MYA
11.
I have explained that since the beginning of 1927 there
has been in the University a class for teaching Cantonese,
the ex-
penses of which have been entirely met by a grant from Government.
The question is whether in designing our future Chinese School,
this institution should be made to include a class for teaching
Chinese to "foreigners" or not. Personally I hold strongly that
the School should contain a Cantonese Class. I feel that the
University should have such a class and that it should not merely
aim at teaching the rudiments of Cantonese to foreigners but at a
scientific study of the language and of the most scientific methods
of imparting it to "foreigners". If I am told that all those things
lid in the future I reply that one must look ahead. I am also told
that the Government may very well change its policy of sending its
cadets to the University and that then there may be no students in
the Class. The Class was of course novcr intended to cater for
cadots only. We have had other students and we hope to attract
mole; but it is tru that the cadets are likely to constitute a
loss fluctuating source of supply. But the Government asked the
University to start this class. It was carried on during last yar
and the two new cadets who arc expected in a few days are to be
sent to us. The University is very glad to carry on this work but
I dont think that it can bc cxpected to carry on this work inde-
finitely on the basis of a series of arrangements that simply hold
good for a year and may be discontinued at the close of every year.
Such a class cannot be satisfactorily organised and indcod financial
considerations apart, I am quite convinced that if there is to con-
tinue to be a Cantonese class in the University and a Chine sc. School,
it must become a part of the Chinese School. It has been suggested
that the Chinese gentlemen who might contribute towards the pro-
vision of & School of Chinese for Chinese Students might gib, if
the same included in the schomo any amount however small, for the
maintenance of a class for teaching foreigners Chinesc. It should
not have thought that there was very much in this. In the schemo
set out in the ayllabus of Chinese Studies it was definitely stated
: