pupils for a host of examinations, want of a clearly defined and methodically arranged curriculum, lack of encouragement of the subject in the vast majority of schools, distinct dis- couragement in the present regulations for various exami- nations, shyness of many pupils in dealing with the living and spoken idiom, uncertainty concerning the best method to be adopted in teaching, and doubt as to what books should be used with the classes, and more especially in preparing for his own work.
It can, however, not be urged that there is not now a great number of really good, scientific, as well as practical books available for a teacher to refer to in all cases of difficulty and doubt, such as may arise at any moment in the various departments of his every-day teaching. On the contrary, there are, at least in some cases, so many books on the same subject that a real difficulty is experienced by teachers as to which
1 Revised and enlarged Reprint from the Modern Language Quarterly for November, 1897. For a similar up-to-date list of the best books of reference for a teacher of French, see E. G. W. Braunholtz, 'Books of reference for students and teachers of French,' London, 1901, and also O. Siepmann's list of books in 'The School World,' March, 1901, and W. Rippmann in 'Modern Language Teaching,' I. 6 (Oct. 1905), pp. 171 sqq.
8—2
Ii6 The Reference Library of
should be used by preference. The school reference libraries are as yet very poor as far as German is concerned, and teachers of German should make every effort to improve them. Apart from this, however, most teachers will probably wish, as far as may be, to purchase gradually all the necessary books of reference for themselves. But as only a very few teachers will be able to possess all the books which they may from time to time wish to consult, the establishment of good school libraries for teachers of modern languages is a pressing need which cannot be ignored any longer.
The choice of tools will, of course, largely depend on the kind of work which the teacher will have to do, but a well- equipped and sufficiently endowed reference library will be found by every teacher of the very greatest importance for the success of his teaching and for necessary self-improvement. It is the object of this article to assist young teachers to some extent in making their choice and in recommending books for school and college libraries. As far as possible the latest editions are quoted. New books of value and interest will henceforth be regularly noticed in Modern Language Teaching and The Modern Language Review, as they used to be (since 1897) in the columns of the Modern Language Quarterly.
Such ordinary grammars, composition-books, school dic- tionaries, and the like, as are in daily use in schools, and with which every teacher is naturally familiar, have all, or nearly all, been excluded from the following lists. I shall, in the subsequent paragraphs, freely refer readers to my ' Handy Guide1,' where a much greater number of books of reference is given, and will here, once for all, draw attention to a work now in course of publication, which when completed will be of
1 Karl Breul, 'A Handy Bibliographical Guide to the Study of the German Language and Literature for the use of Students and Teachers of German.' London: Hachette £ Co., 1895, 8vo. Bound, is. 6d. Some books enumerated in the present chapter are of more recent date than the 'Guide.'
a School Teacher of German 117
the greatest utility to teachers : the ' Handbuch des deutschen Unterrichts an den hoheren Schulen.' (To be completed in about 14 parts, published separately and each complete in it- self; General Editor, Adolf Matthias, Miinchen, 1906.) It will contain much that English teachers of German will not require, but a great part of it will be to them, no less than to their German colleagues, of the utmost importance. As it is a very expensive work it will be difficult for many teachers to buy it, but it might well find a place on the shelves of the reference library for modern language teachers in the larger secondary schools.
Dictionaries. — A number of dictionaries of different kinds should be found on the shelves of a well-equipped reference library. Apart from the ordinary small school dictionaries, a teacher will be in constant need of at least one large dictionary of the first order. The last edition of Fliigel's well-known and time-honoured dictionary is much to be recommended. Its full title is Felix Fliigel, 'Allgemeines Englisch-Deutsches und Deutsch-Englisches Worterbuch.' Fourth, entirely remodelled, edition. 2 parts in 3 vols. Braunschweig, 1891. (Price, bd., £2. ^s.)1 The English- German part is by far the better of the two, it gives many carefully chosen instances from English classical authors of all times, with exact references to the works where they occur, and good German renderings ; the German-English part, which is really the more important one for English students, is written on a different plan and leaves more to be desired. A smaller dictionary, partly based on the large Fliigel (the English- German part only), is the one called Fliigel-Schmidt-Tanger, 1 A Dictionary of the English and German Languages for Home and School.' Two vols. London, 1896 (15*. bound).
1 The prices quoted in this article are those for which the books may be obtained from Messrs Heffer and Sons, Petty Cury, Cambridge. The prices are liable to the usual discount.
n8 The Reference Library of
It is excellently printed, very full, marvellously cheap, and most useful for all ordinary purposes.
Still better from a scientific point of view is Schroer's new- adaptation of Grieb's well-known dictionary. (Vol. I. English- German. Vol. II. German-English. Paul Neff, Stuttgart, 1894-1902. Its price is exactly the same as that of Fliigel- Schmidt-Tanger. 155-.)
A work which surpasses even the big Fliigel in complete- ness is the ' Encyclopadisches Englisch-Deutsches und Deutsch- Englisches Worterbuch,' compiled by Ed. Muret and Daniel Sanders with the help of many specialists. It consists of four volumes, each costing £i. is. half-bound. (Berlin, 1891-1902.) An abridged school edition of this work has also been published. (It is very full, the print is good though rather small, and it is obtainable in two vols. 16^.; in one vol., 15^., Berlin, 1900.)
The smaller books by Thieme-Preusser, and Kohler (which have been completely re-edited), and the still smaller books by Whitney, Krummacher, James, and Weir (of which I have just completed a revised and much enlarged edition to be published in the autumn), are certainly useful in many respects to school children and students at the beginning of their course, but do not afford all the information a teacher of German may desire to obtain. Among the host of very small books may be men- tioned E. Muret's ' Taschenworterbuch der Englischen und Deutschen Sprache' (Berlin,2 1 902, 35. 6^.) and Jaschke's ' English- German Conversation Dictionary,' which is excellent for use when travelling in Germany. (London, Nutt, 1893. 2s.6d.}
Apart from German-English and English-German dic- tionaries, a teacher will often desire to consult a German dictionary with German explanations, and, if possible, with well-chosen German instances. The very big works of the brothers Grimm and their successors, and of Daniel Sanders (see my ' Guide,' pp. 48 — 49), are too bulky and expensive for ordinary purposes ; the former is still uncompleted. Two recent dictionaries of smaller size will probably be very
a School Teacher of German 119
welcome to many teachers of German. One is by Moriz Heyne, ' Deutsches Worterbuch,' 3 vols. Leipzig, 1890-95 (;£i. los. unbound, £i. iqs. half calf). It contains numerous well-chosen instances, and is most handy for reference. A new enlarged edition, giving the latest official spellings, is now in course of publication, Leipzig, 1905-6. An abridgment of the original edition, in one vol., was published in 1897 (13^. half calf). Another most useful dictionary, in which no full quotations are given, but the development of meaning of the words very care- fully elaborated, is the ' Deutsches Worterbuch,' by Hermann Paul. Halle, 1897 (Ss. unbd. ; IQS. half calf). Heyne and Paul exclude all foreign words of recent importation. Every teacher should endeavour to get Paul's dictionary and the large Heyne — both will be of daily use to him. English teachers of German will sometimes be in doubt as to the inflexion or pronunciation of foreign words in German. They should consult the ' Fremdworterbuch/ by Dan. Sanders, 2 vols. Leipzig, 2 1891-2 (155. half calf). There is now, however, a strong tendency in Germany to avoid, if possible, the use of foreign words, and several dictionaries have been compiled in which German equivalents of foreign words are given. Such are G. A. Saalfeld, ' Fremd- und Verdeutschungsworterbuch,' Berlin, 1898 (7$. 6d. bound), and O. Sarrazin, ' Verdeutschungs- worterbuch.' Berlin, 3i9o5 (6s. bound). Mention should also be made of the ' Verdeutschungsworterbiicher des Allge- meinen Deutschen Sprachvereins ' (issued to its members). The separate parts are also obtainable at low prices, e.g. Die Speisekarte (i), Der Handel (ii), Die Schule (vii), etc. The most handy dictionary of synonyms is Eberhard's 'Synony- misches Handworterbuch der deutschen Sprache' (the latest, 1 6th ed., by Otto Lyon) with well-chosen German instances and translations of the German synonyms into English, French, Italian, and Russian. Leipzig, 1904 (half-bound, 135. 6d.). The etymology of words of German origin has been admirably treated by Fr. Kluge in his ' Etymologisches Worterbuch der
I2O The Reference Library of
deutschen Sprache.' This book, the first edition of which ap- peared in 1 88 1, has rapidly gone through a number of carefully revised editions. The last edition was published at the end of 1898 and costs, bound in leather, rcxr. A very short, but useful, etymological German dictionary is the one by Ferd. Better. Leipzig, 1897. (Sammlung Goschen, No. 64, lod. cloth.) A very good systematical English- German vocabulary (parts of which will be found useful for class-teaching) has been com- piled by Gustav Kriiger, ' Englisch-Deutsches Worterbuch nach StofTen geordnet fur Studierende, Schulen und Selbstunterricht.' Berlin, ^895 (35. io</.).
Many other dictionaries, including older German dic- tionaries, special glossaries, dialect dictionaries, dictionaries of technical and commercial words and phrases, etc., which are of less importance for ordinary teaching, must be passed over in this article. Their full titles are given in my * Guide,' chapter vi., pp. 45 — 54. I will only mention F. W. Eitzen's * Worterbuch der Handelssprache,' 2 vols. English-German, Leipzig, 1893 (i6s. bound), which is very full and on the whole reliable, and is not mentioned in the ' Guide.'
