some words from the preface of a Greek course...

From the preface of W. H. D. Rouse's A first Greek course, written in the early 20th century.

(...)
As regards the method of use, I assume that the master will do as much as possible viva voce. (...) The essence of any such method is, that it be fresh and spontaneous; and the master must be ready to use his material in conversation on the spur of the moment. But conversation is not meant to take the place of construing and writing. All three must go on side by side: construing, not to teach English (which is taught separately), but to make sure that the meaning of the Greek is understood; writing, to give accuracy, and to fix new facts in the mind; conversation, as a means of practice. The place of conversation is to make the boys quick (...) and, not least, to bring the Greek into close connection with their lives.
(...)
At 14 or 15 a boy who has learnt Latin grammar thoroughly can get over Greek at a great pace.
(...)
I am confident that a fair trial of the method assumed in this book, combined, of course, with a reorganised curriculum, will show that those who attack the study of Greek are under a misapprehension. I am quite ready to admit that classical education, as it is understood in this country, is a failure. There are, indeed, some boys whom nothing can spoil; there are many clever boys who learn a great deal, and who at 19 are chock-full of information. These do not suffer so much as might be expected. But as an education it is a failure; because it does not teach even these clever boys to use their intelligence as they could be taught to do, and because it makes the average boy dull, unintelligent and a hater of all intellectual exercise. It does not follow, however, that the failure is due to the subject. That the adversary may not twist my words to suit his own purpose, I add, that the modern substitutes for classics do not seem to me any better: all our schools are spoilt by the same faults of cram, early specialising, and mercenary aims. Greek, however, can be learnt with profit and enjoyment by the average boy, so that in less than a year he can read the Apology of Socrates; and all that is paid for that result is one lesson of three-quarters of an hour a day. (...)