The　going　will　probably　be　noticeably　easier；　because　paragraph　two　will　likely　be
  dealing　with　much　the　same　subject　matter　as　paragraph　one　and　many　of　the　words　will
  be　repeats。　Step　back　and　note　how　many　fewer　coloured　lines　marking　unknown　words
  there　are　in　paragraph　two。　Never　mind　that　those　are　repeat　words。　If　you　knew　them
  from　flashing　your　cards　in　the　interval　between　tackling　paragraph　one　and　tackling
  paragraph　two；　then　it’s　clean　conquest。　Bask　in　it；　and　move　on　to　paragraph　three。
  No　cheating！　Don’t　let　your　possible　lack　of　interest　in　the　subject　matter　of　the　text
  tempt　you　into　junking　it　and　jumping　across　the　page　to　another　article　that　looks　like
  it’s　about　something　that　interests　you　more。　No　soldier　fighting　in　the　arctic　would　dare
  ask　his　commanding　officer　if　he　might　be　excused　to　go　fight　in　the　tropics。　Advance！
  Charge！　Slog　through　it　one　step　–　one　word　–　at　a　time。
  By　the　time　you　reach　the　end　of　page　one；　if　it’s　a　newspaper；　you　will　note　with
  glee　that　the　coloured　markings　indicating　words　you　didn’t　know；　almost　solid　in　the
  early　paragraphs；　will　have　diminished　precipitously　by　the　end　of　the　page。　That　page　is
  a　progress　chart。
  And　you’ll　have　what　seems　like　a　ton　of　flash　cards　loaded　with　words　in　varying
  degrees　of　surrender　to　you。　Carry　as　many　flash　cards　with　you　as　possible；　and　rotate
  them　regularly　so　your　attention　is　evenly　parcelled　out　among　them。
  Tradition　bound　teachers　would　have　problems　with　that　kind　of　“ice　plunge；”　a
  naked　leap　into　a　foreign　language　newspaper　after　only　five　lessons　of　grammar　with
  nothing　for　help　but　a　dictionary；　which　in　many　cases　can’t　help　because　you　won’t
  know　the　various　disguises　（changing　forms）　of　many　of　the　words。　What’s　the　point？
  There　are　several。　America　is　a　nation　of　people　who　make　straight　A’s　in
  intermediate　French　and　then　get　to　Paris　and　realise　they　don’t　speak　intermediate
  French！　The　knowledge　that　the　text　–　newspaper；　book；　magazine；　whatever　–　is　a　real
  world　document　that　does　not　condescend　to　a　student’s　level　is　a　tremendous　confidence
  builder　and　energiser　for　your　assault　upon　your　target　language。　The　awareness　that
  you’re　making　progress；　albeit　slowly；　through　typical　text；　genuine　text；　the　kind　the
  natives　buy　off　their　newsstands　and　read　in　their　coffee　shops；　gives　even　the　rank
  beginner　something　of　the　pride　of　a　battle　toughened　marine。
  Memorise　Your　Part
  You　are　now；　let’s　say；　beginning　chapter　six　of　your　grammar　book　and　fighting　your
  way　valiantly　down　the　first　column　of　your　text。　Keep　going　on　both　these　fronts；　and
  pick　up　another　tool。
  Open　your　phrase　book　and　read　the　introduction　carefully；　paying　particularly
  close　attention　to　the　rules　of　transliteration。　All　such　books　will　have　three　columns：　the
  English　word　or　phrase；　the　foreign　language　translation；　and　then　the　transliteration；
  which　is　your　guide　to　proper　pronunciation　using　the　English　alphabet。
  When　you　get　the　hang　of　the　language；　you　won’t　need　the　transliteration　crutch。
  Until　you　do；　you　need　it　totally。　But　note　that　there　is　no　recognised　standard　system　of
  transliteration。　The　International　Phonetic　Alphabet　is　supposed　to　be；　but　nobody　uses　it
  because　learning　it　is　almost　as　hard　as　learning　another　language　itself。
  There　are　at　least　half　a　dozen　ways　to　transliterate　the　capital　of　China。　The
  Chinese　communists　prefer　Beijing。　The　Chinese　nationalists　prefer　Peking。　If　that　were
  the　only　word　you　wanted　to　learn　and　there　were　no　need　for　you　to　learn　transliteration
  systems；　we　could　write　it　Bay…jing；　adding　that　the　Bay　is　pronounced　like　the　English
  word　for　the　body　of　water　and　the　jing　like　the　first　syllable　of　“jingle。”
  Your　phrase　book　will　take　mercifully　little　space　to　tell　you　how　to　pronounce　the
  words　according　to　their　chosen　system　of　transliteration。　Usually　in　less　than　a　page
  you’ll　be　told　to　pronounce　ai　like　the　y　in　“sky”；　ei　like　the　eigh　in　“weigh”　and　so　on
  through　all　the　needed　sounds。　Some　phrase　books　indicate　which　syllable　gets　the　stress
  by　placing　an　accent　mark　on　top　of　it；　others　by　capitalising　every　letter　in　the　syllable。
  Don’t　be　impatient　because　you　suddenly　feel　you’re　called　upon　to　learn　another　written
  language　which　is　neither　English　nor　the　language　you’re　trying　to　learn。　Look　upon　the
  transliteration　guide　as　your　opportunity　to　learn　the　combination　to　a　safe　that　will　let
