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TRAINING SCHOOLS FOR MISSIONARIES 427The direct method is used. Students areo/TeaS taught from the first day to hear correctlythe Chinese sounds. Not until the studentcan hear uuderstandingly and can speak correctly does hesee the character, much less write it. Lessons are introducedby the Chinese teachers orally. When the student hasgrasped the sound, tone and meaning, he is then presented with the lessons in printed form on a loose leaf. Thestudent does not analyze a character until he has alreadylearned to hear, speak and read it. Character analysis andwriting are always several days behind the work of hearingand speaking. Students are not taught any system ofromanization, and are strongly urged not to invent any oftheir own. After a brief course in phonetics, phonetictranscription (as endorsed by the International PhoneticAssociation) is introduced. This system is based upon theprinciple of one sound, one symbol, one symbol, one sound.This system has proved very satisfactory, since it is freefrom arbitrariness and ambiguities.The course covers one academicO)urseyear ofeight months. No text-books are used. Itcomprises one thousand of the most frequently used characters prepared in a series of lessons and printed in the formof stories on loose leaves.The first hour of every morning (except,Daily ScheduleSaturdays) is devoted to the presentation otnew material by the direct method. Not until students haveheard all the characters and have had opportunity to usethem in conversation do they receive the new lesson sheets.Special emphasis is placed upon pronunciation.The second hour is occupied with review of charactersalready presented. Their uses in different combinations arenoted and questions of idiom and construction are discussed.Opportunity is given each student daily for study with privateteachers in separate class rooms. Groups of fewer than tenalso converse under the direction of competent teachers.Three periods a week are devoted to character analysisand writing. Students are expected to be able to takedictation in character. To facilitate this part of the coursesheets containing the required characters are provided,