TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION L. 799 



Symbol, and thus to set up a translatiou habit, which ia really a hav to prugies6, 

 since objects of thought can only be .syniboli.sed with effect when the objective, the 

 thought, i.s (/tVee^/y expressed by the symbol appropriate to it. (6) When once 

 the establishment (mental and physical) of a new speech centre is begun, tvith its 

 accompanyiny set of experiences, the force of resistance rapidly diminishes. 

 (7) The rate of progress depends («) upon the intensity of the learner's absorption 

 in the new art during the early stage ; (6) upon suitable environment with appro- 

 priate objects of thought. (8) When the new habit is established in only a small 

 degi'ee, traces abide for a great length of time and can be easily recovered. 

 (9) A month's residence among foreign people or a year's course of school instruc- 

 tion suffices to overcome the resistance in its earliest and strongest stage. (10) The 

 use of a special phonetic script is of doubtful value to learners, except to adults 

 who have received a philological trauiing. (11) The study of changes in nervous 

 function accompanying the mental process are not at present adequate to confirm 

 these conclusions, but inquiry into cases of aphasia among bilingual people may 

 be expected to throw some light upon the nature of brain centres for foreign speech. 

 (12) The attempt to ' establish ' two foreign languages at the same time should not 

 be made ; each tends to inhibit the other. French, e.y., should hold the field for 

 three years at least before German or Spanish is introduced. Latin, however, 

 taken on a translation method, does not appreciably interfere. 



4. New factors presented when classes of twenty-five to thirty-five are taught 

 together. (1) A body of teachers are needed who can be relied upon to carry 

 through the experiment over several years.* (2) The general efticiency of the 

 school life and teaching in other departments affects vitally the issue in success 

 or failure. (3) Detailed preparation for each portion of the work by the teacher is 

 essential ; teachers can seldom find time for such preparation when in full practice. 

 (4) Progress is hindered by the incapacity of some scholars to apperceive new 

 sounds ; on the other hand, the stimulus of numbers (here as in all branches of 

 teaching) aids progress. 



o. In order to carry through an extended piece of work of this kind, the 

 teachers concerned need to come to some agreement as to the working of cause 

 and effect in mental development ; so long as ' direct " methods of teaching are 

 regarded as leading to enfeeblement of mind, it is unlikely that analytic methods 

 will be discarded. This applies still more to the methods adopted by examiners 

 and inspectors. 



6. This paper is submitted as an example of the way in which problems in 

 school teaching may be fruitfully investigated. It is obvious that no finality in 

 quantitative results can be recorded such as are forthcoming in more familiar fields 

 of scientific investigation. But it is submitted that it would be feasible, by 

 adequate inquiry (with a check upon varying data and conditions), to secure 

 records vouched for by competent authorities which would help to solve some 

 controversies. But such investigations must extend over a period of years, and 

 the ' results ' must be sought in the positive attainments of the scholars at the close 

 of the period. 



A number of such reports have been published in Germany during the last 

 twenty years, but it seemed best for the present purpose to confine this report to 

 personal experience. The standpoint as to mental process is elucidated with great 

 skill in ' Der psychologische Zusammenhang in der Didaktik der neusprachlicheu 

 Unterrichts,' von Dr. B. Eggert (Berlin, Reuther u. und Reichard, 1904). 



[The author is now repeating this experiment (using the German language) 

 in the Fielden Demonstration School referred to in another papei-, but the results, 

 under the special conditions of that school, are not likely to render the same 

 service as those secured at Cardiff".] 



' The author expressed his indebtedness to his colleagues who had charge of 

 the French teaching in this school. Most of the success of the prolonged experi- 

 ment at Cardiff must be attributed to them. 



