said, should the domestic science centre or the manual training centre be well supported financially, and language teaching not? As an educationalist he listed the following essentials for good teaching: 1. Procedure by small steps. 2. Logical process. 3. Accuracy:don't try to "catch out"the pupil, or present incorrect models for the child to correct. 4. Active participation by the pupil. 5. Immediate feed-back. The teacher must know at once whether he has got his point across. 6. Presentation according to ability of pupil. 7. Reinforcement: the pupil wants to go on. 8. Use of multi-sensory aids. Ideally this would require one teacher ^r pupil. Item No. 5 is especially Mtered for by the Language Laboratory, which also is psychologically valuable in isolating the child from his companions and so removing any fear of ridicule should he answer incorrectly. At 1 p.m. the assemblage moved across to the Dining Hall for one of the most delicious and tastily presented lunches that Mrs.Ireland has ever conjured from her kitchen. It was generally felt that the degree of somnolance thus en gendered would prove an insuperable handicap to the speaker of the afternoon, Mr. W.G. Barnett, senior lecturer in Psychology at the Johannesburg College ofEducation. However,he safely overcame this hurdle,and delivered a thoughtprovoking lecture on the processes involved in what would seem to be the very ordinary act of reading. Perhaps the audience were suitably overawed by the facility with which he wrote across the stage the words: SUPERCALIFRAGILISnCEXPIALIDOClOUS and LLANFAIRPWLLGWVNOYLLOOGERYCHWRNDROBWLLLLANTYSILIOGOGOGOCH causing the Headmaster, for one, to rejoice that he was not required to re-spell them. Mr. Bamett showed how reading weaknesses arose, and how they could becured;how machines could measureeye-movements;and how other machines, by flashing phrases or numbers upon the screen at ever-increasing speeds, could speed up the rate of reading, understanding, and retention. We record our thanks to Mr. J. K,Shannon, General Manager of African Consolidated Films,for his help in arranging for the speakers. It should be mentioned that during the morning session Mr. R. Hofmeyr, with the help of a class of Second Form guinea pigs, kept a very interesting demonstration going in the Language Laboratory itself. A large number of our visitors tried the headphones on themselves, so effectively that we believe that by lunchtime they were not quite sure which language they were speaking. Altogether a memorable day, for which fullest tribute must be paid to the Headmaster and all who helped to organise.Although our cricketers were scoring 205 for 3 wkts. on the adjacent Oval against Glenwood,there were no deserters! J.F.R. ADDENDUM In the Language Laboratory each pupil(up to 24 in number)sits in his own semi-soundproof cubicle. He has before him a series ofswitches and plugs,ear phones and mouthpiece, and a tape on which has been recorded a lesson. The lesson is so recorded that after the master has asked a question, or quoted a phrase, there is a gap left in which the pupil can respond or imitate. He then plays back the model and his own answer,to see if he has responded correctly; ifhe has not,hecan reply again,automatically expunging his previous answer.He goes on doing this until he is satisfied. If he is in need of help, he can press a 76
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