Edwin Samuel, the sonof Herbert Samuel, the first High Commissioner of Palestine, 1920-1925, developed a series of 24 weekly talks, two series of 12 talks each, entitled "Let's Speak English". They were broadcast on PBS from 1937 to 1939. He gave the talks under the pseudonym of the President of the "Brighter English League." Following the broadcasts, a set of four booklets were printed, each with transcripts of six of the previous broadcasts, plus the outlines of each program. The outlines, a one-page list of the vocabulary/phrases that would taught in each broadcast, could be bought separately by writing to the "president" before each broadcast, to make learning easier.
Initially 4 broadcasts were planned, but these proved so successful that the number of programs was increased to 12. What later became the first series of weekly lectures was broadcast by PBS on Wednesday evenings from 9:00 pm till 9:15 pm. The first broadcast in the series was aired on December 15, 1937.
The eleventh lecture in the series was scheduled to be broadcast on February 23, 1938. Unfortunately on that day, Edwin Samuel's taxi was involved in a serious car accident in which his driver was killed and his wife and his sister-in-law were all injured. The program was back on the air, a week later, March 2, on a new time of 9:30 pm till 9:45 pm. and the last of the twelve lectures was broadcast March 9, 1938.
A new series of 12 weekly 15-minutes broadcasts , scheduled for Monday evenings, started on June 5, 1939. The last talk of the series was broadcast on August 21, 1939.
Jerusalem Radio, June 9, 1939. p3.
To the Editor, "Jerusalem Radio", POB 1073, Jerusalem.
I wish to join the Brighter English League
or
I am already a member of the Brighter English League.
My full name is: ........................................................
My full address is: ....................................................
* * *
Please send me "Jerusalem Radio" for six months for which I enclose 190 mils
or
Please send me "Jerusalem radio" for six months and two new booklets
\called "Let's Speak English on publication, for which I enclose 270 mils.
or
Please send me two new booklets called "Let's Speak English" on publication, for which I enclose 80 mils.
* * *
Delete whichever is unnecessary.
Advert: Jerusalem Radio, June 9, 1939. p4.
A limited number of copies
of the first two booklets of
"Let's Speak English"
is still available.
Price 50 mils per copy.
Apply to:
The Publisher, Jerusalem Radio
POB 1073 , Jerusalem
Telephone: 3165
It took on a different level when PBS teamed up with the British Institute's Ian Catford, at the end of 1944.
Radio Lessons in English
Palestine Post, January 7, 1945
A series of broadcast lessons in English to be given over the PBS on Thursdays from 9:00 to 9:15 pm started last week [Thursday, December 28, 1944].
These broadcasts are designed not as substitutes for organized classes or for local teachers, but to help groups, especially in rural areas, where English-born teachers are not available. They will therefore be devoted primarily to spoken English and English idioms.
The British Council will provide written material for use of teachers and classes and will assist with suggestions for the use of coming broadcasts. Teachers and others interested in making use of these broadcasts should apply to Mr. J. C. Catford, British Institute, Rothschild Boulevard, Tel Aviv.
This was followed up by a second series of 15-minute weekly series entitled "Double Your Vocabulary" (in Hebrew: Anglit Miduberet אנגלית מדוברת). The first lesson was Monday December 17, 1945. After three weeks the producers realized that the listening public still needed to physically see the vocabulary list in front of them while listening to the broadcast, much like the outlines of "Let's Speak English". So starting on January 28, 1946, Lesson #7, the short outline was published in Hagalgal a week or two before broadcast. The difference was they were aiming at a non-English speaking audience, so the vocabulary list included Hebrew translations. In some cases quite archaic terms. For example the word "bank was translated as safsal (ספסל) while a clerk was translated as Lavler (לבלר). The last lesson published was Lesson no 25 (May 27, 1946) but there were two more lessons scheduled. The last lesson broadcast on June 17, without any published list. Ian Catford returned to Britain. Catford would later become an internationally renown phonetics expert and teacher.
First Talk: Pronunciation
9:00 pm - 9:15 pm
Wednesday, December 15, 1937
RADIO ANNOUNCER:
We introduce this evening the President of the Brighter English League in the first of his four* talks on the English language.
These talks are intended primarily for those who already know English but who would like to perfect their grammar, their pronunciation and their idiom.
We hope that the talks will also provide entertainment for our regular listeners to the English programmes.
* The program was experimental. It was intended originally to give only four talks.
Second Talk: Vocabulary
9:00 pm - 9:15 pm
Wednesday, December 22, 1937
Third Talk: Verbs
9:00 pm - 9:15 pm
Wednesday, December 29, 1937
Twelfth Talk
9:00 pm - 9:15 pm
Monday, August 14, 1939
THE LAST TALK OF SECOND SERIES
Radio Lessons in English
Palestine Post, January 7, 1945
A series of broadcast lessons in English to be given over the PBS on Thursdays from 9:00 to 9:15 pm started last week [Thursday, December 28, 1944].
