Part 11 (1/2)

7 With a language which we are daily in the practice of hearing, speaking, reading, and writing, we may certainly acquire no inconsiderable acquaintance, without the forrammar were presumed to be known to the learned, before they ritten for the aid of learners; nor have they acquired any independent authority, by being recorded in a book, and deno of theree to settle and establish the construction of the language, to ilish writers, and to enable us to ascertain with rammatical purity He who learns only by rote, may speak the words or phrases which he has thus acquired; and he who has the genius to discern intuitively what is regular and proper, ies which he thus discovers; but he ould add to such acquisitions the satisfaction of knohat is right, e his study

8 To produce an able and elegant writer, rah in favour of those rules, that without a knowledge of theant and able writer is produced Who that considers the infinite number of phrases which words in their various combinations may fornized individually for the purposes of instruction and criticis words into classes, and of showing, by general rules of formation and construction, the laws to which custom commonly subjects them, or from which she allows them in particular instances to deviate? Gra, must continue to be learned by some persons; because it is of indispensable use to society And the only question is, whether children and youth shall acquire it by a regular process of study and lean it solely from their own occasional observation of the manner in which other people speak and write

9 The practical solution of this question belongs chiefly to parents and guardians The opinions of teachers, to whose discretion the decision will soree of influence upon the public e, in respect to the relative value of different studies, will doubtless bias many to the adoption or the rejection of this A consideration of the point seems to be appropriate here, and I cannot forbear to co every one, of course, to choose how uments If past experience and the history of education be taken for guides, the study of English gralected; and the method of its inculcation will becolish language ought to be learned at school or in colleges, as other languages usually are; by the study of its gra, correcting, pointing, and scanning; and by the perusal of some of its most accurate writers, accompanied with stated exercises in coe is already more abundant than any other Some of the best of these the student should peruse, as soon as he can understand and relish theence, will be found the lish style at once pure, correct, and elegant

10 If any intelligent rammar otherwise than as one of the most useful branches of study, heformed his conceptions of the science, not from what it really is in itself, but from some of those miserable treatises which only caricature the subject, and of which it is rather an advantage to be ignorant But who is so destitute of good sense as to deny, that a graceful and easy conversation in the private circle, a fluent and agreeable delivery in public speaking, a ready and natural utterance in reading, a pure and elegant style in coh order? And yet of all these, the proper study of English grammar is the true foundation This would never be denied or doubted, if young people did not find, under some other name, better models and more efficient instruction, than as practised on thera to that class of knaves who vilify what they despair to reach

11 By taking proper advantage of the ductility of childhood, intelligent parents and judicious teachers may exercise over the studies, opinions, and habits of youth a strong and salutary control; and it will seldoht to consider grae their opinion in after life But the study of graed in the hearing of the young, without injury What would be the natural effect of the following sentence, which I quote froue and his dunce rau descant, or poetic rapture, to the strain and soul of which not a fibre in their nature would yield a vibration”--_New-York Observer_, Vol ix, p 73

12 Would not the bright boy who heard this froroeary of the parsing lesson required by his schoole? One can no ard to theconveyed by it, than of the fitness of a suit of clothes, without knowing for whorand clew to the proper application of all syntactical rules, is _the sense_; and as any cohtly deliver the author's , so every solution of a word or sentence is necessarily erroneous, in which thatis not carefully noticed and literally preserved To parse rightly and fully, is nothing else than to understand rightly and explain fully; and whatsoever is well expressed, it is a shame either to misunderstand or to misinterpret

13 This study, when properly conducted and liberally pursued, has an obvious tendency to dignify the whole character How can he be a man of refined literary taste, who cannot speak and write his native language graree of ihten and embellish the whole intellectual nature? The several powers of the ents, which are usually brought into exercise one by one; and even if they were, there ht be found, in a judicious prosecution of this study, a healthful e to do with the ele fancy ed; and for this exercise the previous course of discipline will have furnished both language and taste, as well as sentie is a thing of recent origin Fifty or sixty years ago, such an exercise was scarcely atteland[54] Of this fact we have abundant evidence both from books, and fro How often have these presented this as an apology for their own deficiencies, and endeavoured to excite us to greater diligence, by contrasting our opportunities with theirs! Is there not truth, is there not power, in the appeal? And are we not bound to avail ourselves of the privileges which they have provided, to build upon the foundations which their wisdom has laid, and to carry forward the work of i for us, unless the love of learning preside over and prevail in them The discipline of our schools can never approach perfection, till those who conduct, and those who frequent theenerously aspires to all attainable excellence

