Excerpt from The Mastery of French, Direct Method, Vol. 1: A Series of Lessons, Including a Simple Key to Pronunciation, Which Will Enable the Student to Read and Understand the Language, and Through His Power to Speak Correctly, Will Give Him the Confidence to Express His Thoughts in French

Why study French It enables one to obtain an insight into the life and literature of the French people, to acquire a command of a language which will give an added source of enjoyment in reading. It is a valuable aid when traveling abroad, a medium of personal and business communication with those in many lands, and a key which opens a door to storehouses of information along lines of scientific research.

The study of French will be of little value unless it leads to a vocabulary of everyday words and phrases peculiar to the French. Furthermore, it should give a knowledge of French grammar, an ability to read, write and spell the language, and, by no means least, it should bring about such an accurate pronunciation that one can make himself clearly understood.

Pronunciation. The best way to learn a language is by using it. In consequence the matter of pronunciation is of prime importance. The beginner is faced with the necessity of pronouncing the words in the very first lesson of this book.

How shall he do it? What knowledge has he to guide him? He already is, or should be, familiar with the sounds of his own tongue. He appreciates that the a in father has a differ ent sound than the a in fate. He knows that the c in egg has a different sound than the e in me. Certain English conso nants have two sounds and these he knows. Here, then, is a foundation on which to build one which furnishes a simple, direct key to French pronunciation without the necessity of struggling to learn a third and separate set of symbols.

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