  you　help　yourself　to　the　correct　pronunciation　of　every　word　in　that　book！
  Advance　now　to　the　first　page　of　phrases　in　the　phrase　book。　Your　newspaper　didn’t
  teach　you　how　to　say　“How　are　you？”　and　it’s　a　good　bet　the　first　five　lessons　of　your
  grammar　didn’t　either。　Here　it　comes！　This　is　your　first　chance　to　learn　how　to　actually
  say　things。
  “Yes。”　“No。”　“Please。”　“Thank　you。”　“You’re　welcome。”　“Good　morning。”　“Good
  afternoon。”　“Good　evening。”　”I’m　very　pleased　to　meet　you。”　“How　are　you？”　“Very
  well；　thanks；　and　you？”　“Fine。”
  You’ll　master　these　precious　nuggets　of　real　life　communication　quickly。　But　don’t
  stop　with　merely　mastering　them。　Use　that　phrase　book　and　plot　a　conversational　pattern；
  a　routine　you　go　into　when　you　meet　someone　who　speaks　your　target　language。　Treat　it
  as　though　you’re　memorising　your　part　in　a　play。
  ”How　do　you　do？”　“My　name　is　_______。”　“What’s　your　name？”　“Where　are　you
  from？”　“How　long　have　you　been　here？”　“I　don’t　speak　your　language　well。”　“How　do
  you　say　that　in　your　language？”　“May　I　get　you　something　to　drink？”　“I　don’t
  understand。”　“Would　you　please　repeat？”
  Here　again；　traditionalists　would　frown。　“That’s　not　learning　a　language；”　they’d
  protest。　“That’s　just　learning　how　to　parrot　a　few　phrases！”
  And　right　they’d　be；　if　that　were　all　you　were　doing。　But　you　are　now　accumulating
  flash　cards　with　vocabulary　and　moving　through　lesson　seven　or　eight　of　the　grammar；　so
  don’t　feel　you　have　to　apologise　for　learning　how　to　parrot　a　few　handy　phrases。
  Your　ability　to　bandy　some　useful　phrases　is　a　motivator。　There　you　are；　speaking
  the　language！　Isn’t　that　what　you　started　all　this　for？　Admittedly　you’re　not　debating　the
  economic　consequences　of　his　government’s　latest　reversal　on　tariff　agreements；　but　you
  are　asking　someone　if　he’s　too　cold　and　telling　him　you　hope　to　meet　him　again。
  More　magic　happens　when　you’re　at　that　peak　motivation。　You　find　yourself
  acquiring　more　material；　more　conversational　gems　gleaned　from　his　end　of　the
  conversation。　Remember；　you’re　a　confessed　beginner。　When　you　don’t　understand
  something；　you’re　excused　for　asking　him　to　repeat　it；　spell　it；　write　it　down　on　one　of
  your　blank　flash　cards。　（Always　carry　some。）
  It’s　gratifying；　in　fact；　enthralling；　to　enter　your　next　conversation　with　your　powers
  to　converse　enhanced　by　the　previous　encounter。
  A　note　of　caution；　however。　Eventually　you　may　find　yourself　about　to　small　talk　so
  fluently　you’ll　mistake　that　ability　for　having　arrived。　Back　to　the　newspaper　and　the
  grammar　with　you　before　such　thoughts　corrupt！
  Add　Cassettes
  For　most　of　the　history　of　the　world；　there　was　no　way　the　self　taught　language　student
  could　hear　the　language　spoken。　He　had　to　rely　on　printed　rules；　grossly　inadequate；　to
  guide　him　in　pronunciation　of　his　target　language。
  Then　came　the　phonograph　record；　which　seemed　like　ideal　deliverance　from
  darkness；　until　the　tape　recorder　came　along；　followed　quickly　by　the　portable　cassette
  tape　recorder；　which　allowed　language　learners　to　pick　up　ear　phones　and　listen　to　a　wide
  variety　of　foreign　language　fare　as　they　jogged；　shopped；　ran　errands；　or　walked　to　work。
  As　is　the　case　with　many　technological　breakthroughs；　disappointment　followed。
  The　closets　of　many　fine；　otherwise　strong　willed　people　are　littered　with　the　wreckage　of
  once　beautifully　packaged　foreign　language　cassette　courses。　They　thought　technology
  had　replaced　study。　They　thought　all　you　had　to　do　was　pop　a　cassette　into　the　machine；
  press　a　button；　and　take　in　the　language　like　a　car　takes　in　gasoline。
  Remove　that　inflated　expectation；　resolve　to　do　your　part；　and　the　invention　of　the
  portable　cassette　tape　player　will　indeed　fulfill　its　promise　to　the　language　lover
  endeavouring　to　become　a　language　learner。
  Are　you　presently　armed　with　the　right　cassette　course？
  Unless　your　cassette　was　mislabelled　and　carries　lessons　in　a　language　other　than
  the　one　you’d　like　to　learn；　it’s　a　good　learning　aid。　It　may　not　be　the　best。　It　may　be　far
  behind　the　best；　but　so　what？　It　will　offer　you　words　and　phrases　in　your　target　language
  with　native　accuracy　in　pronunciation。
  You　no　more　want　to　limit　your　hearing　of　the　language　to　one　cassette　course　than
  you’d　want　to　confine　your　tennis　playing　to　one　partner。　The　ideal　cassette　library　is　one
  in　which　the　student　can