15 To rouse this laudable spirit in the minds of our youth, and to satisfy its de objects with those to whom is committed the i time in a school-roo of the satisfaction either of doing his own duty, or of exciting others to the perforular routine of hue as proficiency in his pupils ood for little money, in a profession which he honours with his services merely to escape starvation He has, however, one merit: he pleases his patrons, and is perhaps the only man that can; for they must needs be of that class to whom moral restraint is tyranny, disobedience to teachers, as often right as wrong; and who, dreading the expense, even of a school-book, always judge those things to be cheapest, which cost the least and last the longest What such a ra opinion froreat merit, I am inclined to afford room here, because it deserves refutation, and, I aenerality of the doctrines hich it is presented to the public ”Since hue is so much more extensive than the opportunity of individuals for acquiring it, it becoreatest importance so to economize the opportunity as to e and as valuable a portion as we can It is not enough to show that a given branch of education is useful: you must show that it is thethis, I think it would be expedient to dispense with the forrammar,--a proposition which I doubt not many a teacher will hear onder and disapprobation We learn the gralish whether we study grammars or not

Especially we _shall_ acquire a coe, if other departments of our education were ira in an hour's conversation with educated people, than in poring for an hour over Murray or Horne Tooke If he is accustomed to such society and to the perusal of ritten books, he will learn English grah he never sees a word about syntax; and if he is not accustora-school will not teach it Men learn their own language by habit, and not by rules: and this is just e e is itself for A corammar first observes these habits, and then makes his rules: but if a person is himself fa of grah the philosophy of language be a valuable branch of hue, it were idle to expect that school-boys should understand it The objection is, to the syste to teach children for”--JONATHAN DYMOND: _Essays on Morality_, p 195

18 This opinion, proceeding from a man who has written upon huood sense, is perhaps entitled to as ainst the study in question

And so far as the objection bears upon those defective methods of instruction which experience has shown to be inefficient, or of little use, I am in no wise concerned to remove it The reader of this treatise will find their faults not only adreat extent purposely exposed; while an atterammars, to introduce a method which it is hoped will better reach the end proposed

But it may easily be perceived that this author's proposition to dispense with the forrammar is founded upon an untenable assues of those purer habits of speech, which the young naturally acquire from conversation with educated people, it is not true, that, without instruction directed to this end, they will of therae enteel, because it is learned of those who have paid some attention to the study; but, as they cannot always be preserved fro it in books, they cannot otherwise be guarded froe of the rules of graht easily back this position by the citation of some scores of faulty sentences froine there can be no mistake in the opinion, that in exact proportion as the rules of gralected in any country, will corruptions and ieneral science” of grae,” the author seems to exempt, and in some sort to commend; and at the same time his proposition of exclusion is applied not rammars, but _a fortiori_ to this science, under the notion that it is unintelligible to school-boys But why should any principle of graible on account of the extent of its application? Will a boy pretend that he cannot understand a rule of English graes? Ancient etyies, and other facts in literary history,upon the credit of hirammar are to the learner the easiest and the most i in the true philosophy of language, which, by proper definitions and exaible to a boy, as are the principles ofyouth in any thing that pertains to language, lies not so much in the fact that its philosophy is above their conorance of certain parts of so vast an inquiry;--in the great ns; the frequent contrariety of practice; the inadequacy of memory; the inveteracy of ill habits; and the little interest that is felt e speak uage was early and strongly recommended by Locke,[55] and other writers on education, whose character gave additional weight to an opinion which they enforced by the clearest argurammar, or for lack of teachers skilled in the subject and sensible of its irievous imperfection in our methods of education, has been but recently and partially obviated ”The attainant style,” says Dr Blair, ”is an object which deine they can catch it ht perusal of soood authors, they will find therae, which are co contee is previously requisite, in all who ai it properly”--_Blair's Rhetoric_, Lect ix, p 91

21 ”To think justly, to write well, to speak agreeably, are the three great ends of academic instruction The Universities will excuse me, if I observe, that both are, in one respect or other, defective in these three capital points of education While in Caether on speculative knowledge, with little regard to polite letters, taste, or style; in Oxford the whole attention is directed towards classical correctness, without any sound foundation laid in severe reasoning and philosophy In Careeably is so far froht of _These defects_ naturally produce dry unaffecting coance in the other; ungracious or affected speech in both”--DR BROWN, 1757: _Estirae makes no part of the ordinary h in our childhood; and it is very seldom we apply ourselves to it afterward Yet the want of it will not be effectually supplied by any other advantages whatsoever Much practice in the polite world, and a general acquaintance with the best authors, are good helps; but alone [they] will hardly be sufficient: We have writers, who have enjoyed these advantages in their full extent, and yet cannot be recommended as models of an accurate style Much less then will, what is co, serve the purpose; that is, a critical knowledge of ancient languages, and reatest critic and e, when he calish author, was frequently at a loss in matters of ordinary use and common construction in his own vernacular idiom”--DR LOWTH, 1763: _Pref to Gram_, p vi