Grammars, etc. — Such books as are very widely known and extensively used in class-teaching, e.g. the grammars by Kuno Meyer, Macgowan, Fiedler, Aue, Eve, Weisse, Meissner, Siepmann, and others, need not be discussed in this place. I wish to call attention to some excellent books which seem to be less known. L. Harcourt's ' German for Beginners/ Marburg and London, 2i898 (2s. &d. net), is an admirable book for its purpose. The * Leitfaden fiir den ersten Unterricht im Deut- schen ' by S. Alge, with the collaboration of S. Hamburger and W. Rippmann, deserves warm recommendation. A new edition, completely rewritten, has been published in 1905 under the title 'Dent's New First German Book,' is. 6rf. H. G. Atkins' ; Skeleton Grammar of German ' (London, Blackie, i s. 6d.) will be found useful, where it is desirable to em- phasize only the main facts of accidence and syntax. The
a School Teacher of German 12 1
excellent American book by H. C. G. Brandt, 'A Grammar of the German Language for High Schools and Colleges, designed for beginners and advanced students/ Boston, 6i893 (6s. net, cloth), which is far too little known in this country, will be found extremely useful. Teachers should make it a point to obtain the larger edition (including the advanced portion). Among the more bulky works on German grammar written in English, G. O. Curme's recently published ' Grammar of the German Language, designed for a thorough and practical study of the language as spoken and written to-day' (New York, 1905, icxy.), is to be warmly recommended. There is a Grammar of the German language by G. H. Clarke and C. J. Murray which has just (1906) been published by the Cambridge University Press. I have not yet been able to examine it. It is smaller than Curme's book, but fuller than most school grammars (6s.). Of those written in German, the ' Neuhochdeutsche Grammatik mit Beriicksich- tigung der historischen Entwickelung der deutschen Sprache,' F. Blatz, Karlsruhe, 3 1895-6, 2 vols. (entirely rewritten), unbound, 22^., half-calf, 26^., deserves special recommenda- tion. Students and teachers will find Curme and Blatz most useful for study and for reference. They may also like to consult L. Siitterlin's 'Die deutsche Sprache der Gegenwart,' Leipzig, 1900, 6s., and the shorter ' Deutsche Sprachlehre fiir hohere Lehranstalten,' Leipzig, 1905, 2s. $d. (by L. Siitterlin and A. Waag), both extremely good books. Of the older books, I. Ch. Aug. Heyse's ' Deutsche Grammatik,' 26th ed., completely rewritten by Otto Lyon, Hannover, 1900 ($s.), may, in spite of some shortcomings, still be used with advantage in many cases. The ' Deutsche Grammatik ' (Gotisch, Alt- Mittel- und Neuhochdeutsch), by W. Wilmanns, which is now in course of publication, will probably be of too strictly philo- logical a character to meet the practical needs of school-teachers. So far vol. i. (phonology), Strassburg, 2i897 (8^. unbound, los. half-bound), and vol. n. (word-formation), §trassburg,
122 The Reference Library of
(\2S. 6d. unbound), and the first half of vol. in. have appeared. A fourth volume, and possibly a fifth, are to follow. It is an admirable piece of work.
An excellent short book for repetition of the principal facts of old and modern phonology and accidence is Fr. Kaufifmann, 'Deutsche Grammatik.' Marburg, 3i902 (2S. gd. cloth). The book is only intended for the use of students, and cannot be used for class-teaching.
With regard to syntax alone, the works by Vernaleken, Erdmann, Kern, and Wunderlich, give much useful infor- mation. (See my 'Guide,' p. 32.) Erdmann's work (in two volumes), which is now completed (vol. n. by Otto Mensing, Stuttgart, 1898), deserves special recommendation. (los. un- bound the 2 vols.)
There are a number of German books in which doubtful points of grammar and the 'best German5 are discussed at length. Five of these will be especially serviceable to English teachers (for others, see my ' Guide,' pp. 29 — 30). K. G. Andresen, ' Sprachgebrauch und Sprachrichtigkeit im Deutschen.' Eighth edition, Leipzig, 1898 (6s., or cloth 7^.). This is the most conservative book of the three. Th. Matthias, in his 'Sprachleben und Sprachschaden.' Leipzig, 2i897 (6s. $d. cloth), of which an abridged edition has been published in 1896 (Kleiner Wegweiser durch die Schwankungen und Schwierig- keiten des deutschen Sprachgebrauchs, is. 5^.), makes greater concessions to recent usage. The third book is much shorter, but also very useful — A. Heintze, 'Gut Deutsch.' Eighth edition, Berlin, 1897 (is. 6d. cloth). Heintze has also recently brought out a very large, and on the whole reliable, work in dictionary form on the doubtful points of grammar and style under the title ' Deutscher Sprachhort,' Leipzig, 1900 (i2s. un- bound), which deserves to be recommended. The last book of this kind is W. Grunow, ' Grammatisches Nachschlagebuch, ein Wegweiser fiir jedermann durch die Schwierigkeiten der deutschen Grammatik und des deutschen Stils.' Leipzig, 1905 (2s. 6d.).
a School Teacher of German 123
The fundamental questions concerning the history of language in general have been discussed in a masterly way by Henry Sweet in his ' History of Language/ London, Dent,
1900 (is. net). More detailed books on the subject are Otto Jespersen's 'Progress in Language,' London, 1894 (7^. 6d.\ and H. Paul's 'Principien der Sprachgeschichte ' (IQS. bound). The books (written from different points of view) of Wilh. Wundt, 'Sprachgeschichte und Sprachpsychologie,' Leipzig,
1901 (35-. bound), and B. Delbriick, ' Grundfragen der Sprach- forschung' (against Wundt), Strassburg, 1901 (45-. lod. bound), are of a more advanced character.
Those who wish to have a brief survey of the history of the German language and its grammar should refer to O. Weise's * Unsere Muttersprache ; ihr Werden und ihr Wesen ' (Leipzig, 3i897, 2s. %d.\ and also to W. Uhl, VEntstehung und Entwicke- lung unserer Muttersprache.' Leipzig, 1906 (is. 3^.). A some- what older book of a similar character, and especially good with regard to strictly philological information, is O. Behagel's 4 Die deutsche Sprache' (Leipzig, ^902, revised and enlarged edition) (3^. 8d. ). An adaptation of the original edition, which is, however, not free from slips, appeared in London, 1891, under the title, 'A Short Historical Grammar of the German Language7 (4-j-. 6d.). A really first-rate account of the history of the German language considering the special needs of English students of German has still to be written. Teachers may also like to refer to O. Brenner's 'Grundziige der geschichtlichen Grammatik der deutschen Sprache.' Miinchen, 1896 (2^. 5^. unbound). In- formation on special points is given in A. Waag's 'Bedeutungsent- wickelung unseres Wo rtschatzes' (based on H. Paul's Dictionary), Lahr, 1901 (35-. unbound); Albert Polzin's * Geschlechtswandel der Substantiva im Deutschen (mit Einschluss der Lehn- und Fremdworte),' Hildesheim, 1903, and with regard to the vocabulary (especially loan-words) the following books should be consulted : — F. Seiler, ' Die Entwickelung der deutschen Kultur im Spiegel des deutschen Lehnworts' (Halle, i. 1895,
124 The Reference Library of
2i905; ii. 1900), 45-. the two parts, unbound. R. Kleinpaul, ' Das Fremdwort im Deutschen ' (Sammlung Goschen. Leipzig, lodf.). A small pamphlet containing a few short and popular articles on the German language, such as boys preparing for scholarships may like to read, is the one by E. Wasserzieher, 'Aus dem Leben der deutschen Sprache.' Leipzig, no date (3^.). A well-written and practical book is the one by Henri Lichtenberger, ' Histoire de la langue allemande.' Paris, 1895 (frcs. 7.50). Another useful French book, treating of the mutual relation of English and German grammar, is a book by V. Henry, which was translated by the author himself, under the title, ' A Short Comparative Grammar of English and German, as traced back to their Common Origin and con- trasted with the Classical Languages.' London, 1894 (js. 6d.}. Excellent information with regard to niceties of spelling is given by W. Wilmanns in his valuable book, ' Die Ortho- graphic in den Schulen Deutschlands.' Berlin, 1887 (3$. 8</. unbound). It is, however, to some extent superseded by the new ; Reichsorthographie,' and reference should therefore be made to the latest books giving the spellings now officially adopted by Germany, Austria and Switzerland, such as the pamphlet called 'Regeln fiir die deutsche Rechtschreibung und Worterverzeichnis,' Berlin, 1902 (3^.); K. Duden's handy and reliable ' Orthographisches Worterbuch der deutschen Sprache mit etymologischen Angaben, kurzen Sacherklarungen und Verdeutschungen der Fremdworter. Nach den fiir Deut- schland, Osterreich und die Schweiz giiltigen amtlichen Regeln,' Leipzig- Wien, ^905 (is. &/.). Otto Sarrazin, in his 'Deutsche Einheitsschreibung,' Berlin, 3i9o6 (iod.\ goes even further, in that he does away with those older spellings which Duden, following the official regulations, in some cases allowed as alternatives. Sarrazin justly believes that two ways of spelling the same word should be discouraged and only prints the more modern spelling in all cases of doubt. Aug. Vogel, ' Ausfiihr- liches Grammatisch-orthographisches Nachschlagebuch,' Berlin,
a School Teacher of German 125
1902, 2s. io*/. bound, is also a most useful book of reference written on a different plan from Duden's which teachers may sometimes like to consult by the side of Duden's book. They should also read what has been forcibly urged by Otto Siebs in his 'Zur Einfuhrung der neuen Rechtschreibung,' Breslau,
1903. Valuable critical remarks on spelling are to be found in a small book by O. Brenner, 'Die lautlichen und geschichtlichen Grundlagen unserer Rechtschreibung.' Leipzig, 1902 (is. unbound). The differences between the new and the old spelling are well summarised in Johannes Meyer's pamphlet ' Die Abweichungen der neuen von der alten Rechtschreibung/ 2nd ed., Hannover, 1902 (3^.). A short guide to modern punctuation is the book by O. Glode, ' Die deutsche Inter- punktionslehre.' Leipzig, 1893 (4^-)- Teachers will remember that some attention to German punctuation is indispensable, as in several important points the principles governing English and German punctuation are at variance. Teachers who have to prepare boys for examinations in which they must show proficiency in reading German handwriting should use C. F. A. Kolb, ' Lesebuch in Handschriften,' 9th ed., Stuttgart, 1900 (is. zd. boards), or H. Oskar Sommer, ' Specimens of German handwriting' (with detachable key), London, Hachette, 1900 (25. 6d.).
