In 1911, the future Nobel Prize winner for literature Henri Bergson became interested in and reflected on the teaching of languages.
Handwritten letter from Henri Bergson to an as yet unidentified recipient.
Two pages.
In French.
12.8 cm x 14.8 cm.
June 18, 1911, no location information.
Excellent condition of conservation.
Unique piece.
June 18, 1911
Dear Sir, I read with great interest the article you sent me about language teaching. The methodology you propose is based on psychological considerations that seem to me to be true: if we start to privilege spoken language over heard language, it will be the sounds of his own language that the student will articulate, comparing them, more or less well, to pronounce foreign words. I particularly liked what you said about a certain “intimacy with the language, which makes us able to understand the meaning of entire sentences of which we only know a few words. In general, I believe that your work has drawn attention to the capital importance of prior study of the psychological conditions of discourse in language teaching. My congratulations to you for this article (…). Henri Bergson
Professor, philosopher and writer of great international renown,Nobel Prizeof Literature, he participated in the creation of UNESCO, convinced that education – and the teaching of foreign languages – were fundamental to creating the conditions for lasting international peace.
Born in France to an English mother, Henri Bergson (1859 – 1941) was bilingual: he read and corresponded with his mother in English and often went toEnglandto meet his family or give lectures. Bergson also closely followed the translations of his own books and those of his French or English colleagues. He once said« English is a language I have studied since childhood and I know all its nuances. »
In this context, this profound little letter, written at the beginning of an intense period of international travel for Bergson, and a few years before the First World War, is particularly relevant.
