such　people；　but　they’re　extremely　helpful　and　easier　to　locate　than　you　might　think；　and
  getting　easier　all　the　time　as　America　becomes　an　international　mixture　of　peoples。　Your
  informants　will　usually　love　being　asked　to　help　you　learn　their　language。
  Let’s　suppose　you’ve　stubbed　your　venturesome　toe　on　paragraph　one　or　two　or
  three　or　whichever；　and　no　comprehension　clicks　on。　At　this　point　you　must　consciously
  overturn　the　rules　of　misdirected　American　language　teaching　and　do　something　radical。
  You　must　wave　goodbye　to　your　unsolved　puzzle　and　keep　moving　ahead。
  If　you　don’t　understand　it；　skip　it　for　the　time　being。　Chances　are　excellent　your
  confusion　will　clear　itself　up　as　you　progress　through　more　and　more　concepts　that　you
  do　understand。　You　will　have　the　pleasure　of　looking　back　on　earlier　lesssons　in　the
  grammar；　seeing　your　wavy　pencil　lines　beside　a　now　clear　paragraph；　and　saying　to
  yourself；　“How　could　I　have　ever　been　derailed　by　this？”　It’s　fun　erasing　those　wavy
  lines！
  Continue　through　five　lessons　of　the　grammar　before　you　so　much　as　glance　at　any
  of　your　other　tools。　Leave　the　cassettes　wrapped　in　their　packaging。　Don’t　be　tempted　to
  look　at　the　newspaper　or　magazine　in　your　target　language。　The　more　of　a　language　lover
  you　are；　the　tougher　it　will　be。　Plodding　through　grammar　while　friendly　cassettes　and
  real　life　newspapers　await　will　make　you　feel　like　a　child　who　has　to　finish　his　homework
  before　he　runs　out　and　plays　baseball。　And　that’s　exactly　the　point。　You　are　a　child　in
  that　new　language；　and　like　all　children；　you　have　to　learn　to　put　first　things　first。
  Grammar　comes　first。　Build　a　little　character　by　slogging　through　five　chapters　of　it。　You
  will　build　up　a　head　of　steam　that　will　send　you　charging　headlong　into　more　pleasant
  terrain。
  Cassettes；　newspapers；　flash　cards；　and　phrase　books　will　cut　the　boredom　out　of
  waiting　for　buses　and　replace　it　with　growth　in　another　language；　these　will　be　your
  reward　after　you　make　an　honest　beginning　in　the　grammar。　Sustain　your　spirit　during　the
  grammar　study　by　reminding　yourself　how　soon　you’re　going　to　be　allowed　to　go　out　and
  “play。”
  Into　the　Real　World
  When　you’ve　served　out　your　sentence　of　five　lessons　of　grammar；　spread　out　all　your
  other　tools　（you　should　regard　them　as　“toys”）　and　prepare　to　use　them　all
  simultaneously。
  Take　the　newspaper　or　magazine。　Go　to　the　upper　left　hand　corner　of　page　one。　（In
  languages　like　Arabic　and　Hebrew；　that　will　be　the　upper　right　hand　corner　of　the　“back”
  page；　which　is　their　front。）　That　article　is　your　assignment。　It　will　easily　be　the　toughest
  newspaper　article　you’ve　ever　read。　And　it　will　just　as　certainly　do　you　more　good　than
  any　other。
  Take　your　highlighter　and　highlight　all　the　words　you　don’t　know　in　the　first
  paragraph。　You　may　very　well　end　up　with　a　coloured　line　through　every　single　word　in
  that　paragraph。　After　all；　this　is　no　schoolhouse　text　that　dips　to　your　beginner’s　level。
  This　is　as　real　life　and　real　world　as　an　exercise　can　get。　And　all　you’ve　had　so　far　is　five
  lessons　of　elementary　grammar。　Never　mind。　Play　the　game　and　dutifully　mark　through
  every　word　you　don’t　know；　even　if　it　be　every　last　word　in　that　first　paragraph！
  Then　reach　for　your　dictionary　and　your　blank　flash　cards。　Go　to　the　first　word　and
  look　it　up。　One　of　four　things　will　happen：　（1）　You’ll　find　the　word　exactly　as　it　appears
  in　the　newspaper。　（2）　You’ll　find　a　word　that　starts　out　the　same　but　seems　to　go　haywire
  halfway　through　or　at　the　end。　（3）　The　word　will　not　be　in　your　dictionary　（even　though
  you　gave　that　dictionary　a　“sophistication”　test　before　you　bought　it。）　（4）　You　will　think
  that　word　is　not　in　the　dictionary　because　the　word　has　done　crazy　things　with　itself。　It’s
  altogether　possible；　owing　to　rules　of　that　language　you　haven’t　learned　yet；　that　the　role
  of　the　word　as　it　appears　in　the　newspaper　demands　it　be　written　differently　from　the　base
  form；　which　is　the　one　listed　in　the　dictionary。　（The　word　vaya　in　Spanish；　for　example；
  won’t　be　in　the　dictionary。　It’s　the　singular　imperative　form　of　the　verb　ir　meaning　“to
  go。”）
  In　case　1；　the　word　is　in　the　dictionary　spelled　exactly　the　way　it　is　in　your
  newspaper　（from　now　on　we’ll　say　“text”　–　it　could　be　a　magazine　or　even　a　book）。　Take
  a　blank　flash　card　and　write　the　English　on　one　side；　then　flip　it　over　and　write　the
