A Late 19th-Century British Perspective on Modern Foreign Language Learning, Teaching, and Reform
The legacy of Prendergast’s “Mastery System”
The late 19th century saw a great rise in private foreign language learning and increasing provision of Modern foreign language teaching in schools. Evidence is presented to document the uptake of innovations in Thomas Prendergast’s (1807–1886) “Mastery System” by both individual language learners and educationalists. Although it has previously been suggested that Prendergast’s method failed to have much impact, this study clearly demonstrates the major influence he had on approaches to language learning and teaching in Britain and around the world both with his contemporaries and long after his death. This detailed case study illuminates the landscape of modern language pedagogy in Victorian Britain.
References
Anonymous
1864 “
Advertisements and Notices”.
Morning Post September 7, Issue 28308.11. London.
Anonymous
1864 Review of The Mastery of Language
.
The Examiner October 22, Issue 2969.51. London.
Anonymous
1868a “
Notice”.
John Bull February 1, 2.81. London.
Anonymous
1868b “
Short Notices”.
The London Review February 22, 16.188.
Anonymous
1869 “
Notice”.
The Scholastic Register July 8, 191.
Anonymous
1873 Fifteenth Annual Report of the Columbia Institution for the Deaf and Dumb. Washington, D.C.: Columbia Institution for the Deaf.
Anonymous
1875 “
Papers Set at the Christmas Examination for the College Diplomas”.
Educational Times, and the Journal of the College of Preceptors 281.25–28.
Anonymous
1877 “
Latin Language”.
The Cyclopaedia of Education: a dictionary of information for the use of teachers, school officers, parents and others ed. by
H. Kiddle and
A. J. Schem, 510–515. New York: E. Steiger.
Anonymous
1879 “
College of Preceptors, Training Class for Teachers. Seventh Session”.
Educational Times, and the Journal of the College of Preceptors 32.134.
Anonymous
1880 Advertisement.
Cheltenham Looker-On September 4, 21.
Anonymous
1883 Notice.
Dundee Evening Telegraph May 4, 11. Dundee, Scotland.
Anonymous
1887 “
Thomas Prendergast”.
Harrow Notes 5:47.6–7.
Anonymous
1888 “
Notice”.
The Cheltenham Looker-On April 28, 2831.
Anonymous
1889 “
Modern Schools, or Sides”.
Sonnenschein’s Cyclopaedia of Education. Ed. by
Arthur E. Fletcher, 224–225. London: Swan Sonnenschein & Co.
Anonymous
1890 “
French Classes”.
Sunderland Daily Echo October 18, 31. Sunderland.
Anonymous
1900 Catalogue of the Library, Together with the Rules and Regulations for the Teachers’ Guild of Great Britain and Ireland Ireland. London: Cowell.
Anonymous
1915 “
Cheltenham Notices”.
The Gloucester Journal April 3, 51. Gloucester.
Atherton, Mark
2008 “
To Observe Things as They are without Regard to their Origin”.
Bulletin of the Henry Sweet Society No.51.41–58.
Atherton, Mark
2010 “
‘The Globe of Language’: Thomas Prendergast and Applied Linguistics in the 1870s”.
Language & History 53:1.15–26.
Beale, Dorothea
1869 Reports Issued by the Schools’ Inquiry Commission on the Education of Girls. London: Nutt.
Berlitz, Maximilian Delphinus
1887 Méthode Berlitz pour l’Enseignement des langues modernes. New York: Berlitz & Cie.
Bowen, Edward Ernest
1879 “
On the Study of Modern Languages at Public Schools”.
Paper read at the Headmasters’ Conference at Eton. London: publisher unknown.
Bowen, Herbert Courthope
1880 First Lessons in French: A book for beginners. London: Macmillan & Co.
Brown, Samuel Robbins
1878 Prendergast’s Mastery System, Adapted to the Study of Japanese or English. Yokohama, Japan: Kelly & Co.
Capell, Authur
1940 “
Language Study for New Guinea Students”.
Oceania January 1, 40–74.
Carroll, Lewis
1979 The Letters of Lewis Carroll. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Coignou, Alfred
1868 The French Mastery Manual, Specially Adapted for the Use of Schools. London: Simkin, Marshall & Co.
Coignou, Alfred
1871 The Public School Edition of the French Mastery Manual. Manchester: John Heywood.
Colbeck, Charles
1887 On the Teaching of Modern Languages in Theory and Practice. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Cummings, Thomas Fulton
1916 How to Learn a Foreign Language: an exposition of the phonetic inductive method for foreign resident language students. A direct, practical, scientific way of mastering any foreign tongue. New York: Bible Teachers Training School, New York.
de Morgan, Augustus
1864 “
The Mastery of Languages”.
The Antheneum October 14, 4961.
Decoo, Wilfried
2011 Systemitazation in Foreign Language Teaching: Monitoring content progression. Abingdon: Routledge.
Ellis, Alexander J.
1875 “
On the Acquisiton of Language”.
Educational Times, and the Journal of the College of Preceptors 281.175–82.
