The Magic Words

Extract

We must begin from the principle that all language is necessarily limited. The art of speaking is a common heritage, even if it is wasted. It has so lost its mystery (more precisely; we are so calm in its possession) that we consider it almost as a gift of nature. Nevertheless, it must be learned; it is, in fact, a product of education, even for those who might believe that they have never received any. Like all acquired disciplines, then, it is the fruit of a long process of restraint. Manuals exist which teach Latin without tears. Learning the first language seems to take place without recourse to handbooks and hickory sticks, but this is because a vast program is available, full time, along with dedicated teachers who do not keep an eye on the clock, and fresh intellects who never think their knowledge is sufficient. Instruction is difficult, in spite of all this, for the task is more challenging than adults imagine it to be.