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‘It is my right to work beyond retirement age - but France says no’
Age discrimination in the workplace is real but hidden, says (soon to be forcibly retired) English teacher Nick Inman
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8 false friends from my French students that we can learn from
False friends in French can cause lots of confusion for language learners
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‘Ponds in rural France are beautifully maintained but no longer used’
Columnist Peter Wyeth laments that these large, impressive sites, once the fresh-aired setting for family picnics, barbecues and fun, now fail to attract people
Latin is not right wing
I am surprised Connexion gave pride of place to a letter [July] denigrating out of date practices in teaching Latin and Greek.
Ms Crampton has obviously not familiarised herself with the Cambridge Latin Course, or Reading Greek, which gives appeal to a wider audience, including those for whom English-Latin translation was just too difficult.
Furthermore non-linguistic classical studies appeal to all abilities.
Speaking as an ex Latin teacher with over 30 year’s experience, and as a left winger politically, I am insulted by snide remarks about ‘right wing elitism’ of Latin and Greek, though agree in principle with a condemnation of the rabid Mr Heffer.
I am not even condemning the emphasis on speaking and understanding skills in TEFL.
After all, verbal communication is of paramount importance in a modern language.
However I am grateful I was taught French by old-fashioned methods, as for me, understanding the structure of the language was a springboard for fluency (more or less) and certainly for competence in writing fairly accurate letters in French and understanding bureaucracy.
I also wonder why, with the new methods in schools, foreign languages are becoming unpopular?
Latin has withstood government assaults for decades, against modern languages and other smart new subjects and while it may be a niche market, it is thriving and forward looking, whereas French GCSE numbers have nosedived.
Celia TRINDER, By email