Langhanke Otto L.W. Beginner’s German

Quincy: High School, 1917. — 104 p.As a teacher of the German Language I have for years found myself compelled to combine two or three of the best texts with an adjunct of my own in order that my difficult task may prove a source of profit to the Student, of pleasure to myself and of satisfaction to the faculty members of those institu- tions to whom my protegees may come for further In formation. That an instructor who knows his sub- ject will obtain fair results, no matter what the method of the text, may be taken for granted. Unfortunately many of the best books on the subject contain matter on every page detrimental to proper results, while the extreme views advocated in others are frequently the occasion of omitting some of the most necessary material. When a Student devotes a part of his life to the study of a modern language, he has a right to demand that material of practical value be offered and taught in such a way as to bring him quickly and surely to that point where he can readily under- stand and speak the language he is studying. Material of practical worth is the language of daily intercourse. The secret of successfully teaching it lies in the co-education of ear, eye and tongue, the abolition of all translation exercises, and especially in the most careful avoidance of introduc- ing new grammatical facts before the old ones are mastered. Such are the reasons for and the underlying principals of this Beginner’s German.