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THE ELEMENTARY SOUNDS OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE.

The vowels" consist of different sorts of vocality,”-the sub-vowels "possess variously among themselves, properties analagous to those of the vowels, but differing in degree,”— the aspirates are mere aspirations.

In schools, or where classes in elocution are organized, the elements may be given in concert. To teach the ele. ments, it is convenient, although not necessary, to have a table of them on a large scale, like a map. It appears from Professor C. E. Stowe's report on elementary public instruction in Europe, made to the thirty-sixth general assembly of the State of Ohio, that in the principal schools in Europe, for teaching the elements for good reading and speaking, "the letters are printed in large form on square cards, the class stands up before a sort of rack, the teacher * holds the cards in his hand, places one upon the rack, and a conversation of this kind passes between him and his pupils: What letter is that? H. He places another on the rack: What letter is that? A. I now put these two letters together, thus, (moving the cards close together,) HA. What sound do these two letters signify? Ha. There is another letter: What letter is that? (putting it on the rack.) R. I now put this third letter to the other two, thus, HAR. What sound do the three letters make ? Har. There is another letter: What is it? D. I join this letter to the other three, thus, HARD. What do they make? Hard. Then he proceeds in the same way with these letters: F-I-S-T; joins these four letters to the preceding four, HARD-FIST; and the pupils pronounce Hard-Fist. Then, with the letters E and D, and joins these two letters to the preceding eight, and the pupils pronounce, Hard-Fisted. In this way, they are taught to read words of any length, (for you may easily add to the above, NESs, and make Hard-Fistedness,) the longest as easily as the shortest, and in fact they learn their letters; they learn to read words of one syllable and of several syllables, and to read in plain reading by the same process at the same moment. Thus they learn that the name of a letter and the power of a letter, are two very different things."

Mr. Wyse, of the British Parliament, in his work on popular education, insists upon the importance of obtaining a knowledge of the elements. He justly observes, that "it is preposterous to use signs for sounds before we first possess the sounds for which the signs are to be used." He also says that "Alphabetic teaching, as it is generally practiced, is a complication of useless and difficult absurdities." My opinion is, that the names and sounds of the letters should be taught simultaneously. In common schools, the elements are not taught at all; and consequently, a large majority of mankind pass through life without learning them.

It should be borne in mind, that the elementary exercise fortifies the pulmonary organs against the invasion of disease.

The number of elements in our language is thirty-eight. There are fifteen vowels, fourteen sub-vowels, and nine aspirates.

If the voice be cultivated by exercise, upon the elements and in recitation, it will, as is believed, take such inflections and intonations as sentiment requires, naturally and spontaneously. It is true, as Lord Kames says, that “ cer. tain sounds are by nature allotted to each passion for expressing it externally."

A reader or speaker ought to be so familiar with elocution, as to display its graces without any effort. So surely as an individual thinks of his elocution, at the time he is speaking, just so surely he will fail of producing any other effect upon his hearers, than to convince them that he takes no interest in his subject. As a bird when taken from the illimitable fields of nature and deprived of the air and foliage of the forest, loses the brilliancy of its plumage; so, the slightest appearance of being governed by rules, is fatal to eloquence. No professor of elocution can describe in so many words, what is the mysterious power in which true and genuine eloquence consists. He can only say, that, to be truly eloquent, a man must well understand the subject upon which he speaks; he must have complete control over the modulations of his voice; his gestures must be natural and graceful; and he must speak under the influence of deep feeling, emanating from its appropri

ate fountain, the heart. correct and elegant.

His articulations, too, must be

As a correct articulation consists in the distinct utterance of the elements, it may be advantageous to exhibit a table of the analysis of words, in which there are easy and difficult combinations of elements. The first column con. tains words as they are usually spelled; the second, their elements. To know how our language is composed, it is necessary to decompose it. According to the system of teaching spelling which obtains in our schools, the pupil is obliged to mention the names of the letters which compose words. He ought also to be required to spell words by uttering, separately, each element.

ARTICULATION, OR EXAMPLES IN SOME OF ITS MOST DIFFICULT COMBINATIONS.

The faults of readers and speakers in articulation, may be attributed either to the entire omission of some of the elementary sounds which belong to words, or to the introduction of supernumerary elements into them, or to the exchanging of one element for another.

For example, a portion of the elementary sounds are frequently omitted in the following words, thus: months is incorrectly called munce; purse, pus; priests, pries's; ghosts, ghos's; Christs, Chris's; shrink, srink; basks, bas's.

Supernumerary elements are sometimes introduced, thus: heav'n is improperly called heaven; little, littel.

Exchanging one element for another, as in the following instances, is a very common fault. President is freqently called, presidunt; Providence, Providunce; silent, silunt; goodness, goodniss; gospel, gospil; consider, cunsider; government, govermut; Birmingham, Brumegum ; London, Lonon. Occasionally several errors are made even in a short sentence, thus: Lord Berun's Pride of Abedus ;— instead of saying, Lord Byron's Bride of Abydos. These faults and all others of a similar character, may be remedied, and a clear, distinct and elegant enunciation acquired, by exercising the voice, as well upon the combinations of those sounds which are most difficult of utterance, as upon the elements separately.

Let the pupil exercise upon the following sentences of difficult articulation, and let him be careful to sound every element.

The words in which errors are most likely to be made are italicised.

"Search the scriptures."

"Music, and poetry, and sculpture."

"Your healths, gentlemen.'

"The heights, depths, and breadths of the subject."

"I thrust three thousand thistles through the thick of my thumb."

“A thousand shrieks for hopeless mercy call."

"It was the severest storm of the season, but the masts stood through the gale,"