and speech, coupled closely with an ability to speak it; and afterwards should come the development as far as possible of the ability to write the language. In arriving at this end, time and effort will be economised and progress will be facilitated if the matter encountered in reading is identified as closely as possible with the language used to develop the ability to speak; the written work done at all times should be based on the work in reading and speaking.
(d) Reading books and vocabulary—the common nucleus. This 'makes the choice of reading books a matter of extreme importance. The. Welsh class-book for reading has been improved very much in recent years, and there is a far greater supply and variety of interesting books for supplementary reading today than there was fifteen or twenty years ago. It is doubtful, however, whether the most purposive kind of reading book has yet been evolved for the pupil who has to learn Welsh as a second language with rather limited instruction and within a somewhat restricted amount of time; the required improvement lies mainly in the direction of a more suitable vocabulary, or, better perhaps, of an organic development in vocabulary in successive reading books.
It is common knowledge that the vocabulary required by the ordinary person for the purpose of speech and comprehension in his daily intercourse is limited, much more limited than is generally realised. As social and other contacts increase, a more extended vocabulary is required, but the minimum vocabulary used by the ordinary person is always the nucleus of any other vocabulary, however extended. Vocabularies will differ in the manner in which they develop the nomenclature of various trades and occupations, but the common element in all these vocabularies is much greater than any difference between them.
Since the time available for the teaching of Welsh as a second language is generally so limited in relation to the task, it is extremely important that attention should in the first instance be focussed on this common element in vocabulary. The process of investing the child with an actual control of this vocabulary should furthermore be graded carefully so as to provide an organic rather than an unrelated increase, year by year, through the course.
The same consideration applies to reading. The minimum vocabulary in speech should be the framework of the reading book, especially the earlier reading books, and every addition to this framework, by way of vocabulary, should be carefully considered.
In the case of supplementary reading books, particularly books set for examination for pupils studying Welsh as a second language, the vocabularies need careful consideration. The great difficulty in setting an original text for such students is to use language that is sufficiently simple while avoiding a content that can only be expected to interest much younger readers.
Some of the Welsh texts used by secondary school pupils are open to criticism in the matter of their vocabulary. They contain too many
