ABSTRACT
It is the use of speech that distinguishes Man from the other animals and is a universal basic skill, essential to him in all his social groups. The oral communication of thought is the means of self-expression most easily learned by the normal child and valuable to the growth of his emotional self by providing an outlet for appetites and desires, denied to him by the taboos of society. The first absolute necessity is perhaps the most difficult requisite to furnish - atmosphere. There must be throughout the class a friendly and natural air, an absence of tensions, a mutual acceptance of one another. Hobbies always seem to offer a good way of inaugurating discussion. Periodic meetings of the Class Council will provide plenty of practice in the use of spoken English, some training in the restraint of listening, much valuable information to the teacher on public opinion, and a steady growth of self-responsibility.
