Nous avons cette complaisance pour les etrangers qui aPprennent noire langue, et qui commencent a l'entendre et a la parler; et de leur ed'e ifs font la chose avec nous. cant que la leur ne nous est pas familiere. Pour quoi n'en userions-nous pas de nzeme avec les sourds et =nets nos fr?ressnos parens, nos ami.s, nos commensaux?" (Encyclop. Meti.odique Arts at Me•iers, tom. v. p. 4to. Paris, 1788.) The last department of the education of the Deaf and Dumb which we proposed to consider, the Explanation of the meaning of words, is both the most interesting to the teacner, and the most agreeable to the pupil.
The method of procedure in this department, which has been practised by Dr Watson, accords, with a very few exceptions, so completely with that, which, after considerable reflection on this subject, we had ourselves set down as the best, that there is little left for us to do, than to state this method, as nearly in that excellent au thor's words as possible; and to recommend its adoption to all those who would attempt the instruction of the Deaf and Dumb.
In commencing the Explanation of the meaning of words, those terms ought, at course, to be selected at first, which are easiest to be understood. Now, of all the words of a langiutve, the names of the objects that surround us admit the must direct application, and they most naturally present themselves to begin with. The teacher, therefin•, shows a word, by which some familiar object is callfd; as body. head, face, &c. and the scholar is made to copy it, on ids skate, and is taught to pronounce it; he is then shewn the object named, and made to point to it, wnile he pronounces the name; till he remembers the connection between the name and the thing sufficiently, to point out the object when shewn the name. or to pronounce and write the name when she wn the object. From the parts of the body, we proceed to the covering of it, and learn the names of the articles of dress in the same manner. We then learn the names of the next most familiar objects; such as articles of furni ture, chair, table. &c. always taking care to make perfect as we go on, and going over all we have learnt, till every word becomes familiar in its ortho graphy, and meaning.
Hitherto all is very easy. The objects, of which we have been learning the names, are within our reach, and about us in our apartment. But we are not always so confined; and we can hardly take a step beyond the threshold of our room, till we meet with something that we know very well by sight, but cannot name. We can not remove it to out apartment to learn its name there; nor can we vet y conveniently carry our writing tablets with us, on all occasions.
Here another art, that speaks to the eye, comes to our aid: and the tool of the engraver, by furnishing us, in small compass, with the lines that bound the visual ap pearances of objects, in perspective order, enables us to keep their resemblances at hand; association recalling those properties which manifest themselves to our other senses.
With this view, Dr Watson has had executed, for the use of his pupils, a series of engravings, representing, with all the requisite accuracy, upwards of 600 different objects. These are all comprehended in 80 octavo pages, and annexed to his work, which we have already so often quoted. The selection has been made with very great judgment, and cannot fail to be of the utmost use in the education of the Deaf and Dumb.
These engravings are accompanied with a printed vo cabulary, consisting of the names of all the objects which the engravings represent, and also of all those words which arc explained in the earlier lessons, before the engravings are had recourse to. This vocabulary is arranged in such a manner as to serve another very im portant purpose, namely, the explanation of a considera ble number of general 01 generic terms. It is classified or divided into sections; at the top of each section is written, in larger diameters, a general term; and under this are placed the names of various objects, to which this term is applicable : Thus, According to this simple and most obvious method, may all general terms be explained. We recommend, however, to Dr Watson, that he should revise his voca bulary for this purpose. It seems to us susceptible of considt Fable improvement. The generic names are not philosophically chosen, and the illustrations of them often not stri( tly accurate.
After having made the pupil familiar with this exten sive c• talogue of particular and general words, we should be disposed to deviate a little from the piAl re commended by this antimr, and to explain next to the scholar as many of those words which grammarians call adjectives, as can conveniently he illustrated by example And when he has been sufficiently exercised in these, it seems to us, that we ought then to proceed to instruct him gradually in all the remaining ki ds of words toge ther; in verbs, and adverbs, and prepositions, &c. all in connection. For this purpose, we ougot to begin with the illustration of short and simple sentences, and pro ceed by degrees to such as arc longer and more compli cated. Considerable assistance, we believe, may he de rived at the commencement from the engravings by Dr Watson already referred to; for many of these do not I. 77 .7. 411.1 IntO. d ObjeCtS. LIM objects s rent+• s s t ether object., sometimes acting, 1, • • a ( trp - , tt t seq ier,t y, tl ey are applicable t •ro t dor •tt.tt ons. Ad Plan om Plate •.