Imagens da página
PDF
ePub

tioned in which proper attention is not given to quantity; in which, for instance, păter is pronounced as pater, licet as licet, bonus as bōnus. Latin will not be considered to be efficiently taught where quantity is ignored, nor will any teacher be considered qualified to teach Latin who is not sufficiently acquainted with the rules of Latin quantity to read Latin prose and verse correctly.

Special attention should be paid to the teaching of pronunciation in the lower forms. A reasonable discretion may be used in changing the pronunciation of pupils who have already for some time been learning Latin on another system. But it is obvious that a teacher can not use two different pronunciations when teaching two classes or sets of pupils without great trouble and almost certain confusion, and, in view of the fact that a standard pronunciation is likely to become within a few years practically universal, it is very desirable that, even at the cost of some temporary additional effort, pupils should become accustomed to its use as early as possible.

RULES FOR THE PRONUNCIATION OF LATIN

Quantity

In pronunciation the quantities of the vowels must be strictly observed: e.g., labor, not as English labour; minor, not as English minor; nota, not as English note. This is essential for the proper appreciation in verse of meter, and in both prose and verse of sound, rhythm, and distinctions of meaning (e.g., lābor, I glide, lăbor, toil; lēgo, I bequeath, lěgo, I pick; liber, free, liber, a book; solum, only, solum, ground).

Vowels

The following is approximately the pronunciation of the vowels:

ā (fātum), as a in father, not as in play.

ǎ (răpit), the same sound shortened, as the first a in aha.

ē (mēta), as a in fate, not as e in mete.

ě (frěta), as e in frět.

i (fido), as ee in feed, not as i in fine.

ĭ (plico), as i in fit.

ō (nōtus), as o in hōme.

Ŏ (nota), as o in not.

ū (tūto), as oo in fool, not as u (yoo) in acute.

ŭ (cŭtis), the same sound shortened, as u in full, not as u (yoo) in accurate, nor as u in shun.

y only occurs in words borrowed from Greek, and corresponds, not to any vowel-sound ordinarily used in English, but to French u or German ü.

Diphthongs

The sounds of the diphthongs may be arrived at by running the two component vowel-sounds rapidly together, the second being pronounced lightly. The most important are:

ae (portae)=a+e, nearly as ai in Isaiah (broadly pronounced), not as ay in play.

au (aurum) = a+u, nearly as ou in hour, not as aw in awful.

oe (poena) = o‡e, nearly as oi in boil, not as ea in dean, nor as ay in play.

Diphthongs of rare occurrence are ui, eu, ei, which are similarly to be pronounced as u+i, efu, efi, or nearly as in English sweet, new, grey.

c, g, t, s are always hard.

Consonants

c (cepi, accepi, scio), as c in cat, cc in Malacca, sc in scandal, not as in acid, accept, fascinate.

g (gero, agger), as g in get and gg in ragged, not as in gin or exaggerate.

t (fortis, fortia), as t in native.

s (rosa, res), as s in sit, this, not as s in rise.

In accordance with this rule, -ci-, -si-, -ti-, e.g., ocius, sponsio, natio, are never to be pronounced like -sh-, as in appreciate, responsions, nation. i and u consonantal.

i (j), e.g., iacio (jacio), as y in you, not as j in jam.

u (v), e.g., uolo (volo), practically as w in we, not as v in very. But the latter pronunciation may be adopted if preferred.

r is always trilled, even in the middle and at the end of words. When a Latin consonant is doubled, both should be pronounced: e.g., vacca and pullus are to be pronounced vac-ca, pul-lus, as in English book-case, oil-lamp.

CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE HISTORY OF AMERICAN TEACHING

I

Superintendent Greenwood of Kansas City has furnished the following list of words given by Mr. Joseph Dennis, County Superintendent, to about forty teachers in a spelling contest held at Kirksville, Adair County, Mo., in April, 1868. The contest was open to all teachers, and the words were pronounced by the County Superintendent, but not defined. The prizes offered were Webster's Academic dictionary, Porter's Chemistry, and a small edition of Tennyson's poems. Mr. Greenwood spelled ninety-nine words correctly, his only mistake being in the word kaleidoscope, in which he transposed the e and the i. A woman teacher spelled ninetyeight words correctly, and a man followed with ninety-seven. Following is the list:

