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DISCUSSION. 
DISCUSSION. 
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Mr. Ray GreEeNE HuLiNg : Are we to follow the historical method, and, because the 
Romans lived before the French, take Latin before the French in our schoolwork ? 
Jr are we to follow the system that is more truly pedagogical, and proceed from the 
snown to the unknown ; that is, from the less difficult to the more difficult ? We have 
n English practically an uninflected language. The inflections are so slight, we can- 
10t consider them in comparison with French and German. It would seem much more 
feasible that we should proceed first and fix that excellent basis of English, for which 
Mr. Smith has so eloquently given us a plea, and then take the modern language first 
which is the least difficult to those who have this preparation ; and that would seem to 
me to be French. I would plead a little more strongly than either of these gentlemen, 
Mr. Pearson and Mr. Smith, have for a conversational element in the modern lan- 
zuages. Now the success of the conversational study depends very much, it seems to 
me, upon the early approach to these languages. We must take the child while he is 
1 the imitative rather than the logical stage; we must take him while his vocal organs 
are plastic. 
Dr. MackenzIg, the Chairman : 1 am not going to make a speech, but I want to felic- 
tate the congress on having had this admirable paper by Mr. Smith. It is one of the 
very thoughtful papers that have been presented, in my judgment. I am very glad 
shat it is to be included in the public proceedings of this congress, and I think you will 
ind that when you come to read it it will bear rich results. I cannot agree with Mr. 
Huling. If you will observe this question, you will notice that it is very carefully 
Arawn : In secondary schools, where a choice should be made, which should come 
first, Latin, or some modern language ? I do not believe, first and last, that we have 
anything to do with the speaking or conversational use of the modern languages in the 
secondary school. And the sooner that heresy is banished from the secondary school 
the clearer the air will be. It is not only slaying its thousands but its tens of thou- 
sands. It is utterly impossible to achieve conversational results in French or German 
in secondary schools. If you take your boy before the organs of speech are set, as Mr. 
Collar has said, previous to twelve, and try by all means to get his organs of speech in 
sood working order, he will learn to pronounce the language ; after that he can learn it 
as well at thirty 
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Mz. BorrwooD, Evanston, Ill.: I have never tried the experiment of giving modern 
anguages first, and then following it by Latin; but I have tried this experiment, 
n my course. [Pupils were required to take Latin a year, and then they had their 
option to take German or Latin for three years. I tried Latin at the beginning, and at 
he end German. At the end of the year enough pupils elected German to take it up 
she second year. At the end of two years the section that had carried Latin one year 
was in advance of the section that had taken German three years. 1 had a very 
remarkable experience. A boy came to me once, at eighteen, who had spoken German, 
and only German, until he was nine years old. He was born in Germany, and brought 
to this country by his parents, who died. An American family brought him up. At 
eighteen he conceived the idea that he would like to study German ; and I never had a 
pupil in German who had to work so hard to learn German pronunciation. I am fully 
satisfied that Latin is the best of all things to secure the study of a language which 
salls for inflections in any way ; that the order of putting Latin before French is 
preferable. 
Mg. Poynter : I desire to say that the paper presented by Mr. Smith is the method 
pursued fifty years ago by the most successful teacher of secondary schools I have ever 
known in mv life. So the old and new are meeting here to-day. 
Mgr. BarTHOLOMEW, of Louisville, Ky.: I would like, if we.could, in this discussion, 
to find some way or other that we could all agree upon, so that we might go back to our 
respective schools and test it, and come back next year and give our experiences in this 
line.