MR HOGBEN’S BOOK.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 9203, 14 November 1898, Page 2

MR HOGBEN’S BOOK.

We have received a copy of “ Methods Nature! le pour apprendre le by Mr George Hogben, M.A., headmaster of the Boys’ High School. This book consists oi a course of French lessons suitable for about two years’ work, and arranged on the natural method of learning foreign languages, which, owing to the labours of Gouin and Kossmann and Schmidt, has of late come into prominence. Mr Hogben’s book, however, was drawn up, and most of the lessons (in manuscript) used in the Timaru High School over eight years ago, before he had heard of those authors. The lessons have been thoroughly tested in actual practice, and Mr Hogbea’s experience proves that children taught on the natural method learn French much more quickly and more easily than when taught on the old plan. The main idea underlying the lessons in the book is that a foreign language should be learned, as the mother-tongue was, by using it as the direct vehicle of expression of the common facts of life. When French is taught in school, for instance, the lessons should begin with the objects found in every class room, and with the actions associate! with them; then should follow lessons on objects which are not usually found in the class-room, but which can easily be brought and shown by the teacher ; and next should come the use of large pictures for class-teaching, pictures in books, models, drawings on the blackboard, etc. The author lays great stress on the principle that, in order to secure rapid progr -sa, as little English as possible should be used, for the more English is used the longer will the power of thinking in French be postponed. The first step of course is to make the children unders'and what is said to them. Then should come speaking, then reading, and then writing, which in the early stages should be merely transcription and writing from dictation, but which should grow gradually into independent and original composition. Translation, according to the author’s view, should come much later than it usually does. It should come when the pupil can understand, speak, read, and write, the foreign language. Keeping these ir'eas in view the author ha,s produced an excellent book. The lessons are rno-t carefully graduated, beginning with the simplest lessons on what the pupil sees around him in school, and proceeding with lessons on common objects, plants, trees, animals, an excellent series of lessons on the home, lessons on geography, grammar, composition, etc. After these, and partly interspersed among them, come anecdotes, stories, and fables, in prose and vers(», all of the most interesting kind. A marked feature of this part of the book, and indeed of the whole book, is the great

number of pictures introduced, almost every page containing one or more The last part of the book is taken up with a grammar, a set of exercises for transi - tion into French, and a dictionary of all the words used. We may add that the book is published by Messrs T. Nelson & JSons, London and Edinburgh, and that they have done their part of the work in a style that leaves nothing to be desired. :