july — sept. 1857.] The Study of Living Languages. £45 



A soldier may be shown how to march, and he may be made to 

 move his legs in the manner shown in a few steps, but nothing but 

 long continued practice can possibly enable him to do it both cor- 

 rectly and with ease ; and it is the same with the muscles of the 

 tongue, the ear, and the brain, as it is with the limbs. 



A girl may have the finest ear possible, but that will not enable 

 her fingers to run over the notes of a piano or her throat to produce 

 the notes of a song freely and correctly, without long exercise of 

 those organs. 



After the first month the teacher will be required much less, 

 because the student can be trusted to pronounce when he is alone, 

 provided he exercises with the teacher for some time daily. He 

 should always read aloud by himself just as when he reads 

 with the teacher, both because, the great point is the exercise of 

 the organs of speech, and hearing, and also because the pronoun- 

 cing of the word is so great a help to remember the meaning. It 

 must however be remembered that in this solitary study as little 

 use as possible should still be made of the eye. The word or 

 sentence should be merely glanced at when necessary and the re- 

 petition should then be made without looking at the book. 



With respect to the time required, I cannot speak certainly, 

 because I have never had an opportunity of seeing the study com- 

 menced with such materials properly prepared beforehand ; but 

 so far as I have seen it tried with imperfect materials, the result 

 was certainly excellent. 



In the only case where an approach was made to a fair trial, a 

 gentleman studied irregularly, but equal to about two months' 

 continuous study of five hours a day, and from that time he went 

 out and performed all his duties without an interpreter, having 

 constantly to converse with the middling and lower classes, most 

 of whom had never spoken to a European before. 



This was a real, practical and effective acquaintance with the 

 language, though within small limits as to his number of words 

 and expressions at first starting ; but then his ear and tongue 

 having been well exercised, he could both make himself under- 



