Professor Sussex's Plans For Refresher Leave

Press, Volume CI, Issue 30004, 13 December 1962, Page 19

Professor Sussex's Plans For Refresher Leave

With the diversification of teaching in the modern languages department of the University of Canterbury, the increasing number of postgraduate students seeking advanced training overseas, and the deliberate policy of employing some nationals to teach their mother tongue, personal knowledge of people and places is becoming more important. Professor R. T. Sussex intends to spend most of a year's refresher leave on this mission at the major teaching centres of Europe, the United Kingdom and the United States. “French, German, and Russian are our major foreign languages and we have four tearfling posts unfilled at the

moment.” said Professor Sussex. “Any head of the department going overseas seizes the opportunity of recruiting for immediate needs and meeting future prospects. “We have a larger number of post-graduate students seeking places to gain experience overseas and it is helpful to know exactly what work is being done, where, and the teachers concerned In this way much more satisfactory placements can. be made.” said Professor Sussex. “This department has been fortunate in its full-time and visiting lecturers from France, Germany, and Russia and we hope this trend in teaching by nationals will advance Besides Lively teaching of the language, these people can contribute much to our knowledge of their literature and customs.”

Professor Sussex will spend two months in the United Kingdom visiting practically all of its universities and then move to the Continent for extensive travels. Aix-en-Provence Based on Aix-en-Provence, the home of French regional studies for 100 years, he will survey the French regional novel from a home in the Cezanne country for about three months. In Dijon, historic capital of Burgundy, he will examine twelfth, thirteenth. and fourteenth century illuminated manuscripts as a hobby and also as for material to develop medieval studies in Canterbury. Modern language teaching will later be studied by Professor Sussex in the major universities of France, Austria, and Germany. Trip to Russia

Next be intends to make a motor tour into Russia. Canterbury is likely to become the chief centre for the teaching of Russian in New Zealand. The university examines in the subject up to master of arts level, classes are becoming better filled.

and six or seven post-prim-ary schools are teaching the language, some of them presenting candidates in Russian for university entrance or university scholarship examinations this year for the first time. Professor Sussex's son, Roland, is one of the latter candidates and his father wants him to try the language in Russia. Publishing Interest

Another mission of Professor Sussex will be to meet groups with which New Zealand exchanges publications. “Aiumlla,” the journal of the Australasian Language and Literature Association which he edits, is now sent to 30 countries overseas. University of Canterbury Press publications go to almost as many. The recently-formed New Zealand Book Publishers’ Association, of which he is' a member, is also interested in exhibiting New Zealand works at overseas trade fairs.

Broadcasting and television teaching of modern languages will be studied in London, Paris, and Germany. In New York, Professor Sussex will be a New Zealand representative at the congress of the International Federation on Modern Languages and Literature and then travel extensively as a Carnegie fellow. His family's heme will be a farmhouse built in the Vermont woods in 1790. Among his American studies will be literary criticism and language laboratories—there will be two of these at Ilam. Mrs Sussex will accompany her husband on most of his travels. Roland, who has just finished his time at Christ’s College, will attend some university lectures and have clarinet lessons from Ronald Moore and John MeCaw, of the London Symphony Orchestra. He was a member of the National Youth Orchestra for three years and is a member of the John Ritchie orchestra. MaryGrace Sussex, who has been in form I at St. Margaret’s College, will continue her schooling overseas and have piano lessons from Miss Jean Anderson (formerly of Christchurch) in London.