23 ”To the pupils of our public schools the acquisition of their own language, whenever it is undertaken, is an easy task For he who is acquainted with several gra one more to the nulish engages so small a proportion of their time and attention It is not frequently read, and is still less frequently written Its supposed facility, however, or soree of neglect as certainly cannot be praised The students in those schools are often distinguished by their coes, before they can speak or write their oith correctness, elegance, or fluency A classical scholar too often has his English style to form, when he should communicate his acquisitions to the world In some instances it is never formed with success; and the defects of his expression either deter hi before the public at all, or at least counteract in a great degree the influence of his work, and bring ridicule upon the author Surely these evils ht easily be prevented or diminished”--DR BARROW: _Essays on Education_, London, 1804; Philad, 1825, p 87

24 ”It is also said that those who know Latin and Greek generally express themselves with more clearness than those who do not receive a liberal education It is indeed natural that those who cultivate their mental powers, write with more clearness than the uncultivated individual The ue as well as in Latin or Greek Yet the spirit of the ancient languages, further is declared to be superior to that of the modern I allow this to be the case; but I do not find that the English style is i Greek It is known that literal translations are ht to translate, word for word, faithful to their dictionaries Hence those who do not e, will not i, in this manner, Greek and Latin Is it not a pity to hear, what I have been told by the ers of one of the first institutions of Ireland, that it was easier to find ten teachers for Latin and Greek, than one for the English language, though they proposed double the salary to the latter? Who can assure us that the Greek orators acquired their superiority by their acquaintance with foreign languages; or, is it not obvious, on the other hand, that they learned ideas and expressed theue?”--DR SPURZHEIM: _Treatise on Education_, 1832, p 107

25 ”Dictionaries were coether with their several definitions, or the sense each one expresses and conveys to theto their essence, attributes, and functions Gra to the principles of all thoughts, and teaching by sieneral classification of words and their subdivisions in expressing the various conceptions of theof languages; without which we are left to wander all our lives in an intricate labyrinth, without being able to trace back again any part of our way”--_Chazotte's Essay on the Teaching of Languages_, p 45

Again: ”Had it not been for his dictionary and his graes, and the natural subdivision of their co as Methuselah's, in learning words, without being able to attain to a degree of perfection in any of the languages”--_Ib_, p 50 ”Indeed, it is not easy to say, to what degree, and in how eraood reason, made the first and fundareatest orators, the ant scholars, and the most accomplished men of business, that have appeared in the world, of whom I need only rarammarians”--DR BEATTIE: _Moral Science_, Vol i, p 107

26 Here, as in many other parts of my work, I have chosen to be liberal of quotations; not to show ive the reader the satisfaction of solish graree of attention which in this country is paid to other languages; but merely to use my feeble influence to carry forward a work of iun, but not sufficiently sustained In consequence of this irah the arded as the proper business of those only ere to be instructed in Latin and Greek, is now thought to be an appropriate exercise for children in eleenerally aduages, e of the coraue This opinion appears to be confirmed by that experience which is at once the most satisfactory proof of what is feasible, and the only proper test of what is useful

27 It must, however, be confessed, that an acquaintance with ancient and foreign literature is absolutely necessary for hiist or an accoe, the source of several of the ular in its inflections and systematic in its construction, is in itself the most complete exemplar of the structure of speech, and the best foundation for the study of graraes, and as the only successfulthem, is, to commit to memory the definitions and rules which ee ible to the learner, is the rarammar is also in itself a valuable attain persons whose situation in life debars theeneral literature

28 The attention which has lately been given to the culture of the English language, by soraphers, have laboured purposely to improve it, and by e, have tastefully adorned it with the works of their genius, has in a great measure redeemed it from that conte But, as I have before suggested, it does not yet appear to be sufficiently attended to in the course of what is called a _liberal education_ Colish exhibits both excellences and defects; but its flexibility, or power of accoreat; and when it is used with that enius, it ht on the whole to be considered inferior But above all, it is _our own_; and, whatever we ues, it can never be either patriotic or wise, for the learned land to pride thee is worthy to be assiduously studied by all who reside where it is spoken, and who have the means and the opportunity to become critically acquainted with it To every such student it is vastly lish, than to be distinguished for proficiency in the learned languages and yet ignorant of his own It is certain that ht be expected, are found lect of so desirable an accomplishment is the more remarkable and the more censurable on account of the facility hich those who are acquainted with the ancient languages lish style