The subject of the best German pronunciation is still a very vexed question, even among the Germans themselves. Teachers should refer to pages 61 — 64 and 87 — 89, and consult the 'Deutsche Biihnenaussprache ' by Th. Siebs, Berlin, 2i9oi (35-. $d. bound), or the abridged edition of this book ('Grundziige der Biihnenaussprache,' Berlin, ^904, 2s. $d. bound) which contains many practical hints as to how common mistakes of pronunciation may be avoided. The books which will be most helpful for English teachers are Victor's 'German Pronunciation : Practice and Theory,' Leipzig, 3i903 (2$.), his 'Die Aussprache des Schriftdeutschen,' Leipzig, 5i9oi, with the transcription of the Association Phone'tique Internationale (is. &/.), and the
126 The Reference Library of
reprint of his lecture, * Wie ist die Aussprache des Deutschen zu lehren?' Marburg, 3i9oi (is.). A 'Deutsche Lauttafel,' illus- trating this lecture, was published at the same time (is. 6d.). It can also be had on a large scale and mounted to be hung up on the wall of the class-room (2^. 6d.\ Heinrich Oberlander's 'Ubungen zum Erlernen einer dialektfreien Aussprache,'5 1900, Miinchen ($s. 8d. bound), will also be found very helpful. Teachers who are anxious to consult handy books on phonetics may either refer to Arwid Johannson's ' Phonetics of the New High German Language,' Manchester and Leipzig, 1906 (3^.); or to Laura Soames, ' An Introduction to English, French, and German Phonetics, with reading lessons and exercises,' new edition, revised and edited, after Miss Soames' death, by W. Victor, London, 1899 (6s.); to Soames' ' Phonetic Method' 2 parts (each 2s. 6d.)\ to W. Scholle and G. Smith, 'Elementary Phonetics, English, French, and German, their theory and practical application in the class-room ' London, 1903 (25. 6d.) ; or to Victor's 'Kleine Phonetik des Deutschen, Englischen und Franzosischen,' Leipzig, 3i903 (2s. lod. cloth). A useful translation and adaptation of it is W. Rippmann's * Elements of Phonetics.' London, ^903 (2^. 6d. net).
Other books and pamphlets on pronunciation and phonetics are: W. Braune, 'Uberdie Einigung der deutschen Aussprache.' Rektoratsrede. Heidelberg, 1904 (1^.3^.). Karl Luick, 'Deutsche Lautlehre, mit besonderer Beriicksichtigung der Sprachweise Wiens und der Osterreichischen Alpenlander' (Leipzig-Wien, 1904, 2s. 6d.). H. Huss, ' Lehre vom Accent der deutschen Sprache zum erstenmal vollstandig behandelt und fiir Fremde bearbeitet' (Altenburg, 1877, "• 3^)- G. Hempl, 'German orthography and phonology' (Boston, U.S.A., 1897, 9^.). C. H. Grandgent, 'German and English Sounds.' Boston, U.S.A., 1892 (2^. 6d.). For the use of those who are anxious to study German texts of an easy character in phonetic transcription W. Victor has written a ' Deutsches Lesebuch in Lautschrift ' Part I. 2i904 (3*. bound). Part II. 1902, 3^. bound. Leipzig
a School Teacher of German 127
and London (Nutt). There exists an edition of Schiller's ' Wilhelm Tell ' in phonetic script by Pierce-Hempl. New York, 1900. Mention may here be made also of the 36 German phonographic records (in 3 sets), spoken by me for Mrs J. G. Frazer's series (Cambridge, 1906) (each record 3^., booklets 2d. for each series), which will be found a help to individual teachers preparing for their work as well as to classes of moderate size. The records aim at giving as far as possible a model pronunciation of a considerable number of carefully selected and graduated specimens of German prose and poetry. They should be several times repeated by the phonograph till the scholars are familiarized with every sound and have also caught the accent of the phrase and have under- stood the proper way of reciting German prose and verse.
There are several books devoted to the teaching of conver- sation (see my ' Guide, 'jg^3&)> Perhaps the most serviceable of them is A. Hamann's Hicho of Spoken German,' Leipzig, 1892 (2S. 6d. cloth), a series of excellent dialogues, which afford, at ihe same time, a useful introduction to the study of German life and manners. With regard to the latter, R. Kron's German Daily Life' (London, 4i905) (2s. 6d. net), and also the ' Bilder deutschen Lebens und Wesens ' by the same author (Karlsruhe, 1905, 15-. 3^. bound), will be found interesting.
For the explanation of German idiomatic phrases, no better books could be desired than those by Wilh. Borchardt, ' Die sprichwortlichen Redensarten im deutschen Volksmunde nach Sinn und Ursprung erlautert,' Leipzig, 5i895 (by G. Wustmann) (>js. cloth), and by H. Schrader, ' Der Bilderschmuck der deutschen Sprache.' Berlin. Sixth edition, 1901 (>js. cloth). For other similar books, familiar quotations, slang, etc., see my * Guide,' p. 39, but the smaller books on idioms are, for various reasons, all more or less unsatisfactory. To those enumerated in the * Guide' might now be added : — M. Taker and F. F. Roget, 'German Idioms.' London, 1900 (35. 6d.). A. Oswald, 'A Selection of German Idioms and Proverbs.' London, 1902
128 The Reference Library of
(is. 6d.} Still a really good book for English students remains to be written.
Teachers who make their advanced pupils write free essays on German classical works or characters occurring in great plays should use among others the books of Victor Kiy, 'Themata und Dispositionen zu deutschen Aufsatzen und Vortragen im Anschluss an die deutsche Schullektiire fur die oberen Klassen hoherer Lehranstalten,' three parts, Berlin, 2nd ed. 1897—1899 (Parts I. and III. 3*., Part II. 3* 6ft. cloth); H. Ullrich, 'Deutsche Muster- A ufsatze' (Leipzig, 2i 903, 2S. lod. unbound); Karl Kiiffner, ' Aufsatzbuch ' (Niirnberg, 1905, 3^. unbound).
For the teaching of scientific German nothing can be better than ' A first German course for science students,' comprising a Reader and outline of grammar with diagrams and vocabulary, by H. G. Fiedler and F. E. Sandbach, London, 1906 (25. 6d.). It is to be followed shortly by a second course which will con- tain graduated passages from modern scientific publications with grammatical notes.
Histories of Literature. — The best history of German literature written in English is the one by John G. Robertson (Edinburgh and London, 1902, los. 6d. net.). In a second edition of this excellent book the relations between German and English literature and the most significant parallels and differences between the two might with advantage be more strongly emphasized. A fine and suggestive book giving a full account of the development of German literature as influenced, by social forces has hailed from America. It was originally called ' Social Forces in German Literature. A study in the history of Civilization ' by Kuno Francke, which title has now been altered to ' A History of German Literature as determined by Social Forces/ New York, 4i9oi (IQS. cloth.). The older books in English are of little or no value and should not be used, and the English translations or adaptations of German works are none of them free from very serious shortcomings. Hence a teacher will very likely prefer to possess one or more German
a School Teacher of German 129
works of moderate size on the subject. The following will, in my opinion, best serve his purpose — Wilhelm Scherer, ' Geschichte der deutschen Litteratur,' Berlin, 9th ed., 1902 (IDS. cloth, i2s. half-calf), perhaps the most brilliant book of its kind, written by a ripe scholar, who was endowed with a refined taste for literary beauty. Another very valuable work is the t Geschichte der deutschen Litteratur von den altesten Zeiten bis zur Gegenwart,' by Friedrich Vogt and Max Koch. Leipzig and Wien, 1897, 2i904, 2 vols. (;£i). This book is profusely adorned with very carefully selected and splendidly executed illustrations, giving facsimiles of old and modern manuscripts and handwritings, and numerous portraits of famous authors, etc. The scientific value of this book is incomparably higher than that of another well-illustrated history of literature by Robert Konig (26th revised ed. in two vols. Bielefeld and Leipzig, 1898) (£i half-calf), which has still a wide circulation in Germany. A splendid large picture-book, merely illustrating German literature from the earliest times to the present day by over 2200 pictures and illustrations, is Gustav Koennecke's 'Bilderatlas zur Geschichte der deutschen Nationalliteratur. Erganzung zu jeder deutschen Litteratur- geschichte.' 2nd ed. Marburg, 1895 (£*• %s- half calf). It is marvellously cheap for what it contains. For German literature as seen by a French critic, see A. Bossert, ' Histoire de la litterature allemande' (2nd, revised ed. Paris, 1904, frcs. 5) which is a very interesting and helpful book. A model of the way in which special studies in literature should be written is Charles Herford's * Literary Relations of England and Germany in the XVIth Century' (Cambridge University Press, 1886 (9*).
