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TRAINING OF MISSIONARIES 4:09Conference ofTraining School DirectorsHeld in Nanking Dec. 30 and 31, 1915FindingsI. The aim of the First Year s course ofYear s Course language study should be to lay such afoundation in the language as to enable astudent to master thoroughly the material presented, whichinvolves the ability1. to hear understandingly,2.0.to pronounce correctly,to speak idiomatically and naturally,4. to read simple, connected discourse,5. to become acquainted with the analysis and writingof a limited number of the most frequently used characters.^ Tlie mcth dDirect Method during the First Yearshould be the Direct Method, endorsed bythe International Phonetic Association ;this involves teaching through the medium of the language to learned,minimum with aof translation. This Method may be summarizedas follows :1. By teaching the spoken before the written language ;2. By ensuring a correct pronunciation by the use ofphonetics and phonetic transcription ;:].By enabling the student to acquire command of thecommonest phrases and idioms of the language through theuse ofa. conversational exercises,b. connected texts.c. dictation.4. By teaching grammar inductively ;5. By teaching the student to express himself directlyin Chinese without translation from the mother-tongue.Experience teaches that the loose-leaf form of texts is betteradapted to the Direct Method than are the prescribedcourses found in text-books.The above Method may be reduced to the followingterms, the order of which is of extreme importance:1. Hearing the language from the lips of one who ismaster of it hence from a Chinese teacher.A 51