Foreign Languages In N.Z. Schools

Northern Advocate, 23 August 1948, Page 5

Foreign Languages In N.Z. Schools

DUNEDIN, Mon. (P.A.).-One-third of the post-primary schools in New Zealand, state and private, think too few pupils take one foreign language as a subject, and one-half of the schools think too few students take two languages.

Those are two conclusions reached after an ambitious fact-finding inquiry made by an Otago committee appointed a year ago by the New Zealand Secondary Schools’ Association to conduct a national survey into what is happening to language teaching.

A 17-page statistical and commentative report has now been issued by the New Zealand Association, in which further action is to be taken in pointing to possible courses of action when the committee has forwarded its final recommendations based on material in the report. ' ■£ ' ADEQUATE OPPORTUNITY Summarised, the findings of the committee include:

Teaching conditions for languages are good. In all but a few schools there is adequate opportunity to stifly one language, although the choice is mainly limited to French.

Far too many schools have abandoned the two-language course. There had been a most disturbing decline since 1943 in the number of pupils taking available two-language courses and in the number of schools providing such courses.

Causes suggested include relaxation of university requirements, a utilitarian approach resulting in the pursuit of qualifidation rather than education, and the new School Certificate regulations

The education field covered included state post-primary schools, private secondary schools and district high schools, with an aggregate roll of more than 36,000 pupils. Languages are interpreted as excluding English and Maori. FRENCH, LATIN, GERMAN

French, Latin and German, in that order of popularity, are the languages most commonly studied. About half a dozen pupils take Greek or Russian. When Dr B. H. Howard was asked by the Secondary Schools’ Association to form an investigation committee he selected as its members Dr D. D. D. Raphael, professor of philosophy at the University of Otago, Dr K. J. Shean, Ctago Boys' High School. Misr M. Halzeil, M.A., principal of St. Hilda's Collegiate School, and Miss M. Fitzgerald. M.S.C., principal of Otago Girls' High School. “There is general agreement that the status of language is falling,” comments the committee.

“The same reasons appear in all groups analysed. Demands of the ‘core’ and a change in examiation requirements at all levels cause pupils and parents to favour soft options or specialised courses. 15

“Girls' high schools and. to a lesser extent, girls’ private schools, are satisfied with the position and actively j encourage language teaching. “Mixed high schools are relieved that the demand for languages is fall- j ing, chifly on practical grounds.”