For the eighteenth century the great work by H. Hettner, 4 Geschichte der deutschen Litteratur im achtzehnten Jahr- hundert,' 4th ed. (revised by O. Harnack), Braunschweig, 1894 (£>l- 15S- 6d- unbound, or bound in 2 vols. ( leather )£i. igs. 6d.\ will be found as useful as it is interesting. For the two last
B. 0
130 The Reference Library of
centuries all necessary personal and bibliographical references are given in the second edition of Karl Goedeke's admirable * Grundrisz ' which after Goedeke's death is being con- tinued by a number of leading German scholars. 7 vols. £4. 1 6^. lotf7. unbound. There are not a few books from which information as to German literature in the nineteenth century can be obtained. It is hardly necessary to say that they differ a great deal in character and judgment, but in most of them there is plenty of interesting matter and valuable information. I must pass over a number of such works but should like to draw the attention of teachers of German to the following : Richard M. Meyer, Die deutsche Litteratur des neunzehnten Jahrhunderts. Berlin, 1900, 3i9o6 (re-written, i2s. 6d. bound). This is a very valuable book written by one of the most gifted pupils of Scherer. It is the outcome of a stupendous amount of reading and suggestive on every page even if one cannot always agree with the views of the learned author. Most useful bibliographical references are contained in the same author's 'Grundriss der neueren deut- schen Litteraturgeschichte.' Berlin, 1902 (75. bound). Older books are R. v. Gottschall, ' Die deutsche Nationallitteratur des neunzehnten Jahrhunderts. Litterarhistorisch und kritisch dargestellt,' 6th ed., 4 parts. Breslau, 1892 (£i unbound). L. Salomon, ' Geschichte der deutschen Nationallitteratur des neunzehnten Jahrhunderts,' 2nd ed. (with thirty portraits of poets). Stuttgart, 1887 (125. cloth). Ad. Stern, 'Studien zur Litteratur der Gegenwart' (with portraits of authors). Dresden and Leipzig, ^898 (los. 6d. unbound, 125-. 6d. cloth). John Firman Coar, Studies in German literature in the nineteenth century. New York, 1903 (los. 6d. net, bound). This is an in- teresting book and contains many excellent observations. It should, however, be noted, that it is written 'with the intention to measure the development of the German nation by ideals of American democracy, though not by standards of American living.' A short but useful account of recent German literature
a School Teacher of German 131
is given by Carl Weitbrecht under the title ' Deutsche Littera- turgeschichte des 19. Jahrhunderts ' (Sammlung Goschen), 2 vols., 1901 (bound is. 8//.). The short account of nineteenth- century literature by Adolf Stern, * Die deutsche National- litteratur vom Tode Goethes bis zur Gegenwart' (originally intended to form a supplement to Vilmar's ' History of German Literature'), Marburg, 4i9oi, is also not without value (2^. icu/. cloth). Books dealing with the various departments of literature in detail — the novel, the drama, lyric poetry, etc. — cannot be enumerated here. The titles of many of the more important ones will be found in chapters 8 and 12 of my ' Handy Guide.' From a great number of German primers of literature for schools only those by H. Kluge, G. Egelhaaf, Max Koch, G. Botticher and K. Kinzel, and Gotthold Klee (Dresden and Berlin, 8i9o6) need be mentioned. See my ' Guide,' pp. 63 — 64. Each has its own advantages. Klee's book (2^. cloth) is the best for school purposes.
Metre. — A short but useful survey of the history of German metre, with good specimens and due consideration of modern forms, is given by Fr. KaurTmann in his ' Deutsche Metrik nach ihrer geschichtlichen Entwickelung.' Marburg, 1897 (4^. 3^.). A more detailed account of modern German metre — a subject which apparently is hardly ever touched upon in school teaching, while the outlines of it deserve to be just as well known as the metrical art of the ancient classical writers — is given in F. Minor's 'Neuhochdeutsche Metrik.' Strassburg, 2i902 (icxr. unbound; i2s. half calf). Most teachers will probably find the book too elaborate for their purpose in spite of its being extremely readable and suggestive. The metre of a play in blank verse and in the Old German free metre of four accents is fully discussed in my edition of Schiller's 'Wallenstein i.' Cambridge, 2i896 (3^. 6d. cloth) ; blank verse alone in my editions of 'Wilhelm Tell,' Cambridge, ^897 (25. 6<t. cloth), and of Goethe's 'Iphigenie,' Cambridge, 1899 (3^. 6d. cloth).
9—2
132 The Reference Library of
Theory of Poetry, etc. — A number of 'Poetiken' of very different size and character are enumerated in my ' Guide ' on pp. 74-75. There will be little time, and perhaps little need, for systematic instruction in the theory of poetry in our schools, but teachers will probably like to possess and use at least the following small and cheap hand-book : C. F. A. Schuster, 'Lehrbuch der Poetik fur hohere Lehranstalten,' Halle, 3rd ed. 1890 (2*. cloth). In this connection I should like to mention and to recommend very strongly three books which teachers will find helpful in preparing discussions of the classical German dramas with more advanced pupils. They are : Gustav Freytag, ' Die Technik des Dramas,' 9th ed. Leipzig, 1901 ($s. unbound, 6^. 6d. bound); the American translation of this book by E. J. MacEwan, Chicago, 1895 (75-. 6d. cloth), does not seem to be very well done. R. Franz, 1 Der Aufbau der Handlung in den klassischen Dramen/ Bielefeld and Leipzig, 2i898 (4^. 6d. unbound, 6^. half-bound), and H. Bulthaupt, ' Dramaturgic des Schauspiels.' Vol. i. (Lessing, Goethe, Schiller, Kleist). Oldenburg and Leipzig, 9th ed. 1902 (7^. cloth). Paul Goldscheider's ' Erklarung deutscher Schriftwerke in den oberen Klassen hoherer Lehran- stalten' (Berlin, 1889, is. 6d. unbound, and a 'Nachtrag' published in 1893), and his recent book ' Lesestiicke und Schriftwerke im deutschen Unterricht' (Miinchen, 1906, 85-., cloth 95-.), will also be found useful.
Among the numerous prose readers the following will be found suitable for advanced students and of interest to the teachers themselves : Wilhelm Paszkowski, ' Lesebuch zur Einfiihrung in die Kenntnis Deutschlands und seines geistigen Lebens, fiir auslandische Studierende und fiir die oberste Stufe hoherer Lehranstalten des In- und Auslands ' (Berlin, 2i 905, 35. $d. cloth). Margarete Henschke, ' Deutsche Prosa, ausge- wahlte Reden und Essays, zur Lektiire auf der obersten Stufe hoherer Lehranstalten zusammengestellt' (Leipzig-Berlin, 1905,
a School Teacher of German 133
$s. 6d. cloth). O. Weise, ' Musterstiicke deutscher Prosa, zur Stilbildung und zur Belehrung ' (Leipzig-Berlin, 1903, is. $d. cloth). H. Raydt und R. Rossger, ' Deutsches Lesebuch fiir Handelsschulen und verwandte Anstalten ' (Leipzig, 1902, 2S. lod. cloth). The latter will be found especially useful for advanced students of commercial German.
German Classics. — A great number of school editions of German classics with English, German, and French Notes are enumerated in my ' Guide,' pp. 94 — 96. For particulars as to English editions of German Classics available in 1893 see my article in Lyon's 'Zeitschrift fiir den deutschen Unterricht,' Vol. viii. (1894), pp. 167 sqq. Of English editions without notes Max Miiller's * German Classics' in 2 vols., Oxford, 1886, deserves to be mentioned. Vol. n. has been recently revised by F. L. Armitage. (Vol. i. Ss. 6d. net, Vol. n. $s. 6d. net.) Of German editions the Cotta Jubilee edition of Schiller's and Goethe's works is excellent (Schiller in 16 vols. ; Goethe, in 40 vols., is not yet complete, cloth, 2s. each). The Hempel editions of Lessing, Goethe and Schiller, the 'German classics' editions in the Leipzig Bibliographical Institute, including editions of Goethe, Schiller, Burger, Uhland, Heine, Kleist, Reuter and others (each vol. separately obtainable, well bound, for 2s.) by the same publishers, and most of the volumes of Kiirschner's ' Deutsche National-Litteratur ' and of Brockhaus' 'Bibliothek der deut- schen Nationallitteratur des achtzehnten und neunzehnten Jahr- hunderts,' deserve to be recommended. Uhland's poems have been well edited by Erich Schmidt and Julius Hartmann in their < Vollstandige kritische Ausgabe,' in 2 vols. Stuttgart, 1898. 16$. bound. Of the cheap series the volumes of Cotta's 'Biblio- thek der Weltlitteratur ' (bound), and those of the 'Collection Spemann ' (bound), uniformly printed in excellent type on excellent paper, can be had for is. each ; the well-known series of novels, original and translated from many foreign languages, which is called ' Engelhorns Allgemeine Roman-Bibliothek '
134 The Reference Library of
(Stuttgart, each vol. 6d. unbound, and lod. bound), the still cheaper ' Deutsche Biicherei ' (Berlin, each vol. $d. unbound, and 6d. bound) ; the Hendel editions (Halle, unbound) for 3^. per volume; Reclam's texts, 'Universal Bibliothek' (Leipzig), 3^. per volume; and the texts of ' Meyer's Volksbticher' (Leipzig) and the ' Wiesbadener Volksbiicher ' for 2d. per volume.
A number of anthologies of modern German lyric poetry have been enumerated on pages 98-99 of my guide. To these I should like to add the following, all of which will be found of moderate compass and worth reading : Carl Busse, ' Neuere deutsche Lyrik,' Halle, 1895 (2S- bound.); J. Loewenberg, 'Vom goldnen Uberfluss,' Leipzig, 1902 (is. lod. bound). A handy edition for school purposes is ' Deutsche Lyrik des neunzehnten Jahrhunderts,' by M. Consbruch and F. Klincksieck, Leipzig, 1903 (2s. bound). A good popular and cheap selection ($d.) is L. Jacobowski's little book, called ' Neue Lieder der besten neueren Dichter furs Volk,' Berlin. A delightful anthology of the best German songs, with music, is the one just published under the general editorship of A. R. Hohlfeld by Messrs Heath and Co. It is called 'Deutsches Liederbuch fur ameri- kanische Studenten,' Boston, 1906.
Some other excellent sets of classics of a more scientific character are enumerated in my 'Guide' on pp. 81 — 82, and some commentaries mentioned on pp. 100 — 104.
Old German. — Few teachers will feel inclined to give much time and attention to Old German, and will therefore hardly be in need of advice as to what books to use for the study of the Older German classics. Moreover they will probably have become acquainted with the best books of reference at the Universities where in the future most of our modern language teachers will receive their preliminary training. Still many teachers may at the present moment wish to prepare boys for scholarships at the Universities, and although Old German is with very good reason no longer an indispensable
a School Teacher of German 135
condition for success in an Entrance Scholarship, a teacher may occasionally like to give specially promising pupils a start and teach them the elements of Middle High German or at least some sixteenth century German1. Some teachers may also like to continue their own reading and extend their knowledge of Older German literature.
I shall not, in the following list of books, include any works of an advanced character, being strongly of opinion that Old German as such is not a school subject, and should not, unless in very exceptional cases, be begun before the University course. Moreover, a smattering of Old German and German philology, if not carefully taught by an ex- perienced teacher, is sure to do far more harm than good.
