Through the glass darkly?

The implementation of the National Policy on Languages depends on a viable infrastructure including qualified teachers, effective methodologies, suitable materials, equitable access to a range of courses and, significantly, some agreement and flexibility within that concensus on the nature and purposes of tertiary language courses. This paper illuminates the various approaches tertiary language teachers have adopted in response to the recommendations of the National Policy, the pressures of the Dawkin’s era in higher education and their view on the value of studying languages. The paper also makes recommendations as to how to reconcile the conflicting views that emerge.