Colleagues
Keith Emmans
Language Teaching Centre, University of York, 1967-79
I was immediately aware of his kindness and friendship when, on a visit to the University prior to taking up my post, there were no guest rooms available on campus. He solved the problem by inviting my wife and me to spend the night at his home.
The very nature of my post as tutor/advisor, working half time as a university teacher-trainer for language teachers and half time as LEA language advisor for the City of York and later North Yorkshire, showed his imaginative approach to breaking down the barriers between different educational sectors.
Eric encouraged his colleagues to undertake practical research projects and was adept at getting the necessary funding for them. He motivated his colleagues and those around him by his own enthusiasm and example. Every Christmas and Easter vacation there was a course for language teachers at the LTC - and not forgetting the term-time weekly meetings at King's Manor for local teachers and graduate students, the Language Teachers' Workshop (irreverently known as the Language Workers' Teashop).
AND SO MUCH MORE!
Eric was invited to be the first President of the National Association of Language Advisers (NALA) at its inaugural meeting in Buxton in 1968. In his inaugural address he displayed some witty whimsy when he suggested that NALA should change its name to "The Organisation of Local Authority Language Advisers" or O LA LA! His proposal was greeted with much mirth but not acted upon.
Whether Eric was leading his students on walks across the North York Moors, or enjoying end-of-term tongue-in-cheek student revues, or lecturing his students on Henry Sweet et al, you saw the dedicated former headmaster and the committed academic who led the LTC to such success.