The problem of motivation in French language-learning

These are days in which the spirit of inquiry is perhaps more alive than at any other time in the history of humanity. Not only in the sciences is experimentation taking place. New methods of teaching are being tried out and tested, and the laboratory has invaded the language field. The whole field of education is continually under review. Insistence is increasing that schools must provide an education suited to the needs of the modern world. This has led to a new appraisal of the value of various subjects. It is generally agreed that the teaching of French in Australia is at the crossroads. In fact, the claims of modern language study itself have come under close scrutiny. Many people feel that the results commonly achieved in modern language study are not commensurate with the time and energy expended. Many pupils leave school with little ability to understand the foreign language when it is spoken, with inadequate skill in using it either in speech or in writing, and with little facility in reading it.