An Claidheamh Soluis, 27 October, 1906.
The first few lessons of a well-conceived Direct Method course will concern themselves with OBJECTS. From objects the teacher will pass to the QUALITIES possessed by objects. And the quality most easily dealt with, and lending itself to the most striking and interesting treatment, is colour.
Some attempts at Direct Method lessons on colour which we have seen given at various times and places have been far from successful. Here is a common type. The teacher holds up a book and says: ‘Tá an leabhar glas. Bhfuil an leabhar glas?’ ‘Tá an leabhar glas!’ choruses the class, and the teacher complacently passes on to another word, thinking that he has taught the meaning of ‘glas.’ The pupils know indeed that the book is ‘glas,’ but as to whether ‘glas’ has reference to its size, shape, weight, material, price, or what not, they have not been afforded an inkling. The fact that COLOUR is now on the tapis has not been brought home to them.
It may be brought home to them in various ways. The Berlitz teacher from whom we took our first German lessons produced a book and turned to a page on which were printed a succession of coloured bands. Passing his hand rapidly across these, he said ‘Farben,’ and at once proceeded to enumerate the ‘Farben,’ grün, rot, gelb, schwartz, blau, braun, weiss, etc. In a moment he had taught us more than the laborious exertions of many Direct Method teachers would have taught us in half-an-hour. In Belgian schools we have seen the revolving disc so familiar in the science class-room utilised with admirable success for a similar purpose. Another device is the employment of ribands of various colours which are hung on the blackboard. Yet another – and in Belgium the favourite one – is the use of coloured chalks; a stroke being made with red chalk as the word ‘rouge’ is repeated, with green chalk as ‘vert’ is said, and so on. The most elaborate device of all is the employment of the Magic Lantern to cast various colours on a white screen; these are combined in endless ways – blue and yellow to form green, red and blue to form purple, etc – and thus a little simple science teaching worked into the language lesson. Often all these devices with half-a-dozen others will be called into requisition in the course of the same lesson, – the skilful varying of methods being, as so often noted, one of the secrets of successful teaching, more especially in the elementary schools.
Opportunities for practice in the use of the newly-acquired names of the colours are endless. A pupil is called out and the colour of the various parts of his attire pointed out – new and useful nouns being thus introduced. Then each child is required to name the colours of his own clothes or of those of a fellow-pupil. Such dialogues as the following will take place: –
‘What colour is your tie, Jean?’
‘Mademoiselle, it is red.’
‘Etienne, who else has a red tie?’
‘Mademoiselle, Henri has also a red tie.’
‘Is Pierre’s tie red?’
‘No Mademoiselle, it is blue.’
‘What girls in the class have blue frocks?’
‘Marie, Therese, and Louise have blue frocks.’
‘And what colour is Lucie’s frock?’
‘Mademoiselle, it is black.’
‘Is her ribbon also black?’
‘No, it is white.’
Note that from the outset of the French lesson the children are addressed by the French forms of their names; during the Flemish part of the programme they are addressed by their Flemish names; and when, at a later stage, they are being taught German or English, ‘Jan’ or ‘Jean’ is replaced for the nonce by ‘Johann’ or ‘John’ as the case may be.
Note also that in the early stages the pupils are required to speak in complete sentences. This is useful for impressing genders, etc., and also gives practice in the syntax of the verb. Later on the abbreviated, ejaculatory, and allusive scraps of which ordinary conversation so largely consists will, of course, be tolerated.