BY THE GENERAL EDITOR

This séries of French texts is intended for pupils in lower and middie forms. It will contain for the most part work hitherto unedited, and suitable for study by the direct method as well as for translation. The texts will accordingly be issued in two forms — without, and with, vocabularies.

Exercises.

The direct method exercises are arranged in three divisions; though thèse may occasionally overlap, it is believed that the gênerai plan will be helpful.

I. Questionnaire, designed to elicit in a connected form the outline of the narrative, as well as the détails of the more striking épisodes. An attempt is made to provide work suitable for both the strong and weak members of a form by varying the difEculty of the questions. At intervais questions of a further grade of difEculty are introduced. The difEculty is graduated chiefly, but not solely, by the length of the answers required.

Ail agrée that it is important for the pupil to accustom himself to the train of ideas contained in the narrative, whether it be history or fiction, as a whole ; in conséquence, he must learn how to sélect the leading points, how to remember their arrange-

ment, and how to express them in the foreign language in a continuous form. Then, by intensive study of the more striking characters and incidents, he must learn how to give additional interest to his story. For thèse severer tests of memory and intelligence help is given in the form of hints or leading questions. Such exercises are suitable for written as well as oral work. (Questions marked with an asterisk involve a revision of work already taken in détail.)

2. Questions (marked Â), on the explanation and formation of words and sentences. Thèse questions are designed to aid the pupil in the acquisition of a useful and accurate vocabulary of words and phrases. Without a good supply of this raw material of language at his command, he will never produce work of artistic merit or even of practical utility. The memory needs constant exercise, and the request to mention six foresttrees or six adverbs of a particular form in conliexion with the text is not despised, though the questions are by no means limited to demands for mère lists. It is taken for granted that much of this material is already in the pupil's mind and only needs revision to keep it within the conscious memory.

3. Questions (marked B), on grammar — mostly applied grammar. Thèse questions are designed to supply material, already arranged, for drill in such matters as genders, pronouns, and verbs.

The more necessary points are taken up at fréquent intervais; but the variety and novelty of other questions may suggest the great resources of the direct method in the matter of grammar. Much criticism has been directed against the direct method on this score* It is hoped that thèse exercises will make it easier to concentrate attention on any weakness in grammar that may be discovered in class-work. With a view to meeting various requirements, more questions are given in A and B than any form is likely to require at one time.

Each block of A and B questions covers several pages of text. It is more satisfactory to deal with a considérable amount of material at once, so that a number of examples of some particular form or construction may be studied together.

Notes.

Besides a note on the author, a few notes are given on such allusions in the text as seem to require explanation, or where the information supplied may be needed for the exercises.

VOCABULARY

The vocabulary is not complète. Words which the pupil may be expected to know, or can readily understand from th'eir resemblance to English words with the same meaning, are not included.