Page:Madras journal of literature and science vol 2 new series 1857.djvu/260

250 are fully acquired. Yet it will be of some use to look occasionally into a short grammar containing the inflexions of words.

5th, "Begin to talk, though with stammering lips, as soon as possible, the very first day. Never speak English to a Native if you can help it. Why say salt, when you know the word, Uppu? Do not be afraid of making mistakes."

This rule contains the very essence of the ordinary system, or rather of the old notions. It is diametrically opposed to the universally acknowledged and universally applicable principle. "Whatever is habitual is easy." It is always easier to do a thing the second time than the first. My principle is," Be afraid of one thing, making mistakes. Every time that a mistake is made, one step more is taken towards a confirmed habit of making that mistake. Why do men in talking English as their own language go on putting h's in the wrong places and leaving them out all their lives, in spite of their getting into a different class of society, where they continually hear the correct pronunciation in this respect, without ever being corrected? Because by habit their perceptions have been so blunted that they never perceive that they make a mistake. Do we not keep this principle of avoiding mistakes in view in almost all other cases excepting this: Do we set a child to make a rude imitation of some letter and then leave him to repeat it without a standard? or, do we insist upon his incessantly looking at a standard, and never making one written letter without trying to imitate that standard which is placed before his eyes?

My principle therefore is, never, attempt to guess at any thing, whether it is a sound, or word, or an expression. Take the most effective steps you can to prevent your ever "making a mistake." Is there not enough work to do to learn the real language, that you must take measures to oblige yourself to add to it the unlearning of your own mistakes? Every time you pronounce a word wrong you have that to unlearn. On no account therefore attempt to speak in the proper sense of that word till you are established in

1st. A sound pronunciation.