Beginners' Book in Language Part 26

=Group Exercise.= Before each pupil's account is put in the book, that account should be read by the cla.s.s to make sure that there are no mistakes in it. The cla.s.s might be divided into a number of groups of five or six pupils each. Each group could then correct its five or six accounts. The pupils of each group would work together, correcting one account at a time.[79] In this work of finding mistakes the following questions[80] will be useful:

1. Does every sentence in the account begin with a capital letter?

2. Does every sentence end with a period or question mark?

3. Is every word correctly spelled?

4. Are there any mistakes in English?

=67. Correct Usage--_Good, Well_=

Some pupils make the mistake of using the word _good_ when they should use _well_.

The word _good_ is correctly used to tell what sort of person or thing you are speaking of. Thus, you may say, "He is a _good_ writer."

The word _well_, on the other hand, usually tells _how_ something is done. Thus, you may say, "He writes _well_."

=Game.= Tom plays that he is the manager of a circus. His cla.s.smates want to work in the circus. Each one makes up his mind what kind of work he will play that he can do. Then one after another raises his hand and asks Tom for a position.

For instance, Fred says: "Tom, have you a position for me in your circus?"

Tom answers: "What kind of work can you do well, Fred?"

Fred says: "I am a good ticket seller. I can sell tickets well."

Then Nellie asks: "Tom, have you a position for me in your circus?"

Tom answers: "What kind of work can you do well, Nellie?"

Nellie replies: "I am a good cook. I can cook well."

Other pupils are good musicians, they can play well; or good tightrope walkers, they can walk the tightrope well; or good singers, they can sing well; or good drivers of horses, they can drive horses well; or good shoemakers, they can repair shoes well. After each pupil has told what he can do well, all those who made no mistake in speaking to the manager of the circus may march around the room, saying or singing, "We are good circus workers. We do our work well."

=68. Talking over the Telephone=

=Oral Exercise.= Talk to a cla.s.smate over the make-believe cla.s.s telephone.[81] Play that he is the ticket seller in a circus. You want to know about the prices of seats. Ask the time at which the doors are open. Ask him whether you and your two children may all go in on one ticket. He will say no to the last question. Try to make him see that he should let you in on one ticket. Then telephone to other cla.s.smates. The following ideas[82] for telephone talks will help you think of what to say:

1. Telephone to the lion trainer. Tell him that you want to become a lion trainer. Ask him what you must do to get ready for this work. Ask his advice about it. Perhaps he will tell you something interesting about lions.

2. Telephone to the keepers and trainers of other wild animals.

3. Telephone to the clown, or the juggler, or the tightrope walker, or the horseback rider.

4. Telephone to a pupil and try to make a plan with him for going to the circus to-morrow. Where shall you meet him? How will you prove to your parents and to your teacher that it will do you more good to spend the afternoon at the circus than in school?

5. Telephone to a cla.s.smate and ask him where the circus is to be.

Play that you are a new pupil in the school and do not know the roads and streets very well. Keep asking the cla.s.smate questions about how to reach the circus grounds. He should answer so clearly that a stranger would not miss the way.

=69. Words sometimes Misp.r.o.nounced=

=Oral Exercise.= p.r.o.nounce each of the following words clearly and distinctly as the teacher p.r.o.nounces it to you. Then p.r.o.nounce the entire list as rapidly as you can, but still clearly, distinctly, and correctly.

horse because engine evening eleven lying lion address library elm perhaps something often father theater bouquet across iron parade fourth third

=Game.= Ask a cla.s.smate a question that has in it one of the words in the list above. The cla.s.smate will answer your question, using the same word from the list. If he p.r.o.nounces the word correctly, he will ask a cla.s.smate a question containing another word from the list. And so it will go on until every one in the cla.s.s has both asked and answered a question.

=70. Talking over Vacation Plans=

Soon the school term will come to an end. Then the long summer vacation will begin. What good times you will have! Perhaps your parents have already made plans for you. Perhaps they have planned a trip away. Or it may be that they will send you to the summer school. Or, like most pupils, perhaps you will spend the summer at home. You will play outdoors with boys and girls who live near you.

=Oral Exercise.= Tell your cla.s.smates what you think you will be doing during the coming summer vacation. Perhaps the following questions will help you:

1. What games do you think you will play during the summer?

2. Shall you go to any city parks? What can you see and do there?

3. Shall you go swimming or boating? Shall you go on a picnic to a pleasant place?

4. Shall you go to the public library?

5. Shall you take a trip away from home?

Earlier in this book you read about fairies. You know what wonderful things they can do. They can make wishes come true. If a fairy came to your schoolroom and spoke to you and your cla.s.smates, you might be very much surprised. But you would be still more surprised if the fairy stood before the cla.s.s, perhaps on the top of the teacher's desk where all could see, and made this little speech in a tiny but musical voice:

Boys and girls, I have been very glad all the year to see you having such good times together in this room. I think that young folks who enjoy school as much as you do should have a very pleasant vacation too.

As you see, I have brought my magic wand with me. Watch me as I wave it in the air. Yes, I am waving it more than once. I want to make a ring in the air for every boy and girl in the cla.s.s. There, I have done it. Now each of you may have a wish, just as Peter was given a wish by the strange little old man. Each of you may wish a summer vacation exactly as he would like it best. All these wishes will come true.

Some of you boys will probably wish for a trip to the moon in a magic airplane. The trip is yours the moment you speak your wish.

Some of you girls will probably wish to spend the two summer months in fairyland. Your wish, too, will come true.

Now I must say good-bye. Before I leave I shall make one more circle in the air with my wand. For whom is this? It is for the teacher. When the wis.h.i.+ng begins, the teacher must have a wish, too.