  foreign　word　on　the　other。　Write　in　block　letters　so　your　flash　cards　will　always　be　easy
  to　read。　I　hesitate　to　labour　the　procedure　for　making　your　own　flash　cards。　There　is　a
  preferred　procedure；　however；　and　I　herewith　present　it　in　case　you　don’t　already　know　it。
  Single　words　and　entire　phrases　are　best　handled　differently。　When　you　write
  individual　words　on　your　flash　card；　you　only　need　a　“short　runway；”　so　treat　the　card　in
  its　“tall”　（vertical）　form　rather　than　its　“fat”　（horizontal）　form　and　enter　your　words　one
  under　the　other　down　the　length　of　the　card。　Write　the　English　word　across　the
  “forehead”　of　the　card；　then　flip　it；　not　sideways；　but　head　over　heels；　and　write　the
  foreign　word　across　the　opposite　forehead。
  Then　turn　the　card　back　over　to　the　English　side　and　write　your　next　word　directly
  underneath；　turn　it　over　and　write　in　the　foreign　word；　and　keep　repeating　until　the　card　is
  filled。　That　head　over　heels　lengthwise　flip　makes　the　card　easier　to　manipulate　in　a
  crowded　bus　or　elevator　and　less　likely　to　fall　out　of　your　hand。
  When　you　graduate　to　writing　entire　phrases　on　your　blank　flash　cards；　it’s
  obviously　better　to　treat　the　card　in　its　fat　form。　Continue　to　flip　head　over　heels。
  Now；　case　2：　You　find　a　word　in　the　dictionary　that　seems　as　though　it’s　trying　to
  be　the　word　in　your　text　but　it　falls　off　track：　the　ending　changes　spelling。　You’ve
  probably　found　your　base　word；　all　right；　but　the　word　in　the　text；　for　reasons　you　don’t
  yet　comprehend；　has　taken　another　form。　Is　it　a　verb？　Then　the　dictionary　will　give　you
  the　infinitive　form　（to　be；　to　do；　etc。）；　whereas　the　form　in　your　text　could　be　one　of　many
  variations；　depending　on　person；　number；　tense；　or；　in　some　languages；　aspect。
  If　that　riff　of　grammatical　terms　makes　you　feel　like　I　felt　on　my　fifth　day　of　Latin
  class；　fear　not。　Language　teachers　would　prefer　to　assume　that　such　grammatical　jargon　is
  familiar　to　every　graduate　of　an　American　high　school　English　class。　Alas；　that
  assumption　is　grossly　misguided。　But　help　is　here。　The　“Back　to　Basics”　chapter　later　in
  this　book　will　explain　all　necessary　grammatical　terms　in　friendly；　nonthreatening
  language　that　requires　no　prior　understanding　of　grammar。
  Write　the　base　form　–　the　dictionary　form；　that　is　–　on　your　flash　card　and　try　to
  decipher　the　meaning　of　the　text　with　that　base　form　as　a　clue。
  If　the　meaning　is　clear；　don’t　worry　yet　about　why　the　word　in　the　text　differs　from
  the　base　form。　Part　of　the　fun　of　this　process　is　having　that　knowledge　surrender　itself　to
  you　as　you　proceed　through　your　grammar　book。　If　the　meaning　is　not　clear；　make　a
  “question　card；”　spelling　the　confusing　word　the　way　it　appears　in　the　text。　Keep　your
  Sturdikleer　with　question　cards　with　you　at　all　times。　When　you　meet　your　informant；　or
  anybody　who　can　explain　your　confusion　away；　pull　out　the　question　card　and　your
  miasma　of　confusion　will　become　windshield　wiper　clear。
  List　no　more　than　six　unknown　words　per　flash　card。　Don’t　clutter　the　card。　It’s　a
  good　idea　to　draw　a　line　under　both　the　English　and　the　foreign　word；　giving　each　entry
  its　own　“cubicle”　on　the　card。　Also；　check　carefully　to　make　sure　you　don’t　omit　either
  the　English　or　the　foreign　word；　giving　you　a　situation　in　which　English　word　number
  three　on　the　card　fails　to　correspond　to　foreign　word　number　three。　（I　once　went　around
  for　almost　a　year　thinking　the　Russian　word　for　“prince”　meant　“raspberry　jam”！）
  In　cases　3　and　4；　either　the　word’s　not　in　the　dictionary　or　it’s　not　there　in　any　form
  recognisable　to　you。　Enter　the　word　on　a　question　card。
  You　may　have　four　or　five　complete　cards；　eighteen　or　twenty　words　defined　and
  ready　to　be　learned；　from　the　first　paragraph　in　your　text　alone。　Put　those　cards　in　clear
  plastic　and　carry　them　with　you　at　all　times。　Don’t　mix　them　up　with　the　question　cards。
  Keep　them　separate。　The　cards　with　the　dictionary　forms　of　the　foreign　words　from　the
  text　you　didn’t　know；　with　their　English　equivalents　on　the　reverse　side；　are　the
  beginning　of　your　collection　of　linguistic　growth　protein。
  Advance！
  Now　you’re　ready　for　paragraph　two。　Between　paragraphs　one　and　two；　you’ve　been
  glancing　at　those　flash　cards　during　your　hidden　moments　–　waiting　in　line；　on　elevators；
  etc。　With　highlighter　poised　like　a　sword；　you　now　sally　forth　into　the　second　paragraph。
  The　going　will　probably　be　noticeably　easier；　because　paragraph　two　will　likely　be
  dealin