The basis of the modern literary language is sixteenth century German. A teacher might first use Raphael Meyer's * Einfiih- rung in das altere Neuhochdeutsche,' Leipzig, 1894 (15-. &/.), in which the first fifty-five stanzas of the poem of ' Huernen Seyfrid ' are commented on, and then proceed to read some of the small volumes in the handy 'Sammlung Goschen' (Leipzig, lod. per volume) (see 'Guide,' pp. 79-80). In a similar series, viz., Botticher and Kinzel's 'Denkmaler der alteren deutschen Literatur,' the volumes ' Hans Sachs ' (by K. Kinzel), Halle, 4i902 (is. unbound), and ' Kunst- und Volkslied in der Re- formationszeit ' (by K. Kinzel), Halle, 1892 (is. unbound), will be found useful and interesting.
If teachers should desire to give their pupils some speci- mens of the actual text of Luther's first translation of the Bible ('Septemberbibel') and briefly to discuss the principal changes from sixteenth to nineteenth century German, they cannot do better than choose them from the excellent book by A. Reifferscheid, ' Marcus Evangelion Martin Luthers nach
1 On the whole question see page 92, and my article on 'Modern Languages at Cambridge' in P. Shaw Jeffrey's The Study of Colloquial and Literary French, London, 1899, p. 190.
136 The Reference Library of
der Septemberbibel, mit den Lesarten aller Originalausgaben, etc.' Heilbronn, 1889 (4*. $d. unbound). For other sixteenth century texts nothing can be better than Braune's cheap and reliable ' Neudrucke.' (See ' Guide,' p. 81.)
The best introduction to the study of Middle High German is Julius Zupitza's * Einfiihrung in das Studium des Mittelhochdeutschen.' Oppeln, 1868. 6th ed., 1901 (25. 6d. unbound, 3^. cloth). Many scholars have been first initiated into a serious study of Middle High German by this most excellent little book. After going through Zupitza's practical introduction, teachers might read through Jos. Wright's 'Middle High German Primer,' Oxford, 1888, ^899 (3^. 6//.), and then study Hartman von Ouwe's ' Der arme Heinrich ' in J. G. Robertson's edition, London, 1895 (2S- 6d-)> or Dr Bieger's annotated edition of the best part of 'Das Nibelungenlied,' Leipzig, 1904, 3.$". 6d., or some volumes from Goschen's series. The small Middle High German grammar by H. Paul (Halle, 15 1 900, 3.?. 9^.), and the small dictionary by M. Lexer (Leipzig, 6i9oi, 6s.), are much to be recommended.
Mythology, Sagas. — A teacher who is desirous of ob- taining a rapid survey of German Mythology and 'Heldensage' without being able to devote much time to the study of the more comprehensive books might read two handy volumes (lod. each) of the very useful ' Sammlung Goschen.' The one on ' Deutsche Mythologie' is by Fr. Kauffmann, 2nd ed. Leipzig, 1900; the booklet on ' Die deutsche Heldensage' is by O. L. Jiriczek. Leipzig, 3i9o6. English translations of these have been made by Miss M. Bentinck-Smith ('Northern Hero Legends,' 1902) and Miss M. Steele Smith ('Northern Mythology,' 1903) in Dent's 'Temple Classics' (is. each). The larger books on these subjects are enumerated in my * Guide' on pp. no — 112. To these should now be added W. Golther, 'Handbuch der germanischen Mythologie,' Leipzig, 1895 (145". half calf), and O. L. Jiriczek, 'Deutsche Heldensagen,'
a School Teacher of German 137
i. Strassburg, 1898 (8s. unbound). The Nibelungen and Kudrun Sagas have been carefully dealt with by Francis E. Sandbach in 'The Nibelungenlied and Gudrun in England and America,' London, 1904 (los. 6d. net), and the Dietrichsage by the same author in his booklet on ' The Heroic saga-cycle of Dietrich of Bern' (Vol. xv. of Nutt's 'Popular Studies in Mythology, Romance, and Folklore'), London, 1906 (6d.}.
History and Geography. — Although German history and geography as such will hardly ever be taught in ordinary schools, a teacher of German should make it a point to be well informed as to the main facts of either subject, and should possess some standard German books with German names of places and events in his private library. The histories and atlases of this kind need not be very bulky and expensive ; some really good German school and family books will amply suffice for his purpose. There are a good many works which would do very well, but German books on German Realien do not seem to be as yet very familiar to English teachers of German. A few suggestions may therefore be welcome1. With regard to history, I can recommend David Miiller's * Leitfaden zur Geschichte des deutschen Volkes' (Berlin, "1899, 2s. 6d. cloth), and the larger book by the same author, called ' Geschichte des deutschen Volkes in kurzgefasster iibersichtlicher Darstel- lung' (Berlin, 18i902, 6s. bound). The 'Deutsche Geschichte' by O. Kammel is also widely used in Germany. Some consider it to be now the best work of its kind (12^. 6d. half calf). A shorter work by Otto Kammel also deserves to be recom- mended. It is called ' Der Werdegang des deutschen Volkes. Historische Richtlinien fur gebildete Leser.' Vol. i. Das Mittel- alter. Leipzig, 1896 (23. 6d. cloth). Vol. n. Die Neuzeit. Leipzig,
1 In Germany an acquaintance with the principal English and French Realien is required by the present regulations of the Oberlehrerpriifung (see pp. 149 — 150). There is so far no book on German Realien corresponding to Cl. Klopper's Englisches Real-Lexikon and Franzosisches Real-Lexikon.
138 The Reference Library of
1904 ($s. 6d. cloth). K. Biedermann's l Deutsche Volks- und Kulturgeschichte fiir Schule und Haus,' 3 Parts in i Volume, Wiesbaden, 4i9oi (js. 6d. cloth), is much to be recommended. Teachers may like to read through Parts iv. and v. (on ' Deutsche Geschichte ') of Friedrich Neubauer's ' Lehrbuch der Geschichte fiir hohere Lehranstalten,' yth and 6th edd. Halle, 1905, and consult J. Jastrow's book, ' Geschichte des deutschen Einheitstraumes und seiner Erfiillung ' (Berlin, 4i89i, 6^. unbound, JS. half-bound). A most excellent ' Atlas fiir Mittel- und Oberklassen hoherer Lehranstalten ' was published in 1898 at Bielefeld and Leipzig under the editorship of R. Lehmann and W. Petzold (5^.) The small Atlas by E. Debes, 'Schulatlas fiir die mittlere Unterrichtsstufe,' Leipzig (is. 6d.\ will suffice for ordinary purposes. A useful little book is also A. L. Hickmann, ' Geographisch-statischer Taschen- Atlas des deutschen Reiches.' 3 Parts. Leipzig- Wien (2^. each part cloth, or the three in one volume, 5^. cloth). There is a good 'Historischer Schulatlas' by F. W. Putzger (new ed. by Baldamus). Bielefeld and Leipzig, 1905 (2^. lod. boards). Very cheap and useful for class teaching is P. Knotel's 'Bilderatlas zur deutschen Geschichte' (with explanatory notes), Bielefeld and Leipzig, 3i903 (3^.). H. Luckenbach's cheap and excellent ' Abbildungen zur deutschen Geschichte' (Miin- chen and Berlin, 1903, is. 6d. boards) may also be recom- mended. A book on Germany similar to Wendt's ' England ' has still to be written, but a number of valuable and interesting books on German History and on German Life and Customs are enumerated in my ' Guide' on pp. 116 sqq. To these should now be added a small book by Kron, entitled, * Bilder deutschen Lebens und Wesens; zusammenhangende Lesestoffe iiber Verhaltnisse und Vorgange des taglichen Lebens' (1905, i s. $d. cloth), Fr. Ratzel's l Deutschland, Einfiihrung in die Heimatkunde,' Leipzig (25-. 6^.), August Sach's ' Deutsche Heimat, Landschaft und Volkstum ' (with excellent illustra-
a School Teacher of German 139
tions) (Halle, 2i902, js. 6d., IQS. cloth), Hans Meyer's 'Das deutsche Volkstum ' (Leipzig-Wien, 1898, 2i903. 2 vols. 9«r. 6d. each, cloth), W. H. Dawson's ' German Life in Town and Country,' with illustrations from photographs (London, Newnes, 1901, 3^. 6d. net). Some other English books on Germany are W. H. Dawson, 'Germany and the Germans,' London, 1894, 2 vols. (265-.), and S. Whitman, 'Imperial Germany,' London, 1889 (new ed. 1895, 2S. 6^/.), to which may be added the interesting account written from the French point of view by Le Pere Didon called ' Les Allemands,' Paris, 1884 (frcs. 7.50 unbound). Concerning the rights and duties of German citizens, teachers will find reliable information in the book by A. Giese, 'Die deutsche Biirgerkunde,' Leipzig, 3i903 (is. 6d. boards), and in G. Hoffmann and E. Groth, ' Deutsche Biirger- kunde. Kleines Handbuch des politisch Wissenswertesten fiir jedermann.' "1902, Leipzig (25. 6d. bound).
General Information. — Succinct and reliable informa- tion on all matters connected with German history and biography, life and thought, may be obtained from Meyer's ' Kleines Konversations-Lexikon ' in 3 volumes, 6th ed. Leipzig (half-bound, ^i. icxr.), which will prove of the greatest use and which every teacher of German should endeavour to get. The 6th edition has just appeared. Brief information concern- ing the government and administration may be found in John Wenzel's ' Comparative view of the executive and legislative departments of the governments of the United States, France, England and Germany' (Boston, U.S.A., 1901, is.). A very concise book giving brief information concerning German affairs, institutions, customs, etc. is J. Kiirschner's Jahrbuch, published every year. Berlin-Leipzig-Eisenach (is. unbound). Brief and reliable information concerning all living modern German literary men (not only poets and novelists), authors' societies, periodicals and newspapers is given in an annual publication called ' Deutscher Literatur-Kalender,' started by
140 The Reference Library of
the late Joseph Kiirschner. The 28th vol. appeared at Leipzig in 1906 (6s. 6d. bound), and there is now (since 1905) H. A. L. Degener's new annual 'Wer ist's? Zeitgenossenlexikon ' (Leipzig, 95-. 6d. cloth), corresponding to the English ' Who's Who ? '
Lessons may also be made more interesting by the exhi- bition of picture postcards, large and small, and by photographs of towns, scenery, monuments, great men, etc. Intending teachers and teachers travelling abroad should make a point of collecting such things and should bring back with them specimens of the coins, stamps, popular costumes, text, music and illustrations of the principal popular songs, and any- thing else characteristic of the places in which they have been. Such photographs and postcards in so far as they would directly illustrate the authors read at school and modern German life should also at all good schools form part of the scholars' and teachers' reference libraries.
