SLOVENLY ENGLISH.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 47, 25 February 1935, Page 6

SLOVENLY ENGLISH.

TRAINING BROADCASTERS

WHAT THE 8.8.C. IS DOING. (By NELLB M. SCANLAN.) LONDON, January 14. Once more the professors are arming for the attack upon the slovenly and downright bad English which is -being written and spoken to-day. Professor Dover Wilson, professor of education at King's College, University of London, describes the English written and spoken by University graduates as "a national menace." He gives a few examples: We speak of "transpires" when we mean "appears," and of "the individual in question," instead of "this person." We say "emphatically" when we mean "undoubtedly," and of "constitutes a leading feature" when all that is meant is that it is "conspicuous." Our present-day language is full of cliches. The Englishman no longer arrives "in the nick of time," but "at the psychological moment." No one "sleeps soundly," but "sleeps- the sleep of the just." Cinema Jargon. The professor attributes this to home influences. In the old days when parents read the Bible aloud to their children the young ear was attuned to the rhythm of the best English prose, and in more leisurely times longer periods were given to reading— good reading. To-day the young generation is influenced by cinema captions, and what Americans call "wisecracks." The smart young people evolve phrases of their own, misusing words with humorous deliberation. When these expressions current among the upper classes slide down the social scale, and are adopted around the streets, they are promptly dropped, and others take their place. The slick jargon of the cinema has an attractive quality for the untrained ear, and the professor wants to launch his attack through the medium of all secondary school teachers. They should be made aware of the evil and refuse to tolerate it. He would give English prose writing a central place in the curriculum, and a progressive course should be designed, not merely sporadic essays on vague and difficult themes, but exercises in English composition. The formal essay should bo left for the sixth form. We are all familiar with the golden-voiced young men of the 8.8.C, these microphone magnates whose wealth lies in the quality of their voice. Nothing slovenly here, just wellchosen words clearly enunciated, while retaining an intimate, conversational characteristic which make* each announcement a personal communication to the listener. Many people who broadcast are distinct failures. They may be witty and wise, but their voices do not retain the ordinary richness and resonance when transmitted through the microphone. The 8.8.C. is now varying its policy in regard to speakers. At one time each man or woman related his experience, explained his theory, or stated his facts, reading the censored or approved manuscript which had been submitted. Now the broadcasting authorities are giving thought to providing greater perfection of broadcasts by engaging persons whose voices arc known to broadcast well to read the material prepared by others.

Some voices have the requisite qualities naturally, but there is such a thing as microphone technique, and a measure of.competence can be acquired by special training. To meet this new demand schools of broadcasting are springing up in London, where singers and speakers are trained in the special needs for perfect broadcasting.

Some time ago they told me at Broadcast House that all their announcers, were obliged to hear a record of their voices, so that they might be made conscious of their defects, and enabled to overcome them, and I was assured that few people have any idea what (heir own voice sounds like; the record is usually a great surprise. A mirror has told us all our lives what we look like; now the record is making us aware of how our speech or singing sounds to other ears.

I was in one of these broadcast schools the other day, where men and women were being trained both in singing and speaking to lit them for broadcast work. Every song sung and every speecli made is recorded at the time, and then played for them to hear. Every defect is shown and the method of overcoming it is taught. A Higher Standard. I was thinking how useful such an institution would 1)2 in Now Zealand, where, 1 ant afraid, not enough attention is being pi'd to this matter of correct speech. If young barristers, clergymen, teachers, lecturers and politicians were compelled to listen to a record of their public orations we might hope for a higher standard. Better phrasing, clearer diction, rounder vowels, would make politics less painful and sermons more impressive. A person who aspires to a career involving public speaking owes it to his audience to acquire the virtues of audibility, brevity, conciseness; and to give his words the fullest chance of making the desired impression, it is essential that, his voice be well produced and pleasant to hear. Some have this gift naturally, but most people have to acquire it. i