Sir, - Vera Hughes (October 31st) rightly bemoans low literacy standards - and blames the teachers. But she misses the point somewhat, as shown in the following (genuine) example overheard on a train some time ago.
A child kept interrupting its mother, saying "Ha?" repeatedly until the mother in exasperation said, "Don't say `Ha?', say `Wha?'"
The fact is that more than 95 per cent of the language we use is spoken, while less than 5 per cent is written. In the schools, spoken language is not taught as a subject, only the written variety. In real life, then, the written language learnt for exam purposes is soon forgotten and overwhelmed by the inaccuracies of the spoken version.
If deh childer talk like diss to dare mudders - and udders - all deh time, how can day be expected to no antin bout usin Anna Postro fee? Know wha I mean, like?
Shaw might well have said, when writing Pygmalion: "Why can't the Irish learn to speak?"
What is needed is the intensive teaching of spoken language, with an oral/aural test an integral part of all State examinations. When our children learn to speak properly, a dramatic improvement in written language will follow.
Your Editorial of the same day describes the draft report on teacher education as "thought-provoking". Indeed it is, when its compilers seem to be unaware of these simple facts and simply tack another year on to the B.Ed. to be devoted to "literacy and numeracy", presumably all written. If they had really thought about it and want to improve both teachers and the teaching of these subjects, shouldn't this extra year concentrate on spoken language and be the first year, not the fourth? - Yours, etc.,
Tom Mac Mahon, Mount Auburn, Killiney, Co Dublin.