THURSDAY, MAY 10, 1984
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SIR PHILIP VISITS BRITISH COUNCIL
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THE DEPUTY TO THE GOVERNOR, SIR PHILIP HADDON-CAVE, VISITED THE BRITISH COUNCIL IN WAN CHAI THIS (THURSDAY) AFTERNOON.
HE WAS MET ON ARRIVAL BY THE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE BRITISH COUNCIL, HONG KONG, MR OLIVER SIDDLE.
FOLLOWING A BRIEFING BY MR SIDDLE, SIR PHILIP MET THE COUNCIL'S ENGLISH LANGUAGE OFFICER, MR PETER FALVEY, THE DIRECTOR OF ADMINISTRATION, MR DAVID LEE, AND THE DIRECTOR OF STUDIES, MR ANTHONY BEHAN.
THE BRITISH COUNCIL, SET UP IN HONG KONG IN 1948, AIMS TO PROMOTE UNDERSTANDING AND APPRECIATION OF BRITAIN THROUGH CULTURAL, EDUCATIONAL AND TECHNICAL CO-OPERATION.
IN 1976, THE COUNCIL OPENED A SMALL ENGLISH LANGUAGE INSTITUTE WHICH HAS EXPANDED RAPIDLY, WITH ENROLMENT REACHING 8 600 LAST YEAR.
AMONG OTHER ACTIVITIES, IT HAS SPONSORED THE VISITS TO HONG KONG BY THE ROYAL BALLET AND LONDON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA AND THE BRITISH FILM WEEK.
SIR PHILIP ALSO LEARNT THAT THE COUNCIL PROVIDED REFRESHER LANGUAGE COURSES FOR TEACHERS OF THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT, AS WELL AS TRAINING COURSES FOR OTHER GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS AND PRIVATE INSTITUTIONS.
DURING HIS VISIT HE MET A GROUP OF ABOUT 20 PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS WHO WERE TAKING A LANGUAGE TRAINING COURSE.
HE ALSO TOURED THE LIBRARY, WHICH HAS PROVED TO BE INCREASINGLY POPULAR, THE COMPUTER-ASSISTED LANGUAGE LEARNING CLASSROOM, THE RESOURCES SECTION AND THE AUDIO- VISUAL PRODUCTION UNIT.
SIR PHILIP WAS TOLD THAT THE BRITISH COUNCIL IS CELEBRATING ITS 50TH ANNIVERSARY THIS YEAR AND A SERIES OF COMMEMORATIVE EVENTS WILL BE HELD IN BRITAIN FROM MAY. AMONG THEM IS A VISIT TO ITS OFFICES IN LONDON BY THE QUEEN, WHO IS THE COUNCIL'S PATRON.
COMMEMORATIVE EVENTS TO BE ORGANISED BY THE COUNCIL IN HONG KONG INCLUDE A SPONSORED HONG KONG PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA CONCERT IN JUNE.
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