308 REPORTS ON THE STATE OF SCIENCE, ETC. 



The second is thus for specialists ; but the first establishes a claim for 

 Latin as a part of general education for those who are likely to continue 

 the study to the matriculation stage, if the answer under the next heading 

 is favourable. 



(iii) So little was the third point recognised that old-fashioned argu- 

 ments almost suggested that it was the very uncongeniality of striving 

 to be accurate which constituted the value. If the modern point of view 

 be adopted, it becomes probable that many pupils have not enough of 

 the general factor in ability (which appears to enter into the learning of 

 Latin very considerably) to make sufficient progress to acquire the 

 necessary desire for accuracy and the readiness to make the effort 

 willingly. But this objection does not apply to matriculation candidates 

 taught by an inspiring teacher. 



The claim has thus been greatly reduced, but does not altogether 

 disappear. Although much of our reasoning has taken place intuitively 

 and without words before we throw it into language, throwing it into 

 words is usually essential for ourselves and always for conveying the 

 argument to others ; and the untrained mind often works out its argu- 

 ments entirely in verbal terms and is at the mercy of language. Thus, 

 in most subjects, accurate analysis of language is an indispensable factor, 

 though only one factor, in accurate thought. On the other hand, it 

 cannot be maintained that it is only through Latin that such power of 

 analysis can be trained. 



Note. — The claims of Latin for inclusion in the curriculum on the ground of its 

 intrinsic value as distinct from its value as formal discipline are not considered in 

 this paper. They constitute its strongest claim. 



Relation between General and Special Teaining in the 



Acquisition of Skill. 



By Prof. T. H. Pear, M.A., B.Sc. 



Popular views concerning the relations existing between different skills 

 are varied and conflicting. On the one hand a person is spoken of as 

 ' clever with his hands,' ' good at games,' ' an all-round athlete.' On the 

 other hand, the world's best exponents of any complex skills are usually 

 very careful to be specialists, and there are even good grounds for the 

 fear that the learning of a new complex skill, which superficially resembles 

 a skill in which one is highly proficient, may actually be detrimental to 

 the latter. 



It is possible that both these views are justified. If we take the 

 summary given below, as approximately representing the state of our 

 knowledge concerning formal training, this may be illustrated. 



No serious student of the subject denies that transfer from one 

 acquisition to another may occur. But generally {a) the amount of 

 transfer found in experiments is very much less than might have been 

 naively supposed and (6) such transfer occurs in certain conditions which 

 can be approximately specified. They are : — 



(1) When common factors, of matter, of method, or of ways of 

 approach exist, have been analysed out and recognised by the learner. 



( 