Method of Teaching. — However well informed a teacher may be, he will have to adapt himself in his teaching to the school curriculum, to the aims to be attained by his pupils, and he will have to give his most serious attention to the study and consideration of the methods to be followed in his teaching. No school teacher who takes the slightest interest in his subject can at the present time afford to keep aloof from the discussions as to the best method of teaching modern foreign languages, and every one will be able to learn a great deal from the books written on the subject of the teaching of German. A number of the most suggestive books have been enumerated on pp. 112-113. Some of these works a Modern Language teacher will no doubt wish to possess for himself, so as to be able to refer to them from time to time as occasion arises. The following books appear to me to be especially useful — W. H. Widgery, ' The teaching of languages in schools.' London, 1888 (2s.). W. Rippmann, 1 Hints on teaching French ' and ' Hints on teaching German.'
a School Teacher of German 141
(See p. 62.) Michel Breal, * De 1'enseignement des langues vivantes, Conferences faites aux etudiants en lettres de la Sorbonne.' Paris, 1893 (2^.). Fr. Spencer, 'Aims and Practice of Teaching.' Cambridge, 1897 (6s.). An interesting account of the new methods of Modern Language teaching in some particu- larly good German schools was given by Miss M. Brebner in her pamphlet called ' The Method of teaching Modern Languages in Germany.' London, 1898 (is. 6d. cloth). All of these books advocate more or less the so-called Reformmethode or ' Neuere Richtung,' and are therefore in accordance with the requirements of the ' Kaiserliche Erlass ' (Kiel, Nov. 26th, 1900), which determined among other things that teachers of modern languages should especially strive to give their pupils facility in speaking in the foreign tongue and the ability clearly to understand current authors. Most of them also lay stress on the value of modern languages as humanistic studies — a con- sideration which should be always kept in view. In this connection O. Siepmann's lectures may again be mentioned. His views on this point are sound and forcibly expressed, and I am in hearty agreement with him when he discusses the spirit in which modern languages should be taught. Similar views are in some places expressed by Ch. Sigwalt. The books and pamphlets that have so far been mentioned are written for teachers whose native tongue is not German, but much that is useful can also be learned from some German books for German teachers, if one bears in mind that the standards set up in them require modification and abatement, as German is a foreign language in this country. Teachers can still learn a great deal from a careful study of the books by E. Laas and R. Hildebrand (see my ' Guide,' pp. 37 and 119, 120), but generally speaking they will derive most benefit from the works by R. Lehmann, ' Der deutsche Unterricht. Eine Methodik fur hohere Lehranstalten,' Berlin, (95. cloth) ; and by G. Wendt, ' Der deutsche Unterricht.'
142 The Reference Library of
Miinchen, 1896 ($s. 6d. unbound). The latter contains also an admirable bibliography. More recent is Lehmann's ' Der Unterricht im Deutschen,' contributed to W. Lexis' splendid work ' Die Reform des hoheren Schulwesens in Preussen,' Halle, 1902, pp. 177-190, and the most comprehensive work on the subject, mainly intended for Germans, will be the encyclopaedia edited by Adolf Matthias which is mentioned on page 113.
Valuable works on German education in general, and there- fore including the teaching of modern languages, are : James E. Russell, ' German Higher Schools. The History,, Organization and Method of Secondary Education in Germany ' (New York, 1899, 75-. 6d. net.). E. M. Sadler, ' Problems in Prussian Secondary Education for Boys, with special reference to similar questions in England' (London, 1898). F. E. Bolton, 'The Secondary School System of Germany' (London, 1900, 6^. 6d.). W. H. Winch, ' Notes on German Schools, with special relation to curriculum and methods of teaching' (London, 1904, 6s.). Hugo Miiller, ' Das hohere Schulwesen Deutschlands am Anfang des 20. Jahrhunderts ' (Stuttgart, 1904, 25. unbound). See also Baumeister's Handbuch, vol. i. 2. On * German ideals of to-day ' in life and education there is a recent excellent article by Kuno Francke in 'The Atlantic Monthly' of Dec. 1905 (is.) which deserves careful perusal by anyone who takes an interest in the intellectual life of Germany.
Concerning higher and highest German education teachers will find valuable information in Fr. Paulsen, ' Die Deutsche Universitat als Unterrichtsanstalt und als Werkstatte der wissenschaftlichen Forschung ' (in * Deutsche Rundschau/ Sept. 1894, xx. Heft 12, pp. 341 ff.); 'Die hoheren Schulen und das Universitatsstudium im 2osten Jahrhundert' (Braun- schweig, 1901, TO^/.); 'Die deutschen Universitaten und das Universitatsstudium ' (a fine book, Berlin, 1902, 7^. 3^. bound)1; 1 An English translation of this important book has just been published
a School Teacher of German 143
*Die hoheren Schulen Deutschlands und ihr Lehrerstand, in ihrem Verhaltnis zum Staat und zur geistigen Kultur.' Braun- schweig, 1904, 6//. (all by the same author). The following volumes (io</. each) of the 'Sammlung Goschen ' deserve to be warmly recommended : Paul Stoetzner, ' Das offentliche Unterrichtswesen Deutschlands in der Gegenwart,' Leipzig, 1901, and Friedrich Seiler, 'Geschichte des deutschen Unter- richtswesens,' Leipzig, 1906. (Vol. i. to the end of the i8th cent., Vol. ii. till the present day.) In both of these works the best books of reference for a more detailed study are carefully enumerated.
With regard to French methods, which teachers of German may wish to compare, refer to ' Special Reports on Education in France,' London, 1899 (a reprint from vol. n. of 'Special Reports ' of the Education Department), and to Oskar Mey's 4 Frankreichs Schulen in ihrem organischem Bau und ihrer historischen Entwickelung, mit Beriicksichtigung der neuesten Reformen.' 2nd ed. (rewritten and enlarged). Leipzig, 1901 (45-. lod. unbound). See also the account given by Eugene Stropeno in Baumeister's Handbuch der Erziehungs- und Unterrichtslehre flir hohere Schulen. Vol. i. Part 2 (Miinchen, 1897), pp. 419-461, and also pp. 737-892, where the organisa- tion of secondary education in Great Britain has been treated by me at length, and has in some places been compared with the conditions obtaining in Germany.
Teachers should also make it a point to read some of the periodicals enumerated in section i of the bibliographical appendix to this book, such as ' Modern Language Teaching/ ' Modern Language Review,' 'Die Neueren Sprachen,"Archivfiir das Studium der Neueren Sprachen und Litteraturen/ 'Bulletin
by Messrs Longmans, Green and Co. (London, 1906, bound, i$s. net). The translation is by Frank Thilly and William W. Elwang, to which is prefixed a very valuable preface by M. E. Sadler, and another suggestive preface by one of the American translators (Thilly).
144 The Reference Library of a Teacher of German
Mensuel de la societe des professeurs de langues vivantes,3 1 Modern Language Notes,' in order to keep themselves in touch with modern theories and opinions on questions of the method of teaching. Some of these ought to be taken in by the better schools for the teachers' reference library which should be found in all of them.
I trust that the recommendations and hints given above may enable teachers to make a good choice of books of reference in the various departments of their teaching and private study. More than once I have been privately asked by practical teachers for information of this kind; may the suggestions and recommendations now given be found useful to a wider circle of readers, and thus render some service to the cause of the study and teaching of German in Great Britain !
APPENDIX.
EXTRACT from the Ordnung der Priifung fur das Lehramt an hoheren Schulen in Preussen vom 12. September 1898. Halle a. S. 3igo6.
§ 8. Umfang und Form der Priifung.
Die Priifung besteht aus zwei Teilen, der Allgemeinen und der Fachprufung. Beide sind schriftlich und miindlich ; die schrift- lichen Hausarbeiten sind vor der miindlichen Priifung zu erledigen.
Sowohl in der Allgemeinen als auch in der Fachprufung ist dem Unterrichtsbediirfnisse der hoheren Schulen Rechnung zu tragen.
§9.
Priifungsgegenstande.
i. Priifungsgegenstande sind
A. in der Allgemeinen Priifung fur jeden Kandidaten : Philo- sophic, Padagogik und deutsche Literatur ; ferner fur die Kandida- ten, welche einer der christlichen Kirchen angehoren : Religions- lehre.
[In den von den Kandidaten gewahlten Fachern (in der Fach- priifung) muss sich im allgemeinen Franzosisch mit Englisch ver- binden, aber es kann an Stelle der einen oder der andern Fremd- sprache auch Deutsch von den Kandidaten gewahlt werden. K. B.]
B. 10
146 Appendix
§ I0-
Mass der in der allgemeinen Priifung zu stellenden A nforderungen.
Bei der Allgemeinen Priifung kommt es nicht auf die Darlegung fachmannischer Kenntnisse an, sondern auf den Nachweis der von Lehrern hoherer Schulen zu fordernden allgemeinen Bildung auf den betreffenden Gebieten.
Demnach hat der Kandidat in der ihm nach § 28, I obliegenden Hausarbeit nicht bloss ausreichendes Wissen und ein verstandnis- volles Urteil liber den behandelten Gegenstand zu bekunden, sondern auch zu zeigen, dass er einer sprachrichtigen, logisch geordneten, klaren und hinlanglich gewandten Darstellung fahig ist.
