The Study of Living Languages, [no. 4, new series.
As in other matters, the right way of acquiring a correct know-
ledge of a language will be found to be suitable for the attainment
of this main object also.
The things that are necessary to ensure a sound foundation are equally so to secure the saving of time ; but we will now consider the details especially with reference to the latter. The first thing then is, to do one thing at a time. Surely this is a principle that will at once commend itself to every one. We have to learn the character, the words, pronunciation, the grammar, the expressions, &CC. Our plan therefore should be as far as possible to separate these, and have the attention concentrated upou' one of them at a time. This certainly cannot be fully accomplished; but it can be sufficiently, for practical purposes.
The second is, to learn thoroughly whatever is learnt. How can there be any question about the waste of time produced by parti- ally learning things and so forgetting them over and over again ? "We may safely say that, as ordinarily studied, the meaning of every word, its pronunciation, points of grammar, expressions, Sic, are partially learnt and forgotten again hundreds of times over. Every- thing that is learnt should be so followed up that it may be inde- libly fixed in the memory and be as much part of the student him- self as any thing in his own language.
Thirdly, learn only what is really wanted. Surely this also is most obvious. To learn at first words which will either never be of any use to him, or not till he is far advanced in the language, is entire waste of time. The same with forms of expression, See. An Englishman never thinks it necessary to learn all the words of his own language, he never knows half of them, much as he reads ; and how many must there be in every language that he need never know. The student should first begin with such words as are of universal use in common life and then, when he has made some progress in the language, commence upon those which are neces- sary for his particular profession. Even in English there are num- bers of words which, though common in books, are never used in ordinary conversation ; but this is much more the case in languages in which ninety nine hundredths of the people scarcely ever read a
