Here, too, observation may take the place of translation. The pupil who obeys the teacher’s command, _montre-moi la fenêtre_, by pointing at the window shows that he understands the word just as well as the one who in answer to the question: what is the meaning of _fenêtre_? answers, window. Likewise the one who can point to the right thing when the teacher shows him a picture and says; _où est le chapeau du garçon?_ _où sont ses souliers?_ _vois-tu le toit de la maison?_ etc., or the one who carries out a command like _prends la craie_, _lève-toi_, _assieds-toi_, _donne-moi ton livre_, _prends le livre de Jean et donne-le à Henri_--especially when he at the same time says: _voilà la fenêtre_, _voilà le chapeau du garçon_, _voilà la craie_, _je me lève_, etc., with a correct application of the words desired. Nor can there be any doubt that a boy has understood a French question when he can give a sensible answer in the same language, or that he has understood a narrative which has been told or read to him when he can retell it (in English, or still better in French).
The teacher is no doubt most tempted to let the pupils translate when he wants to make sure that they know the new selection which has been assigned to them for home-study. But even in this case, if the teacher has only gone through the lesson on assigning it (as indicated above) in a detailed and lively way, and with continual appeal to the pupils, so that the whole does not become a mere monologue by the teacher, the translation test is not as necessary as it would have been if the lesson had either not been gone through at all or if the teacher had merely translated it rapidly. He will often find it sufficient to ask a question now and then about some single point in the selection, especially if the selection is used for such exercises as will be described below, which directly and indirectly show whether the pupils have understood it all or not.
But still, let us assume that the teacher insists on having the selection translated--and of course this may always be a good thing once in a while by way of a change, most so perhaps when the teacher has not been quite able to digest and absorb the new methods. Then the best thing for him to do is to require the translation immediately, before the pupil has read the piece aloud. This is the most reliable test as to whether the lesson really has been learned in time, for the pupil has not the chance while he is reading aloud to speculate about how it is to be translated, and, on the other hand, when he comes to read it in the foreign language, he is not disturbed by irrelevant thoughts in his native language. Besides, the teacher must understand that this translation is not the most important event of the hour; it ought therefore to occupy as little time as possible. The pupil must be required to deliver his translation quickly, and it is not necessary to criticise the English expressions with pedantic exactitude. As soon as it is clear that the pupil understands perfectly, it is better for the teacher himself to give the correct English expression in passing, than to waste time in letting him find it out for himself.