I. abacus

2. abalienation
3. abscission

4. acacia

5. acerbity

6. barouche

7. belles-lettres

8. bissextile

9. bronchocele

10. cabriolet

II. calendar

12. caoutchouc

13. cerement

14. coup de grace

15. cuisine

16. dénouement

17. dudgeon

18. eccentricity

19. ecstasy 20. elision

21. esculapian 22. factitious 23. finale

24. fratricidal

25. fugacity 26. fustian

27. gallinaceous

28. gauger

List of Words

51. kaleidoscope 52. keyed

53. killikinick

54. knaggy

55. knuckling

56. lachrymose

57. lacquer

58. laocoon

59. laryngitis

60. lattice

61. leisurably

62. leprosy

63. liege

64. liquefy

65. lucre
66. macerate
67. mackerel

68. millinery
69. mint-julep

70. minié-ball

71. miscegenation 72. muscle

73. neuralgia

74. nonchalance
75. onerous
76. pachyderm

77. paroxysm
78. pentateuch
79. phthisis

29. geocyclic

30. gerrymander

80. pleurisy

[blocks in formation]

TEACHING PEACE THRU INSTRUCTION IN
AMERICAN HISTORY

To the observer of important world movements today, two antagonistic groups of phenomena present themselves. One has to do with the interests of international peace and goodwill; the other with the stupendous preparations for war. Such highly civilized countries as England and Germany, for example, are imposing overwhelming financial burdens upon themselves in order to build up their armies and navies. To such an extent have jealousy, fear, and suspicion seized them that in wild panic they rush to build Dreadnoughts and otherwise increase their fighting strength. The claim is that great armaments are absolutely necessary for the preservation of peace, altho it is plain that such preparation for war invites national bankruptcy. On the other hand, organizations like the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the Hague Conference, and the five hundred peace societies of the world are moulding public opinion in favor of a new international spirit.

Out of this strange situation good is certain to come, for while it is scarcely probable that war between two such great countries as Germany and England will occur, the actual conditions are causing the people to reflect upon the folly of spending untold millions on their armies and navies, and are forting men to think as they have never thought before about the barbarous method of settling international disputes by the use of brute force. Ideas are growing into ideals and convictions, and these in turn are rapidly finding embodiment in organized action. Important among the organized forces is the American School Peace League, which "aims to secure the coöperation of the educational public of America in the project for promoting international justice and equity."

School superintendents can do much to further the work of developing a peace-loving spirit among school children, and to this end no branch of instruction lends itself so well as does American history. For the United States stands for the grandest experiment of all times in the development of Christian democracy. In teaching history, therefore, less emphasis

should be placed upon wars. Of course they should receive attention, for they have played an important part in racial and national evolution. But the significant things about them —and the only things that should properly have any consideration in the school-are their causes, their results, and the spirit and method in which they were carried on.

For example, slavery was without doubt the underlying cause of the Civil War. Geographic and economic conditions should, therefore, be discust to explain why slavery flourished in the South and not in the North. Then the relation of slavery to state rights and secession should be made plain. It should be understood that Lincoln's great purpose was to save the Union and not to destroy slavery. He saw clearly that secession, carried to an extreme, would result in as many weak, petty countries as there were states federated together in a mighty political family. Furthermore, the federation of states foreshadowed then as it does now the federal nations of the world; our national Congress the congress of the world; and our Supreme Court the permanent international tribunal. These great embodiments of the coöperative spirit in political life have been of the highest value to our own country and have reacted powerfully upon the international sentiment of the world. In laying emphasis, therefore, upon these facts, the school can do much for the cause of international peace.

Only a limited amount of attention should be concentrated upon campaigns and battles, for we are not preparing the pupils for military life, but for useful citizenship in an orderly community.

Much should be made of the destructive effects of war. It disorganizes industry, raises the cost of living, and causes an awful waste of material wealth and human life. Said General Sherman in a report of his Georgia campaign, “I estimate the damage done to the state of Georgia and its military resources at $100,000,000, at least $20,000,000 of which has inured to our advantage, and the remainder is simple waste and destruction." Well did he afterwards declare, "War is hell!"

The drain of war upon the national resources may be em

« AnteriorContinuar »