“Appalled At Speech Of Some Teachers”

Press, Volume C, Issue 29651, 23 October 1961, Page 10

“Appalled At Speech Of Some Teachers”

“I get appalled at the speech of some teachers,” said the commercial manager of the New Zealand Broadcasting Service in Christchurch (Mr C. H. Cook) during a discussion at a conference on Saturday arranged by the New Zealand Association of Teachers of Speech and Drama in conjunction with the Adult Education Department of the University of Canterbury. Mr Cook’s comment caused cries of “Hear, hear” from among the 25 persons attending the conference. Mr Cook said that if these teachers wanted to talk incorrectly in private life it was their own business, “but one hears them in public speaking very badly indeed,” he said. “These people ought to be trained in speech,” Mr Cook said. “What is the use of a speech therapist in a school when the children go back co the classrooms where they hear flat vowels and lost consonants?’’ There were further cries of “Hear, hear” from the audience. The discussion was on the subject of Mr Cook's address, “Effective speech in the commercial world.” “I think that speech is a comparatively unrealised force in the business world,” said Mr A. H. Harrison. He said that speech was no longer a prerogative of the professional classes. “The managers of firms used to send their children to be taught; now their employees are sending their children,” he said. “Why do businessmen go on employing these persons who cannot speak properly?

Are they not aware of it?” asked Mrs E. F. Latham. Mr Cook suggested to the conference that businessmen could be encouraged to give better wages to those who expressed themselves well and provide bursaries and scholarships in speech. In his address Mr Cook said that toe average New Zealand speech today was most unattractive—a sort of colonial Cockney. “Where does toe fault lie?” he asked. “Teachers say ‘ln the homes’; parents say, ‘ln the schoolroom.’ Apart from the Australians I know of no other people in toe Commonwealth who speak the Queen’s English, so unattractively.” For effective speech in the commercial world some of the essentials were:—-Plan what you have to say, and say it in an orderly manner; consider the personality of the person you are trying to reach; in dealing with others try to speak with clarity, care, and charm; be positive; be concise; remember that toe receiver may not be as well-informed on the subject as you are, so, within the limits of brevity, be as informative as possible. “AM these things can be studied, and can be learned. With self-discipline we can all speak with reasonable effectiveness. But best of all is if it can be taught young. School is the place to learn toe basis of effective speech, whether it be in the commercial world, or outside ilt,” Mr Cook said.