The Chautauquan, Vol. 03, December 1882: A Monthly Magazine Devoted to the Promotion of True Culture.; Organ of the Chautauqua Literary and Scientific CircleChautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle
Religion
The Chautauquan, Vol. 03, December 1882: A Monthly Magazine Devoted to the Promotion of True Culture.; Organ of the Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle
Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle
Chautauqua Institution -- Periodicals; Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle -- Periodicals
In spite of these unfavorable symptoms which are manifest at present
in the body of believers, we do not despair of the ultimate success
of the Church in accomplishing her mission. There are many sincere,
efficient and godly workers in the ranks of all denominations who
are earnestly longing and laboring for the salvation of the world,
but we fear for the present, at least, that their efforts are being
neutralized by the worldliness, indifference, lukewarmness and
formalism which characterize a large portion of the Church, so that the
near future will not witness a grand revival of spiritual religion.
We would be most heartily glad, however, if our forebodings should
prove ill-founded, and if there should come upon the Universal Church
a divine baptism which would consume all the dross of sin and make her
more successful in winning souls.
Success of the Natural Method in Language at Chautauqua.
The natural method has been for several years past on trial, and has
achieved a marked success. It has been practically demonstrated that in
a very short time persons can be taught to speak French or German, or
indeed any language for which there is a competent living teacher. The
modern languages have been most successful because it is not easy to
find those sufficiently familiar with the ancient ones to give to their
pupils the necessary practice in them. Yet, even Greek and Latin have
been taught to be spoken in this way. In the modern languages, however,
but a few weeks have been needed to enable persons to speak them
fluently and understand them well when spoken. From the beginning the
scholar is taught to speak in the simple way in which the mother-tongue
is taught in childhood. With the very first lesson single words at
the beginning and then some simple phrases are mastered. These are
increased with each succeeding lesson, and soon the pupil finds that
he has quite a store of the words and phrases most commonly in use. By
frequent practice these are retained, and others being daily added, at
the end of six weeks, or thereabouts, of constant study, any ordinary
conversation can be carried on with a facility which astonishes those
accustomed only to the slow and tedious processes of the older methods.
It has been fortunate for the Chautauqua Assembly that teachers have
taught here from the beginning who have been thoroughly devoted to this
method of instruction. Hence the success of the schools, which have
already attained to very large numbers, and have secured enthusiastic
interest in all those who have attended them. Though the number of last
year exceeded that of any that preceded it, it was but an earnest of
what is yet to come. Any prediction of the future outcome of these
schools, which would be recognized as at all moderate by others,
would fall far short of what is confidently expected of them by those
familiar with this natural method of instruction, and with the success
with which it has met in the Chautauqua schools.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account