250 The Study of Living Languages, [no. 4, new series, 



are fully acquired. Yet it will be of some use to look occasionally 

 into a short grammar containing the inflexions of words. 



5th, " Begin to talk, though with stammering lips, as soon as 

 possible, the very first day. Never speak English to a Native if 

 you can help it. Why say salt, when you know the word, Uppu? 

 Do not be afraid of making mistakes." 



This rule contains the very essence of the ordinary system, or 

 rather of the old notions. It is diametrically opposed to the 

 universally acknowledged and universally applicable principle. 

 K Whatever is habitual is easy." It is always easier to do a thing 

 the second time than the first. My principle is, Be afraid of one 

 thing, making mistakes. Every time that a mistake is made, 

 one step more is taken towards a confirmed habit of making that 

 mistake. Why do men in talking English as their own language 

 go on putting tis in the wrong places and leaving them out 

 all their lives, in spite of their getting into a different class of 

 society, where they continually hear the correct pronunciation in 

 this respect, without ever being corrected ? Because by habit 

 their perceptions have been so blunted that they never per- 

 ceive that they make a mistake. Do we not keep this prin- 

 ciple of avoiding mistakes in view in almost all other cases 

 excepting this ? Do we set a child to make a rude imitation of 

 some letter and then leave him to repeat it without a standard ? 

 or, do we insist upon his incessantly looking at'a standard, and 

 never making one written letter without trying to imitate that 

 standard which is placed before his eyes ? 



My principle therefore is, never, attempt to guess at any thino-, 

 •whether it is a sound, or word, or an expression. Take the most 

 effective steps you can to prevent your ever " making a mistake." 

 Is there not enough work to do to learn the real language, that 

 you must take measures to oblige yourself to add to it the un- 

 learning of your own mistakes ? Every time you pronounce a 

 word wrong you have that to unlearn, On no account therefore 

 attempt to speak in the proper sense of that word till you are 

 established in 



1st. A sound pronunciation. 



