§ Mr. Goodhartasked the Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations what steps are being taken by organisations for which Her Majesty's Government are responsible to promote the study of the English language in Commonwealth countries.
§ Mr. AlportAs the White Paper on the Overseas Information Services (Cmnd. 225) pointed out, "the English language is a commodity in great demand all over104W the world" and "the demand for the teaching of English greatly exceeds the supply". This is likely to increase since English is the lingua franca of a great part of the world of technology and trade. In paragraphs 26–29, the White Paper described a number of additional steps which the United Kingdom proposes to take to assist in meeting this demand.
In independent Commonwealth countries, the British Council will be the body responsible for carrying out the White Paper's recommendations in consultation with Commonwealth education authorities. A start has already been made. British Council specialists in the teaching of English are already in post in India, Pakistan and Ceylon, to provide advice and assistance, and one such specialist has been attached to the staff of the Allahabad Institute in India to assist in the training of Indian teachers of English. Additional specialist teachers are being appointed. Within the last three months, Edinburgh University has established a School of Applied Linguistics for research and training in the teaching of English, and two experts from the Commonwealth, one from India and one from Pakistan, are participating in the first year's work. In addition, the Ministry of Education have established a unit to assist in recruiting United Kingdom teachers for overseas posts and to help in placing teachers on their return. They have circularised local education authorities emphasising the importance of a proper supply of suitably qualified teachers to take up key posts overseas.
Next year, in accordance with the White Paper, the British Council plan to send several more specialists in English teaching to India and Pakistan, and to Malaya. It will also second three of its officers to serve on the staff of the Indian Central Institute of English Language Teaching which is expected to open at Hyderabad in 1958. In addition, it is hoped next year, to send a number of United Kingdom teachers to teach English in Commonwealth countries, their salaries being supplemented where necessary by the British Council, and to bring, on British Council scholarships, 15 selected individuals from the Commonwealth to study English language teaching in the United Kingdom. The British Council is planning, in addition, to increase the supply of text-books, book exhibitions, etc., on the English language. 105W The British Broadcasting Corporation will substantially expand its "English by Radio" courses.
These are some of the ways in which we are stepping up our share of the effort needed to meet the demand throughout the independent Commonwealth for greater facilities for the study and teaching of the English language.