"146 on teaching the Engli/h language. May 30. 
turn to my native country, where : fhall do penance for 
my foolifh prodigalities. + 
‘REVIEW. 
AN ILLUSTRATION OF A DESIGN FOR TEACHING THE ENGLISH 
LANGUAGE, BY WILLIAM M‘CARTNEY, 127720. EDIN. 179!. DUNCAN* 
No study ought to be more interesting to Britifh youth, 
-than that of their own language ; yet unfortunately it has 
happened, that unlefs it be to learn a ridiculous mimicking 
-of Englifh pronounciation, little other attention has been 
hitherto paid to this important article in the course of 
-education. A few attempts, it is true, have also been made 
to make children learn by rote the names that have been 
given to the different parts of speech by grammarians, which 
has been called instructing them in the piinciples of Eng- 
lith grammar ; but, till the present puolication fell in our 
way, we have seen nothing like a rational plan for ena- 
bling Britifh youth to acquire a practical facility in the 
-use of their own native language. . 
Mr M‘Cartney’s plan differs from all others we have 
seen proposed for this purpose, in its being entirely of a 
practical nature. He justly observes, that every one ac- 
quires a knowledge of his mother tongue, merely by imita- 
tion and example in common conversation, and that, in e- 
-very case, more or lefs of error will be thus imbibed. His 
- plan goes in the first place to the pointing out these errors 
“by the instructions of a fkillful teacher, and then by exer- 
“cises inspeaking and in writing, always under the correc- 
- tion of the preceptor, gradually to accustom the pupils to 
-an ease and correctnefs in the use of language. 
He justly observes, that without practice the best rules 
-can be of littleavail. ‘ T’o answer the end we propose, by 
