Speech training not just ‘elocution’’

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33675, 26 October 1974, Page 6

Speech training not just ‘elocution’’

Speech training should no longer be thought of as elocution lessons taken by young girls to improve their accents, but rather as an essential aspect of education, said Mrs Nancy Russel] in Christchurch yesterday. I “Most people will have to express themselves publicly .sometime in their lives, and fortunately the Education Department is now working towards equipping them for this,” she said. Mrs Russell, an examiner: for the New Zealand Speech Board, is in Christchurch for the annual conference of the Association of Teachers of Speech and Drama this I week-end. She recently spent a few months in England examining for the English Speaking Board. It was the first time a New Zealander had been invited to examine for the

board, and this was consid-! ered a big step forward for New Zealand speech train-1 ing. Mrs Russell is a former; national president of the: Association of Teachers of: Speech and Drama. She said there was now: tremendous scope for speechi training to become an in-j tegral part of education in all schools from primary; through secondary and on to; teachers’ colleges and tech-; nical institutes. “It is important that i people know how to express; themselves in their working! lives. When they leave! school they can no longer! hope to communicate: through the written word. “In England people from 1 all types of occupations are: learning speech’training.” : Mrs Russell said the Education Department was taking increasing interest in speech training to the extent that spoken English was now becoming a much more important part of the syllabus.