These broadcasts are designed not as substitutes for organized classes or for local teachers, but to help groups, especially in rural areas, where English-born teachers are not available. They will therefore be devoted primarily to spoken English and English idioms.
The British Council will provide written material for use of teachers and classes and will assist with suggestions for the use of coming broadcasts. Teachers and others interested in making use of these broadcasts should apply to Mr. J. C. Catford, British Institute, Rothschild Boulevard, Tel Aviv.
English by Radio אנגלית על ידי רדיו
Thursday, December 28, 1944
9.00 pm: English by Radio Lessons in spoken English, by Ian Catford of the British Council. Lesson 1.
Thursday, January 4, 1945
9.00 pm:
English by Radio Lessons in spoken English, by Ian Catford of the British Council. Lesson 2.
Thursday, January 11, 1945
9.00 pm:
English by Radio Lessons in spoken English. Lesson 3.
Thursday, January 18, 1945
9.00 pm:
English by Radio Lessons in spoken English. Lesson 4.
Thursday, January 25, 1945
9.00 pm:
English by Radio Lessons in spoken English. Lesson 5.
Thursday,February 1, 1945
9.00 pm:
English by Radio Lessons in spoken English. Lesson 6.
Thursday, February 8, 1945
9.00 pm:
English by Radio Lessons in spoken English. Lesson 7.
Thursday, February 15, 1945
9.00 pm:
English by Radio Lessons in spoken English. Lesson 8.
Thursday, February 22, 1945
9.00 pm:
English by Radio Lessons in spoken English. Lesson 9.
Thursday, February 29, 1945
9.00 pm:
English by Radio Lessons in spoken English. Lesson 10.
Thursday, March 8, 1945
9.00 pm:
English by Radio Lessons in spoken English. Lesson 11.
Thursday, March 15, 1945
9.00 pm:
English by Radio Lessons in spoken English. Lesson 12.
Thursday, March 22, 1945
9.00 pm:
English by Radio Lessons in spoken English. Lesson 13.
Thursday, March 29, 1945
9.00 pm:
English by Radio Lessons in spoken English. Lesson 14.
Thursday, April 5, 1945
9.15 pm - 9.40 pm:
English by Radio Lessons in spoken English. Lesson 15.
Thursday, April 12, 1945
9.15 pm:
English by Radio Lessons in spoken English. Lesson 16.
Thursday, April 19, 1945
9.15 pm:
English by Radio Lessons in spoken English. Lesson 17.
Thursday, May 3, 1945
9.15 pm:
English by Radio Lessons in spoken English. Lesson 18.
Thursday, May 10, 1945
9.15 pm:
English by Radio Lessons in spoken English. Lesson 19.
Thursday, May 17, 1945
Shavuot Holiday
Thursday, May 24, 1945
9.15 pm:
English by Radio Lessons in spoken English. Lesson 20.
Thursday, May 31, 1945
9.15 pm:
English by Radio Lessons in spoken English. Lesson 21.
Thursday, June 7 , 1945
9.15 pm:
Lessons in spoken English. Lesson 22.
Thursday, June 14, 1945
9.15 pm:
English by Radio Lessons in spoken English. Lesson 23.
Thursday, June 21, 1945
9.15 pm:
English by Radio Lessons in spoken English. Lesson 24.
Thursday, June 28, 1945
9.15 pm:
English by Radio Lessons in spoken English. Lesson 25.
Thursday, July 5, 1945
9.15 pm:
English by Radio Lessons in spoken English. Lesson 26.
New Series: Double Your Vocabulary
אנגלית מדוברת
Lesson #1: Here We Go
Tuesday, December 17, 1945
Lesson#7: Word Lists
Tuesday, January 28, 1946
Lesson#8: Afternoon Tea
Tuesday, February 4, 1946
Lesson#9: Shopping
Tuesday, February 11, 1946
Lesson#10: A cheerful Partner
Tuesday, February 18, 1946
Lesson#11: The Quiet Life
Tuesday, February 25, 1946
Lesson#12: Electricity and Us
Tuesday, March 4, 1946
Lesson#14: Hard Times
Tuesday, March 18, 1946
Lesson#15: The Englishman Abroad
Tuesday, March 25, 1946
Lesson#16: Important Jobs
Tuesday, April 8, 1946
Lesson#20: No News is Good News
Tuesday, April 22, 1946
Lesson#21: Education
Tuesday, April 29, 1946
Lesson#22: If Music Be the Food of Love
Tuesday, May 6, 1946
Lesson#23: A Day in the Country
Tuesday, May 13, 1946
Lesson#24: In a Royal Garden
Tuesday, May 20, 1946
Lesson#25: One Thousand Words
Tuesday, May 27, 1946
The English classes broadcast on Radio Jerusalem every Monday evening by Ian Catford will stop on the 17 June [1946] on the occasion of Mr. Catford's travels to England.
We hope to resume the series soon.
השעורים לאנגלית המשודרים ברדיו ירושלים בכל יום שני בערב על ידי איאן קטפורד ייפסקו ביום, 17
ביוני [1946] לרגל נסיעות של מר קטפורד לאנגליה.
