University o f the Witwate.-irand, Johannesburg

An investigation was made in to what constituted the subject o f English as first language in the Transvaal at w xtr.dary school level over a period of th irty years, from 1942 to 1972, a period which was bounded by im portant changes o f syllabus. Inform ation for the study was obtained from official publications 01 the Transvaal Education Departm ent during that period: syllabuses, Language Reports to the A dm inistrator, the Annual Reports, public exam ination papers and examiners ’ reports, and reports o f the Education Bureau. The titles of the prescribed works for the period were collated and analysed. Some o f the language tex t books in use in the Trans 'I at various times were analysed A sample o f internal exam ination papers in Com position and Com prehension for Std 8, set by Transvaal teachers at the end o f 1973, com pleted the source material. The study outlines d ifferent concepts o f the nature of English as a school subject. Present and projected trends in English teaching in major English speaking countries are described, as a background against which to in terpret the changes noted in the teaching o f the subject in the Transvaal over the given period, and in order to throw light o