ELTons, The
2015 TEFLology Podcast.
Episode 26: Thomas Prendergast, and the lexical approach. 37 minutes. Tokyo: TEFLology.
[URL]
Fay, Edward A.
1869 “
The Acquisition of Language by Deaf Mutes”.
American Annals of the Deaf 14:4.193–204.
Fitch, Joshua
1881 Lectures on Teaching delivered in the University of Cambridge during the Lent Term, 1880. Cmabridge: Cambridge University Press.
Fletcher, Alfred Ewen
ed. 1889 Sonnenschein’s Cyclopædia of Education; a handbook of reference on all subjects connected with education (its history, theory, and practice), comprising articles by eminent educational specialists. London: S. Sonnenschein & Co.
Gallaudet, Edward Miner
1868 “
Preface”.
Handbook to the Mastery Series, 8–9. New York: Appleton.
Gallaudet, Edward Miner
1869 “
Discussion on Dr. Peet’s and Mr. Brock’s Papers. Proceedings of the National Conference of Principals of Institutions for the Deaf and Dumb, held at Washington, District of Columbia, May 12th though 16th, 1868”.
Annual Report of the Columbia Institution of the Deaf, Dumb and Blind. Washington, D.C: Columbia Institution of the Deaf.
Gatbonton, Elizabeth & Norman Segalowitz
2005 “
Rethinking Communicative Language Teaching: A Focus on Access to Fluency”.
The Canadian Modern Language Review / La Revue canadienne des langues vivantes 61:3.325–353.
Gouin, François
1880 L’art d’Enseigner et d’Etudier les Langues. Paris: G. Flachbacher.
Hale, Edward Everett
1883 “
Colonel Ingham’s Journey”.
Harper’s New Monthly Magazine 681.143–149.
Hale, Edward Everett
1886 Seven Spanish Cities, and the Way to Them. Boston: Roberts Brothers.
Handschin, Charles Hart
1913 “
The Teaching of Modern Languages in the United States”.
Bulletin. United States Bureau of Education, 5101.1–154. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office.
Howatt, Anthony P. R.
1984 A History of English Language Teaching. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Howatt, Anthony P. R. & H. G. Widdowson
2004 A History of English Language Teaching. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Kroeh, Charles F.
1887 “
Methods of Teaching Modern Languages”.
Transactions and Proceedings of the Modern Language Association of America 31.169–185.
Laviosa, Sara
2014 Translation and Language Education: Pedagogic approaches explored, New York: Taylor & Francis.
Lewis, Arthur
1888 George Maxwell Gordon, M.A. F.R.G.S. The Pilgrim Missionary of the Punjab: A history of his life and work 1838–1880. London: Seely & Co.
Lindgren, Carl Edwin
2004 “
Robert Hebert Quick (1831–1891)”.
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography Oxford: Oxford University Press. Online Edition
[URL] Consulted
July 4 2014.
Lodeman, August
1893 “
Practical and Psychological Tests of Modern Language Study”.
Methods of Teaching Modern Languages, 90–108. Boston: D. C. Heath & Co.
Lorch, Marjorie
2017 “
Investigating the Biographical Sources of Thomas Prendergast’s (1807– 1886) Innovation in Language Learning”.
The History of Language Learning and Teaching II: 19th and 20th century Europe ed. by
Nicola McLelland &
Richard C. Smith, Oxford: Legenda. [In press.].
Lovett, Charlie
2005 Lewis Carroll among his Books: Aa descriptive catalogue. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Co.
Maltby, Thomas James
1874 Practical Handbook of the Uriya or O’diya Language. Calcutta: Wyman & Co.
McLelland, Nicola & Richard C. Smith
2014 “
Introduction: Building the history of language learning and teaching (HoLLT)”.
Language & History 571:1.1–9.
Millard, James Elwin
1868 “
The Handbook to the Mastery Series, French and German”.
The Antheneum March 28, Issue 2109. 4591.
Murphy, John M. & Amanda Ann Baker
2015 “
History of ESL Pronunciation”.
The Handbook of English Pronunciation ed. by
M. Reed &
J. M. Levis. 36–64. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons.
Nakarai, Toyozo W.
1961 “
Textbooks for Teaching Biblical Hebrew”.
Hebrew Abstracts 71.22–29.
Ogden, Charles Kay
1930 Basic English: A general introduction with rules and grammar. London: Kegan Paul.
Ogden, Charles Kay
1930 “
Editorial: Decimal-Basic English”.
Pyche 10:40. 1–31.
Prendergast, Thomas
1864 The Mastery of Languages; or, the art of speaking foreign tongues idiomatically. London: Richard Bentley.
Prendergast, Thomas
1866 “
Letter from Thomas Prendergast to Thomas Young Hall”.
Thomas Young Hall papers.
N. C. Board. The Grosvenor, London, Durham County Record Office.
Mss. No: NCB 01/TH 66.
