International Review of Educational Cinematography (Jan-Dec 1932)

— 786 — The greater part of those who today learn foreign tongues choose these studies for practical reasons, which gives a decisive importance to the question of time — " When shall I be able to speak this language ? " I propose to deal later on with this anxiety for an immediate and practical result, which governs the prosecution of the lessons, even from the first moment, and considerably hinders their natural development. It will be easy to show how the film allows one to make methodical use of this inclination towards immediate results which is so characteristic of our epoch. Psychologists' researches confirm our doubts concerning the gift of tongues. Netschajeff made a series of experiments on over 1 00 students from 11 to 19 years of age to examine in what way they learnt by memory. It is sufficient to point out that only 5 % of the individuals examined belonged to the category of the so called " acoustic motors ", whose auricular muscles and organs are especially adapted for study and more markedly for the study of languages. Unfortunately Netschajeff's experiments cannot be considered conclusive. First of all, they were limited to subjects of between II and 19, while according to my theory the most important period in this connection is between 15 and 30. Moreover, they only take into account the memory side of learning a language, mechanically as it were, which does not permit a profound and complete study of any tongue. In any case, even if this way of looking at the matter shows a low percentage, the number of persons who can be considered as having the requisite gifts for the study of foreign languages cannot certainly be considered to be very high. The fact is that the moment has not yet arrived to issue a definite opinion on the question. Numerous students of the question of foreign tongues have attributed great importance to visual perception, while the moment in which the organic faculties offer the maximum degree of adaptability is always neglected, very often because it is from the methodical point of view difficult to ascertain. What is necessary is to create a method which will utilize and educate at the same time the sight and the hearing, so as to arrive at conclusive results for the study of languages. Consequently, our task should be made as easy as possible, beginning by attracting attention to teaching. It is a matter of small concern that from the philosophic point of view it can be maintained that the concept attention is not yet well defined. Fritz Mauthner in his Philosophical Dictionary observes that : " All attempts to define the substantive attention have proved useless, because nobody has been able to determine whether this concept indicates a state or an activity, a passive or an active element ". Even if difficulties do exist in defining this term, it is perfectly clear, however, that the attention does exist, and that we must take account of it without concerning ourselves overmuch as to its philosophic value. The attention of adult pupils can be gained in the same way as the attention of children, for anyone who is learning to a certain extent behaves like a child. Experience and experimental pedagogy teach us that children s spirits are attracted to perceptible things, and consequently it becomes necessary to provide, even for adult pupils, the largest possible number of perceptible things to encourage the sense of sight. Moreover, we should not seek to arouse the pupils attention by means of familiar intimations but rather through surprises. The cerebral work of repetitions and learning lessons at home will provide them with plenty of solid labour.