Although French is still the premier foreign language learned by English students, Russian is climbing in the local language stakes.
It is now studied by about the same number of people who take Spanish at the Languages Laboratory at Cassio College of Further Education.
Mr C.L. Davies, head of the general studies department, told the Watford Observer this week that students of Russian ranged in age from about 17 to 50, and seemed to take up the language for all sorts of reasons – general interest, holiday making and possibly for business reasons. One student is even learning it because he wants to be able to read Russian books in the original.
The language laboratory was opened three years ago, not only for teaching English to foreign students but for teaching foreign languages to English students. It is now in constant use.
Russian is a difficult language to master and it has been found that the language laboratory is of great help, particularly in the early stages.
[From the Watford Observer of July 1, 1966]
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