CORRESPONDENTS' VIEWS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 241, 12 October 1942, Page 2

CORRESPONDENTS' VIEWS

THE FRENCH LANGUAGE

(To the Editor.)

I was most interested in "Grammar Old Boy's" views re the usefulness or otherwise of the study of the French language in schools. We differ in our opinion. It was not many years after leaving grammar school that I had cause to regret that I had not taken my studies in French more seriously. Little did I realise at that time that my future sphere of labour was to be in the Middle East. Six years in Egypt, together with extensive journeys in Syria, visits to Italy, Cyprus, Athens, Instanbul, various towns and cities in Rumania to say nothing of a visit to Paris itself, have firmly convinced me of the tremendous value of a good working knowledge of French. In all these places French is used extensively. And what of our New Zealand lads in the Middle East? I have met many of them over there during the first two years of this war, who, like myself, little realised as they sat at their desks rebelliously grappling with French irregular verbs that the day would come when a knowledge of that same language would more than compensate them for the irksome hours spent in study. ANOTHER GRAMMAR OLD BOY.