Seventies, and it is with deep regret that I report that the struggle must be carried to a much more sophisticated level. It is incumbent upon teachers to sensitize themselves in the areas of African American life, history and culture. They will have to become adept at spotting the half-truths and at detecting the clever use of emotionally charged words. For all -the old sins of commission and omission are still there, but in much more subtle fashion.
foreign language teaching. In the U.S.S.R. it is a compulsory subject. Children start a foreign language in the fifth class of the ten-year secondary school ( compulsory since 1975). The significance of English as an international language (certainly not the) is recognised by the fact that it is taught in 50% of all Soviet secondary schools (the others take German, 20%; French, 15Ж, and some other languages). Foreign language teaching is also compulsory in VUZes (higher educational establishments). Outside the tuition free system of educationsecondary schools and VUZeslots of people of all ages, starting with kindergarten, take optional courses. Lessons in English are conducted through radio and television as well. Consequently visitors to this country find here, just as everywhere else, guides, shop-assistants and a number of people in the street speaking understandable English. Knowledge of a foreign language gives an easy access not only to political, scientific and cultural information published in this language but makes us familiar with the part of cultural heritage and national background which can be understood only in the original. I mean works of literature, especially poetical and humorous ones, and numerous geographical, historical, cultural, folklore realia which bring flavour to the language and admit no other way of interpreting in a foreign language except borrowing. It is undoubtedly impossible to find equivalents for such realia as gentleman, mister, miss; mile, yard; pub, public school (G.B.), striptease; skyscraper, coca-cola, and a host of others. These realia if intro-
