International Review of Educational Cinematography (Jan-Dec 1932)

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— 785 — physical and organic conformation. The accustomedness to the sounds of the mother tongue logically increases with age, and the difficulties of adapting oneself to the sounds a foreign language also naturally become greater. The elasticity of the organic vehicle of speech, too accustomed to form certain sounds, loses its quality and capacity bit by bit. On account of these declining faculties of hearing and adaptability of speech, it would seem that the best period to learn foreign languages is before one has reached thirty years of age. General considerations of this kind have only slight importance, it is evident, when one is in the presence of really exceptional talent, but on general lines, it may be said that the most favourable age for the study of foreign languages is between 16 and 30. Which class can be said to furnish the best pupils ? I remember that in composing this work I was anxious to create a method that should be, as they say in France, within everyone s reach. I am firmly convinced of the educative value of linguistic studies, and I forsee a social result of the highest importance for them, but I intend to consider them especially from the point of view of popular education. It is clear that this method does not pretend to supplant or replace the personality of those eminent teachers of whom Herder said that each one had a method of his own. But how many of these masters are there, and how many pupils do they teach ? I have often had occasion to talk with young workers of both sexes, fervent students of evening courses for the study of foreign languages. The greater part only repeated and imitated what had been shown or said to them. Schmidt whom I have already quoted, has observed that students copy the linguistic technique of the teacher. The basic idea which has guided me in preparing my method of teaching by means of the talking film has been to insist on competent and suitable teachers for all the nations of the world. It may be objected that the same method is not practical for a notary and a workman. This is true for the great majority of usual methods. But the use of the film will lead to such transformations of method that I believe it to be perfectly possible to teach individuals coming from the most opposed social conditions the same method with equal success. The fact can be verified also in the case of radio. It will be seen later on that my method makes large use of the history of linguistic teaching. Everyone is interested in the historical development of words as I learnt during a series of conferences given in the most dissimilar surroundings. But the comparative study of the elements of language is another thing. In order that such a study may have a fruitful result, it is necessary for the student to possess at least the elements of various other languages in order to arrive at his comparison . Consequently, the comparative study of languages cannot be immediately introduced into my method. It will become necessary to organize various courses as, for example, courses of English for the young people who know German, and other courses for the young folk who do not know this language. The proportion of individuals adapted to the study of languages is also an important consideration. Is it generally possible to count upon a good number of pupils who may be considered suitable ? Even without consulting the psychologists, it seems quite clear to me that in our times only a very small number of persons are likely to have the special aptitudes required for the study of languages. The keenness for technical studies does not accord well with a desire to study languages. In comparison with the humanistic epochs, our century dedicates a very small interest to the study of languages.