Fur die mundliche Priifung ist zu fordern, dass der Kandidat
1. in der Religionslehre sich mit Inhalt und Zusammenhang der Heiligen Schrift bekannt zeigt, einen allgemeinen Uberblick iiber die Geschichte der christlichen Kirche hat und die Haupt- lehren seiner Konfession kennt ;
2. in der Philosophic mit den wichtigsten Tatsachen ihrer Geschichte sowie mit den Hauptlehren der Logik und der Psycho- logic bekannt ist, auch eine bedeutendere philosophische Schrift mit Verstandnis gelesen hat ;
3. in der Padagogik nachweist, dass er ihre philosophischen Grundlagen sowie die wichtigsten Erscheinungen in ihrer Entwicke- lung seit dem 16. Jahrhundert kennt und bereits einiges Verstand- nis fur die Aufgaben seines kiinftigen Berufes gewonnen hat ;
4. in der deutschen Literatur dartut, dass ihm deren allge- meiner Entwickelungsgang namentlich seit dem Beginne ihrer Bliiteperiode im 18. Jahrhundert bekannt ist, und dass er auch nach dem Abgange von der Schule zu seiner weiteren Fortbildung bedeutendere Werke dieser Zeit mit Verstandnis gelesen hat.
§ ii bis § 27. Mass der in der Fachprufung zu stellenden Anforderungen.
Vorbemerkung. Auf jedem Priifungsgebiete ist von den Kandidaten Bekanntschaft mit den wichtigsten wissenschaftlichen Hilfsmitteln zu fordern.
Appendix 147
§ ii.
Abstufung der Lehrbefdhigung.
i. Die Lehrbefahigung in den einzelnen Fachern hat zwei Stufen : die eine, fiir die unteren und mittleren Klassen (zweite Stufe), reicht bis Untersekunda einschliesslich, die andere (erste Stufe) umfasst auch die oberen Klassen bis Oberprima ein- schliesslich.
3. Bei der Erwerbung der Lehrbefahigung fiir die erste Stufe ist in jedem Falle Voraussetzung, dass den fiir die zweite Stufe in dem betreffenden Fache zu stellenden Forderungen entsprochen ist.
Deutsch.
Von Kandidaten, welche die Befahigung fiir den deutschen Unterricht nachweisen wollen, ist zu fordern
a. fiir die zweite Stufe : Sichere Kenntnis der neuhoch- deutschen Elementargrammatik und Bekanntschaft mit der Geschichte der neuhochdeutschen Schriftsprache ; eingehendere Beschaftigung mit klassischen Werken der neueren Literatur, insbesondere aus ihren fiir die Jugendbildung verwendbaren Gebieten, und Ubersicht iiber den Entwickelungsgang der neuhochdeutschen Literatur. Ausserdem ist Bekanntschaft mit den Grundziigen der Rhetorik, Poetik und Metrik sowie mit den fiir die Schule wichtigen antiken und germanischen Sagen darzutun ;
b. fiir die erste Stufe iiberdies : Eine Beherrschung des Mittelhochdeutschen, welche befahigt, leichtere Werke ohne Schwierigkeit zu lesen und mit grammatischer und lexikalischer Genauigkeit zu erklaren ; eine, wenigstens fiir die mittelhoch- deutsche und neuere Zeit, auf ausgedehnterer Lektiire beruhende Kenntnis des Entwickelungsganges der gesamten deutschen Literatur ; Vertrautheit mit der Poetik und deutschen Metrik sowie mit denjenigen Lehren der Rhetorik, deren Kenntnis fiir die Anleitung zur Anfertigung deutscher Aufsatze in den oberen
148 Appendix
Klassen erforderlich 1st ; dazu nach Wahl des Kandidaten entiveder Bekanntschaft mit den Hauptergebnissen der historischen Gram- matik und Kenntnis der Elemente des Gotischen und Althoch- deutschen, oder die Lehrbefahigung in der Philosophischen Pro- padeutik (§ 13).
§ 17.
Franzosisch.
Von den Kandidaten, welche die Lehrbefahigung im Fran- zosischen nachweisen wollen, ist zu fordern, dass sie Kenntnis der lateinischen Elementargrammatik nachweisen nebst der Fahigkeit, einfache Schulschriftsteller, wie Casar, wenigstens in leichteren Stellen, richtig aufzufassen und zu iibersetzen ; sodann
a. fur die zweite Stufe : Kenntnis der Elemente der Phonetik, richtige und zu fester Gewohnung gebrachte Aussprache ; Vertraut- heit mit der Formenlehre und Syntax sowie der elementaren Syno- nymik ; Besitz eines ausreichenden Schatzes an Worten und Wen- dungen und einige Ubung im miindlichen Gebrauche der Sprache ; Einsicht in den neufranzosischen Versbau und Ubersicht iiber den Entwickelungsgang der franzosischen Literatur seit dem 17. Jahr- hundert, aus welcher einige Werke der hervorragendsten Dichter und Prosaiker, auch der neuesten Zeit, mit Verstandnis gelesen sein miissen ; Fahigkeit zu sicherer Ubersetzung der gewohnlichen Schriftsteller ins Deutsche und zu einer von groberen sprachlich- stilistischen Verstossen freien schriftlichen Darstellung in der fremden Sprache ;
b. fiir die erste Stufe : Fur den schriftlichen und miindlichen Gebrauch der Sprache nicht bloss voile grammatische Sicherheit bei wissenschaftlicher Begriindung der grammatischen Kenntnisse, sondern auch umfassendere Vertrautheit mit dem Sprachschatz und der Eigentiimlichkeit des Ausdrucks, sowie eine fiir alle Un- terrichtszwecke ausreichende Gewandtheit in dessen Handhabung ; iibersichtliche Kenntnis der geschichtlichen Entwickelung der Sprache seit ihrem Hervorgehen aus dem Lateinischen, ferner Kenntnis der allgemeinen Entwickelung der franzosischen Lite- ratur, verbunden mit eingehender Lektiire einiger hervorragender Schriftwerke aus friiheren Perioden wie aus der Gegenwart ; Ein-
Appendix 149
sicht in die Gesetze des franzosischen Versbaues alterer und neuerer Zeit ; Bekanntschaft mit der Geschichte Frankreichs, soweit sie fur die sachliche Erlauterung der gebrauchlichen Schul- schriftsteller erforderlich ist.
Bemerkung. Fur minder eingehende Kenntnisse auf dem Gebiete der geschichtlichen Entwickelung der Sprache kann eine besonders tiichtige Kenntnis der neueren Literatur nebst hervor- ragender Beherrschung der gegen wartigen Sprache ausgleichend eintreten.
§ 1 8. Englisch.
Von den Kandidaten, welche die Lehrbefahigung im EngUschen nachweisen wollen, ist zu fordern, dass sie Kenntnis der lateinischen Elementargrammatik nachweisen nebst der Fahigkeit, einfache Schulschriftsteller, wie Casar, wenigstens in leichteren Stellen, richtig aufzufassen und zu ubersetzen ; sodann
a. fiir die zweite Stufe : Kenntnis der Elemente der Phonetik, richtige und zu fester Gewohnung gebrachte Aussprache : Ver- trautheit mit der Formenlehre und Syntax sowie der elementaren Synonymik ; Besitz eines ausreichenden Schatzes an Worten und Wendungen und einige Ubung im miindlichen Gebrauche der Sprache ; Ubersicht liber den Entwickelungsgang der englischen Literatur seit Shakespeare, aus welcher einige Werke der hervor- ragendsten Dichter und Prosaiker, auch der neuesten Zeit, mit Verstandnis gelesen sein miissen ; Fahigkeit zu sicherer Uber- setzung der gewohnlichen Schriftsteller ins Deutsche und zu einer von groberen sprachlich-stilistischen Verstossen freien schriftlichen Darstellung in der fremden Sprache ;
b. fiir die erste Stufe : Fiir den schriftlichen und miindlichen Gebrauch der Sprache nicht bloss voile grammatische Sicherheit bei wissenschaftlicher Begriindung der grammatischen Kenntnisse, sondern auch umfassendere Vertrautheit mit dem Sprachschatz und der Eigentiimlichkeit des Ausdrucks, sowie eine fiir alle Unter- richtszwecke ausreichende Gewandtheit in dessen Handhabung ; iibersichtliche Kenntnis der geschichtlichen Entwickelung der Sprache von der altenglischen Periode an ; Kenntnis der allge-
io—3
1 50 Appendix
meinen Entwickelung der Literatur, verbunden mit eingehender Lektiire einiger hervorragender Schriftwerke aus friiheren Perioden> wie aus der Gegenwart ; Einsicht in die Gesetze des englischen Versbaues alterer und neuerer Zeit ; Bekanntschaft mit der Geschichte Englands, soweit sie fur die sachliche Erlauterung der gebrauchlichen Schulschriftsteller erforderlich ist.
Bemerkung. Fiir minder eingehende Kenntnisse auf dem Gebiete der geschichtlichen Entwickelung der Sprache kann eine besonders tiichtige Kenntnis der neueren Literatur nebst hervor- ragender Beherrschung der gegenwartigen Sprache ausgleichend eintreten.
§ 28. Schriftliche Hausarbeiten.
2. Priifungsarbeiten aus dem Gebiete der klassischen Philo- logie sind in lateinischer, aus dem der neueren Sprachen in der betreffenden Sprache, alle iibrigen aber in deutscher Sprache abzufassen.
§ 33- Ausfiihrung der mundlichen Priifung.
5. Die Fachpriifung im Franzosischen, Englischen, Polnischen oder Danischen ist insoweit in der betreffenden Sprache selbst zu fiihren, dass dadurch die Fertigkeit des Kandidaten im mundlichen Gebrauche derselben ermittelt wird.
CONTINENTAL TRAINING FOR TEACHERS.
The following communication has been issued by the Board of Education :
The French and Prussian Governments have initiated, in con- junction with the Board of Education, a scheme whereby a number of young teachers (men and women in the case of France, men only in the case of Germany) can be appointed as temporary " assistants " for one year in French lycdes and colleges or Prussian gymnasia respectively. The two Ministries will proceed shortly to make fresh appointments.
