D. C. Riddy
Donald Charles Riddy CBE (10 September 1907 – 20 November 1979) was a British linguist and educationalist.[1] After the Second World War, he was the British Controller-General of the Education Branch, Control Commission for German - British Element, tasked with assisting the de-nazification of Germany through a process of re-education.[2][3][4][5] He was later co-ordinator of the Council of Europe Modern Languages Programme[6] and, for most of his career, Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Modern Languages in Schools.[7][8] He was described as a man of ‘wide administrative experience and enormous energy, for whom material difficulties were a challenge which he met with enthusiasm’.[9]
D. C. Riddy | |
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Born | |
Died | 20 November 1979 72) | (aged
Resting place | Bedford, England |
Nationality | British |
Education | Bedford Modern School |
Alma mater | St Catharine's College, Cambridge |
Occupation(s) | Linguist, educationalist |
Spouse | Constance White (m.1933) |
Early life
Riddy was born in Bedford on 10 September 1907, the son of Arthur John Riddy, a baker and corn dealer, and his wife Alice Jane Riddy.[10] He was educated at Bedford Modern School,[7][11] where he was a member of the cricket team,[12] and St Catharine's College, Cambridge, where he played rugby in the First XV.[13]
Career
Riddy was an assistant master at Felsted School between 1930 and 1940.[14] In 1934, he was responsible for rugby and carried out a revision of the Forties; Second Forty became the Cromwell Club. He left Felsted School to become an inspector of schools.
Riddy was the British Controller-General of the Education Branch, Control Commission for German - British Element, after the Second World War.[3][4] One of his tasks was to counter twelve years of Nazi indoctrination through a process of re-education.[2][15] The aim was to eliminate Nazi and militaristic tendencies and to encourage the development of democratic ideas.[16] Notwithstanding the stringency of the aim, Riddy's method and approach was to stress the importance of showing the German people the "benevolent attitude of the occupying power and encouraging a belief in Germany's future".[17]
After his role in Germany, Riddy was made overall co-ordinator of the Council of Europe Modern Languages Programme[6][18] and, for most of his career, was Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Modern Languages in Schools.[7] He was Professor of Applied Linguistics at the University of Essex between 1969 and 1970.[19]
Family life
In 1933, Riddy married Constance White in Bedford.[10] He died in Bedford on 20 November 1979 and was survived by his wife, children and grandchildren.[20] He was described as a man of "wide administrative experience and enormous energy, for whom material difficulties were a challenge which he met with enthusiasm".[9]
Selected works
- What Should America Do Now In Bizonia? Reel to reel tape, 1955[21]
- Recent Developments in Modern Language Teaching. Strasbourg, 1964[22]
- Développements récents dans le domaine de l'enseignement des langues vivantes : 1. Résolutions adoptées par les 2e et 3e Conférences des ministres européens de l'éducation. 2. Compte rendu de trois stages du Conseil de l'Europe, présenté par D. C. Riddy. Strasbourg, 1964[23]
- Modern Languages And The World Of Today. Published by AIDELA, Strasbourg, 1967[24]
- Les Langues vivante et le monde moderne. AIDELA, Strasbourg, 1968[25]
- The initial training of teachers of modern foreign languages in colleges and departments of education : report of a survey ; carried out between Jan. 1970 and March 1971 / Part 2, Courses for graduates at colleges and departments of education. 1974[26]
- The Work Of The Council of Europe In The Field of Modern Languages. Strasbourg, 1972[27]
- The initial training of teachers of modern foreign languages in colleges and departments of education; report of a survey. Colchester, 1974[28]
References
- Bance, Alan (1997). The Cultural Legacy of the British Occupation in Germany. Verlag H.-D. Heinz, Akademischer Verlag Stuttgart. ISBN 9783880993556. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
- Tent, James F. (1982). Mission on the Rhine. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 9780226793580. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
- SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE, 13 JUNE, 1946, Issue 37598, p. 2785
- Phillips, David (26 June 2015). Investigating Education in Germany. Routledge. ISBN 9781317524380. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
- Hearnden, Arthur (1978). The British in Germany. Hamilton. ISBN 9780241896372. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
- COUNCIL OF EUROPE, CONSEIL DE L' EUROPE, Symposium on INTENSIVE COURSES FOR MODERN LANGUAGE TEACHERS, York, 13 - 19 December 1971
- The Harpur Trust, 1552-1973. OCLC 903515.
- Umstattd, James Greenleaf (1956). "Secondary Education in Europe". Retrieved 18 July 2015 – via Google Books.
- Capen, Samuel Paul; Mann, Charles Riborg; Zook, George Frederick (1948). "The Educational Record". Retrieved 18 July 2015 – via Google Books.
- "Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History Records at Ancestry.co.uk". Retrieved 18 July 2015.
- Bedford Modern School of the black & red. OCLC 16558393.
- "The Home of CricketArchive". cricketarchive.com. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
- "Janus: Photographs, prints and engravings". cam.ac.uk. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
- Phillips, David (28 June 2018). Educating the Germans: People and Policy in the British Zone of Germany, 1945–1949. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 9781472511539 – via Google Books.
- Phillips, David (26 June 2015). Investigating Education in Germany. Routledge. ISBN 9781317524380. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
- Tscharntke, Denise (2003). Re-Educating German Women. P. Lang. ISBN 9780820464800. Retrieved 18 July 2015. - Pronay, Nicholas; Wilson, Keith Malcolm (1985). The Political re-education of Germany & her allies after World War II. ISBN 9780709920915. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
- Conditions of Surrender. 1997. ISBN 9781860641008. Retrieved 18 July 2015 – via Google Books.
- Haigh, Anthony (1970). A Ministry of Education for Europe. ISBN 9780245503184. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
- "The Incorporated Linguist". 1976. Retrieved 18 July 2015 – via Google Books.
- Death notice in The Times, 22 November 1979.
- What should America do now in Bi-Zonia? : discussion. OCLC 10110393.
- Recent developments in modern language teaching. OCLC 186136072.
- Développements récents dans le domaine de l'enseignement des langues vivantes : 1. Résolutions adoptées par les 2e et 3e Conférences des ministres européens de l'éducation. 2. Compte rendu de trois stages du Conseil de l'Europe, présenté par D. C. Riddy. OCLC 460041098.
- Modern languages and the world of to-day. OCLC 41623.
- Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. Council of Europe. 22 February 2001. ISBN 9780521005319. Retrieved 18 July 2015 – via Google Books. - Les Langues vivantes et le monde moderne. OCLC 10495115.
- The initial training of teachers of modern foreign languages in colleges and departments of education : report of a survey ; carried out between Jan. 1970 and March 1971 / Part 2, Courses for graduates at colleges and departments of education. OCLC 896123732.
- Michael Byram, Prof; Parmenter, Lynne (6 June 2012). The Common European Framework of Reference. Multilingual Matters. ISBN 9781847697325. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
- The initial training of teachers of modern foreign languages in colleges and departments of education; report of a survey ... OCLC 47026598.