Dear Editor,
Is there an implication that the University of Guyana and counterpart institutions in CARICOM have insufficient capacity to teach foreign languages? History would reveal that Queen’s College and Bishops’ High School were producing outstanding language students ever since the 1950s. In the case of Bishops’ there was one family who went on to Europe and the United States and earned a PhD (2), and MA (1) and returned to learn French/Spanish at UG and in the Caribbean. One of them who was also fluent in Portuguese proved be a useful translator when needed. It was she who discovered a small Portuguese- speaking group of Amerindians living close to the Brazilian border while lecturing at UG.
En passant “Latin” was my first preference (in the 1940s), with a Distinction certified then by the Oxford + Cambridge University Joint Board and (with Credit in French) – issued throughout the British Colonies. That is why I was bemused not so long ago at the upright signs at the entrances at my Alma Mater reading ‘Regina Collegium’, and wondered who there now chorused our school ‘Anthem’ as we did in my time (1945-1950)? It is now appropriate for this inspiration to be translated into Spanish (The 52 year old domestic help recalled that when at Bladen Hall School forty years old she learnt to say ‘Buenos Dias) every morning!
But if on the other hand, the intention is to also imbibe the culture of the language in addition to its technology, then should not consideration be given to revising the learning curve by sending scholars overseas where they can be better equipped to develop their colleagues on their return. Remember that the Dominican Republic has also been invited (along with Cuba and Mexico) to train GuySuCo in the agriculture research who closed its own century-old department two years ago.
As it is now, we seem committed to reinforcing a pathology of inferiority, overwhelmed as we already are by exemplars like EXXONMOBIL, BOSAI, et cetera. Contradictorily the Ministry of Education has just published ‘Subjects Electives for the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (2024)’ Of the thirteen (13) Secondary Schools the following only will pursue studies in languages: President’s College (French), Queen’s College, St. Rose’s High, President’s College (Spanish). The above information speaks for itself.
Sincerely,
EB John
