AMHARIC
Questions requiring informational answers are to be drilled as follows:
The instructor asks each student a question. The student repeats the question and gives an answer. Any answer given by the student is considered correct if it is good Amharic. The answer is corrected by the instructor, if necessary. The student repeats the corrected answer. The instructor then gives the student the answer which is written in the book and the student repeats it as a further drill.
Questions requiring 'yes' or 'no' answers should be drilled in the same way, i.e. the student repeats the question after the instructor and gives him either an affirmative or a negative answer (or both if so requested by the instructor).
5. Narrative
The instructor goes through the sentences (if any) illustrating new vocabulary items, in the same way as he did for Basic Sentences. After the students have thus familiarized themselves with the new words the instructor reads through the whole Narrative at a natural speed. The students listen for comprehension, books closed. The students summarise in English as much as they understood of the Narrative. The instructor reads each sentence again for each student, each of whom repeats after him. Each student translates the sentence he repeated. This drill is continued until the students are thoroughly familiar with the material. The instructor then asks questions listed at the end of each Narrative and the students answer them as completely as possible using words contained in the Narrative. In addition to the questions listed in the book the instructor may ask any question pertinent to the Narrative within the limits of the students' grammar and vocabulary. The students memorize the Narrative by listening to the tape and relate the story to the instructor the next day.
Students must keep in mind that there is no one correct way of speaking Amharic. Due to the poor system of communications in Ethiopia Amharic has developed various local dialects. There is an especially marked difference in pronunciation, in vocabulary, and even in grammar between the northern Gojjami and the southern Showa dialects. The purpose of this Course is to teach the language as it is spoken in the capital of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa.
Addis Ababa Amharic contains elements of a variety of dialects. The student should have this in mind and should always follow the manner of speech of his instructor even if his (or her) speech varies somewhat from what is indicated in this book.
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