My friend and work colleague Barry Jones, who has died aged 76, made an immense contribution to the teaching of languages over 40 years, both as a teacher in secondary schools and as a trainer of language teachers at Homerton College, Cambridge University.
Barry was convinced that teachers need to use ingenuity and creativity to hook children into languages, and his various publications on language teaching focused on how to make lessons motivating and challenging for all pupils. The day before he died he was putting the final touches to his collected works, which will be published online as a free resource.
Born in Woking, Surrey, to Olive and Alf, a local newspaper editor, Barry was educated at Woking grammar school and took a degree in French and German at the University of Birmingham before studying history at the University of Lille. From 1961 he taught French and German in secondary schools, including at Kings Heath technical school in Birmingham and at Borehamwood grammar school in Hertfordshire, before becoming a teacher trainer at Homerton in 1971, rising to be principal lecturer in modern languages and then lecturer in education. While at Homerton he contributed widely to local authority and international teacher development programmes, giving lectures that inspired teachers and students alike.
He was also an early pioneer of the use of IT in languages, devising the first computer game (Granville) for French learners in secondary schools at a time when BBC computers were making their appearance in classrooms. He also co-wrote text books for children as well as books for teachers, and developed an assessment process for teachers of modern languages.
In 1996 the French government appointed him Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Palmes Académiques in recognition of his contribution to French culture. He was elected fellow, and later emeritus fellow, of Homerton.
Barry loved life – in particular his family, wine, and his never-ending project, the upkeep of a vintage Riley car. Calligraphy became his creative channel after retirement. He was a wise, warm and caring man with a gentle sense of humour, passionate and gloriously enthusiastic about everything he did.
He is survived by his wife, Gwenneth (nee Bree), also a teacher, whom he married in 1977, and by their two sons, Daniel and Matthew.