Prendergast, Thomas
1868 Handbook to the Mastery Series. London: Longmans, Green.
Prendergast, Thomas
1868 The Mastery Series. French. London: Longmans, Green.
Prendergast, Thomas
1869 The Mastery Series. Spanish. London: Longmans, Green.
Prendergast, Thomas
1871 The Mastery Series. Hebrew. London: Longmans, Green.
Prendergast, Thomas
1872 The Mastery Series. Latin. London: Longmans, Green.
Prendergast, Thomas
1873 Het taalonderwijs langs natuurlijken weg: Verhandeling over de methode. Amsterdam: B. H. Blankenberg, Jr.
Prendergast, Thomas
1874 Methode Prendergast: Handboek voor de fransche taal. Amsterdam: B. H. Blankenberg, Jr.
Quick, Robert Hebert
1864 Essays on Educational Reformers. London: Longmans, Green & Co.
Quick, Robert Hebert
1872 “
On the Study of Language”.
Quarterly Journal of Education [London: Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge, n.d.] [3]-8.
Quick Memorial Library Collection SHL [Q.M.L.] B.P.2. Senate House Library, University of London.
Quick, Robert Hebert
1875 The First Steps in Teaching a Foreign Language with some account of celebrated methods: A lecture delivered at the College of Preceptors. London: S. Clarke.
Quick, Robert Hebert
1890 Essays on Educational Reformers. London, Longmans, Green & Co.
Richards, Jack C. & Theodore S. Rodgers
1986 Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Richards, Jack C. & Theodore S. Rodgers
2001 Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching. 2nd ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Richards, Jack C. & Theodore S. Rodgers
2014 Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching. 3rd ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Rippmann, Walter
1916 “
The ‘Substitution Method’”.
Modern Language Teaching 12:4.109–110.
Rosenthal, Richard Sigismund
1878 Das Meisterschafts-System zur praktischen und naturgemäßen Erlernung der französischen und englischen Geschäfts- und Umgangs-Sprache: Französisch; eine neue Methode, in drei Monaten eine Sprache Sprechen, Schreiben und Lesen zu Lernen. Zum Selbst-Unterricht. Berlin: L. Liepmannssohn.
Rosenthal, Richard Sigismund
1885 The Meisterschaft System: A short and practical method of acquiring complete fluency of speech in the French language. Boston: The Meisterschaft Publication Co.
Rossner, Richard
1987 Review of
Working with Words: A guide to teaching and learning vocabulary by
Ruth Gairns &
Stuart Redman”.
ELT Journal 41:4.301–303.
Senex
1887 “
The Late Mr. Thomas Prendergast”.
Harrow Notes 5:47.6–7.
Smith, Richard C.
2004 An Investigation into the Roots of ELT, with a particular focus on the career and legacy of Harold E. Palmer (1877–1949). Ph.D. dissertation, University of Edinburgh.
Spurrell, William
1881 Practical Lessons in Welsh: In imitation of the natural method of learning to speak a language. Carmarthen: W. Spurrell.
Storr, Francis
1883 “
French Class-Books”.
Journal of Education July 1, 241–245.
Storr, Francis
ed. 1899 Life and Remains of the Rev. R. H. Quick. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.
Street, J. C.
1897 “
A Study in Language Teaching”.
Pedagogical Seminary 4(3): 269–293.
Sweet, Henry
1913 [1877] “
Presidential Address at the Anniversary Meeting of the Philological Society, May 18, 1877.
Collected Papers of Henry Sweet ed, by
H. C. K. Wyld. 93–94. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
Sweet, Henry
1899 The Practical Study of Languages. A guide for teachers and learners. London: Dent.
Thornbury, Scott
2004 “
Big Words, Small Grammar”.
English Teaching Professional 311.10–11.
Thornbury, Scott
2004 “
Starting out with Words that ‘Glue’ Language”.
The Guardian, Education Section,
March 18.
[URL]. wordsandlanguage. Consulted
July 10 2015.
Tickoo, Makhan L.
1986 “
Prendergast and the ‘Mastery Method’: An assessment”.
ELT Journal 40:1.52–58.
Watts, George
1963 “
The Teaching of French in the United States: A history”.
French Review 37:1.1–165.
Weihua, Yu
2013 “
Grammar-Translation Method”.
The Routledge Encyclopedia of Language Teaching and Learning ed. by
Michael Byram &
Adelheid Hu. 287–289. Abingdon: Routledge.
Wheeler, Garon
2013 Language Teaching Through the Ages, New York: Routledge.
Zimmerman, Cheryl Boyd
1997 “
Historical Trends in Second Language Vocabulary Instruction”.
Second Language Vocabulary Acquisition: A rationale for pedagogy ed. by
James Coady &
Thomas Huckin. 5–19. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Cited by
Cited by 2 other publications
Hodgetts, John
2020.
Pronunciation Instruction: Background, Techniques and Relevant Studies. In
Pronunciation Instruction in English for Academic Purposes [
Second Language Learning and Teaching, ],
► pp. 9 ff.
McLelland, Nicola
2018.
The history of language learning and teaching in Britain.
The Language Learning Journal 46:1
► pp. 6 ff.
This list is based on CrossRef data as of 30 april 2024. Please note that it may not be complete. Sources presented here have been supplied by the respective publishers.
Any errors therein should be reported to them.