Appendix 1 5 1
The main duty of the " assistant " will be to conduct small con- versation classes for about two hours daily.
Though not taking any part in the regular instruction of pupils, he will, both in France and Germany, be considered in all other respects as the colleague of the masters. He will not receive a salary, but he will be lodged and boarded at the institution to which he is attached, subject to the provision that in Germany, in certain cases, a sum of about ^65 (1,300 marks) may be paid to him in lieu of board and lodging.
Candidates for such posts must be teachers (or intending teachers) in secondary schools, and should preferably be graduates of some British university. Applications, containing particulars as to course of study and qualifications, should be forwarded without delay to the Director of Special Inquiries and Reports, Board of Education Library, St Stephen's House, Cannon-row, Westminster, with testimonials in duplicate as to character and capacity and teaching experience, and a medical certificate of health. It will also be necessary for each candidate to have a personal interview with the Director at his office.
INDEX.
Abbreviations, the chief German, 42
Aims of Modern Language Teaching
in Secondary Schools, 9, 12, 13,
45. 55. 57, 78 Alliteration, 86 Analytic method, 3 Answers, in complete sentences, 32
Bibliographical appendix, 102-14
Periodicals, 102-104
Reports, 104 f.
Books, pamphlets and Essays on modern language teaching, 105 f.
Books on teaching of German, 112-113
Books on phonetics, 113-114
Books on modern language teach- ing, 105-13
Books on the study and teaching of German, 115-43
Cambridge Medieval and Modern
Languages Tripos, 38, 95 Classics, study of the, 24, 39, 42-7 Canon of suitable books to be
read, 39-40, 42> 43 Canon of suitable pieces to be
learnt by heart, 43 Rimes in classics, 21 Annotated editions of classics,
24* 39>.42 Biographical accounts of classics,
54
English renderings of foreign classics, 49
Classics,
French and German i;th and
1 8th cent, classics, 45 German classics, 133-4 Classrooms, special, to be allotted to modern language teaching, 5 Coins, foreign, 29, 41, 140 Composition, ordinary, only to be done by advanced pupils, 13,
T4 .
Composition, original, 13, 14, 52
Conversation, 31-8, 127 Correspondence' international, 14- 15, 97
Dictation, 19, 22, 87 Dictionaries, 38, 117-20 German, i j 7 ff. German- English, 117-8 German-German, 118 of foreign words in German, 119 etymological, 1 19 orthographical, 124 synonym ical, 119 systematic English-German, 120 for travelling, 38, 118 commercial and miscellaneous,
120 Differences between German and
English, 57 Difficulties (chief) of German
Grammar, 71-4
Difficulties (chief) of German pro- nunciation, 63-8
Direct method of teaching modern languages, 3, 31-4
154
Index
English too much neglected in many
schools, 51-2, 54 Essays, books on German essay
writing, 128
Etymological comparison, 30 Examinations
drawbacks of set books in
Examinations, 44-5 Foreign, for mod. lang. teachers,
33, 145-150 Neglect of the spoken language
in, 5
Viva Voce, 32 Exchange of lessons, 97 letters, 15, 97 pupils, 15 teachers, 36
Explanation of poems, dramas, etc., 51-2
Foreign words in German, books on,
119
Form association, 26, 70 Form, metrical, 50-1 French
relation to English, 27
difficult sounds, 16, 17, 19
enunciation, 18
metre, 21, 50-51
first teaching of, 31
Geography, 80, 91, 98, 137-8 German, aim of teaching, 57 f.
Books on teaching, 105-14, 140-3
classics, books on teaching,
133-4
conversation, 31-8, 127-8 dialects, 61-2, 84, 88-9 dictionaries, 117-20 difficulties of, 63-7, 71-4 essays, 52, 128 first teaching of, 31 geography, 80, 137-8 grammars, 120-4 grammar teaching, 68-77 handwriting, 58, 59, 125 history, 80, 136-8 idioms, 27, 127
German,
language (books on history of),
1^3-4
letters, use of, 58-60 letter writing, 42 literature (books on history of),
128-31 literature, should it be taught as
such? 54 middle high German, 79, 84, 85,
134-5
mythology and sagas, 136
names, 39, 76
old high German, 84, 86
old German, 135
'Realien,' 29-30, 39, 41-2, 80
(sixteenth century), 135
spelling, 21-2, 60, 124
syntax, 83; books on, 122
word formation, 76 Glottal stop, 1 8, 65 Gradation of reading, 39
of poems learnt by heart, 43-4 Grammar, 68-74 Grammars, 120-4
Defects of existing school
grammars, 24, 69 Grammar teaching, 13, 22-7, 69 Gramophone, 19, 62
Handwriting (German), 58, 59, 125 Historical Grammar, 23, 24, 26, 70 History, 80, 91, 98, 136-8 Holiday courses for teachers and students, 36-7
Idioms, to be taught, 10, 27-8 explained (books on), 127
Illustrated Reader, 40 Primer, 39
International correspondence, 14
Intonation, characteristic foreign, to be taught, 18, 19, 62
Latin words in German, French or
English, 26
Learning by heart, 43-4 Leave of absence for mod. lang.
teachers, 35 Letters in German reader, 42
Index
155
Letter writing, 14, 42
Library of mod. lang. books for
junior and senior pupils, 46;
mod. lang. students' reference
library, 96 ; ideal teachers'
library, 113-43 Literature, foreign, should it be
taught in schools, 54; English
Ht., 51, 54 books on German, 128-31
Maps, 5, 39, 41
Method of reading with a class,
47-53 Methodical preparation of lessons,
47 Metres, study of, 50-1
books on German, 131 Modern Languages
Association, 35, 98, 101 at Cambridge, 32, 38 educational value of, 4, 55 connected with study of History
and Geography, 10, 80 interest in, 45 not to be degraded, 55 not to be taught like classical
languages, 9 to be taught mainly by English
men and women, 37 how the teaching of them may
be improved, 4-6 time allotted to them in schools,
4i44
principles of teaching, 9 methods of teaching (various), 6 books on methods of teaching,
105-12 onesidedness of some methods of
teaching, 7 the direct or analytic method of
teaching, 3 general agreement as to method
of teaching, 6, 9 Mod. Language
Quarterly, 6, 13, 16, 20, 38, 102,
113, 116, 143
Review, TOI, 102, 116, 143 Teaching, 15, 31, 42, 101, 102,
113, 116, 143
Mother tongue, sound teaching of it important for foreign language teaching, 52
Mots populaires and Mots savants, 26, 70, 91
Names, German geographical, 41
proper and family, 76 * Neuere Richtung,' 3, 19, 140
Object lessons, 39 Old German, study of, 85, 134 Oral test in examinations, 5, 32, 44 Orthography, German, 60, 124-25
Paraphrase, 14, 48
Periodicals, 102-4
Phonetics, 15-18, 87-89
Phonetic transcription, 19-20, 40,
63, 127 Phonetics (drill in), 10
(books on), 113-4, 125-26 Phonograph, 19, 48, 62, 109 Phrases (idiomatic), 10, 27, 127 Pictures (use of) in lower forms, 28,
. 31* 33
in Reader, 40, 41 Picture Post Cards, 30, 101, 140 Plays, discussion of great, 50-3
historical, 53
acted abroad, 52
classical (books on), 133 Poems to be learnt by heart, 43, 49
to be read in school, 48-9 Poetry, books on the theory of,
.132-33 Precision, 62
Prepositions, use of German, 7 1 origin of certain German, 71 Prescribed books in examinations,
44-5
Primer, 39 Pronunciation, 10, 15-22
German, 61-4, 84, 87-8, 125-26 Punctuation, 22
book on, 125
Reader, centre of mod. lang. teaching, 39 nature of proposed reader, 40-2
156
Index
Reader,
what to reject and what to
include in it, 40-2 Reading, to be placed in the fore- front, 12 method of reading with a class,
47-54 lesson, preparation of teacher
for, 47-8
Readings and recitations by foreign- ers, 63 ' Realien,' 29-30, 39, 41-2, 80, 98,
137
Reciting, 19, 44 Reform movement, 2 Relation of French and German to
English, 26 Reproductions, 14 Residence abroad, 34-7,99-101, 140 Results of teaching mod. langs., 55 Rimes in the classics, 21
Self-abnegation of teacher, 47 Series method, 28-9, 107-8 Size of classes, 5 Sounds
Etymological correspondences between English and German sounds, 27, 30 Sound Tables, 16, 63 Spelling, 21, 22, 60, 124
imperial German, 60-1 Spoken language often neglected in
examinations, 5, 32, 44 Sprachgefuhl, 13, 26 Structure of Dramas, books on, 132 of dramas to be explained,
50 sqq.
Study of German (what it comprises) 79-80
Tables of foreign moneys, weights,
measures, etc., 29, 41 of foreign sounds, 16, 63-68
Teachers of foreign languages, onl;
duly qualified ones to be ap
pointed, 5
qualifications of, 8, 78-80 scholarships for, 35 exchange of, 36 to be mainly English, 37 residence abroad of, 34-38, 98-
101 number of hours they should b
required to teach, 9 of German, ideal referenc
library for, 113-43 training of, 5/9, 78-101 training of, at school, 90-93 training of, at the University
93-97 training of, after the Universit
course, 97-101 training of, abroad, 98-101 Theatre, 52-3
Theory of poetry (books on), 132 Time, all important for success i:
mod. lang. teaching, 4 Translation, 12-14, 46, 49 Travelling Scholarships for teacher
and students needed, 35-6 at Birmingham, 35
University training in moder
languages, 93 ff. Use of German type, 57-8 Utilitarian views on mod. lan£
study, 45, 46, 55
Verbs, strong, 72 separable, 72
Vocabulary, methods of increasing 10, 28-31
Wall-maps of foreign countries, «
39» 4i
Wall-pictures, 28-9, 31, 33 Word formation, 30, 76
LD2l-100m-7,'33
Tb UDUDQ
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