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4w^e^ OOX-cS^vA*. MM < I THE BERLITZ SELF-TEACHER: THE BERLITZ SELF-TEACHER: EDITED BY THE STAFF OF THE BERLITZ SCHOOLS OF LANGUAGES UNDER THE DIRECTION OF ROBERT STRUMPEN-DARRIE AND CHARLES BERLITZ F. Grosset <£r Dunlap • Publishers • NEW YORK COPYRIGHT, I95O, BY THE BERlITZ SCHOOLS OF LANGUAGES OF AMERICA, INC. PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA MWSDMCTOKI A very strange paradox exists in connection with languages and the learning of them. On the one hand, the ability to speak two or more languages reasonably well is prima facie evidence of better- than-average intelligence. On the other hand, learning a language is a very easy business. The proof of it is that every living human being who is not an utter idiot speaks one! The trick lies in how you go about it. It would seem reasonable to use somewhat the same system to learn a new language as you did to acquire your own. This idea built up the Berlitz Schools of Lan- guages from a one-room studio in Providence, Rhode Island, to a globe-circling institution with over 300 branches. In a word, you learn to speak a language by speaking it—and in no other way. That is how Germans learn German, and that is how you learned English. You will succeed with the Berlitz Self-Teacher to the extent that you speak. Do not deceive yourself into thinking you have "arrived" when you find yourself able to read or translate the Ger- man text. You master German only in the degree to which you can express your ideas in it. The ability to interpret the thoughts of others is only the first step. One way of using the Berlitz Self-Teacher is to pair off with THE BERLITZ SELF-TEACHER: GERMAN vi someone else, or to organize a small group. After reading over the lesson in advance for meaning and pronunciation, each student then reads aloud, direct from the German text. The lesson is divided into convenient portions by agreement among the students. After each student has practiced reading aloud, one of them assumes the role of instructor and questions the others from the exercises called Thinking in German. When all can answer these questions without hesitation, each student should invent ten or twelve new questions, based on the same or preceding lessons, and then put these questions to the others. Afterwards, answers to the exercise questions should be written out and corrected from the keys in the appendix. When a group of you are learning together, do not succumb to the "community-sing" temptation. Each student must speak indi- vidually, so that he can hear himself and the others, and profit thereby. Make no mistake, however! This book is designed primarily for the student working alone. He must do exactly what pairs or groups do, covering each operation for himself. If you are embarrassed by the sound of your own voice, hide in the pantry! Put a sack over your head! No matter what form of defense mechanism you set up, see to it that you speak out! Do not mumble or whisper. Your attention is directed to the glossary in the back of the book. Use it sparingly, if at all. With few exceptions, all the words are made clear in the lesson texts, and only occasionally have we sneaked a new one into the Thinking in German, just to keep you on your toes. The authors have enjoyed preparing the Berlitz Self-Teacher, because they are confident that, properly used, it can provide you with a flying start toward a working knowledge of German—and an extra dividend of good, clean fun.