312 ON TEACHING THE DEAF AND'DUMB TO SPrak. 
1s no occafion to proceed, but if the former be the caufe, 
the method of attempting to remove fuch an impediment 
may be purfued in the following manner. | 
aft, They muft be led, if young, to attempt to pre- 
‘nounce, by imitating the motions of children in fpeaking, 
and, as every thing at firft would appear to them unmean- 
ing, a child who can fpeak muft be told to. pronounce the 
letters, which you defire the deaf child to learn. If you 
fucceed with difficulty,-to prevent difcouraging the deaf, 
the child who {peaks muft. be made to ‘pronounce -flowly, 
diftinly, and with many repetitions, that the deaf may 
fuppofe the other:to bein the fame predicament; but if you 
have two deaf perfons to teach at once, the firft leflons only 
need be given in this manner, for the progrefs of both will 
be at firft perhaps much alike. | 
2dly. The pupil muft ‘be not only fenfible when he 
makes the proper sound himfelf, but muff alfo be able to 
diftinguifh thefe founds in others. In teaching to pro- 
nounce, you muft open the mouth, and fhew the fituation 
of your tongue as nearly as you can, then difpofe your lips 
in fuch a manner_as to give the found, making apparently 
a more forcible exertion than common. The pupil-will 
try to imitate it. He will make no doubt a found of fome 
fort, either vocal or afpirate—If that found be contained 
in the language you mean to teach him, point immediately 
to the letter which you find.is the fymbol, and repeat it 
fo often, that he can neither forget it, nor have any idea of 
the fymbol without that found, nor of the found without 
the fymbol---If the found be vocal let him feel at his own 
throat, and at yours, that he may be made fenfible by 
the external touch-that.the founds are the fame, and he will 
with more facility be enabled to give the afpirates by pro- 
nouncing them without a tremulous motion 1n the throat, 
which is the fole external mode of learning him the dif- 
| ference. 
