Bad speech
Sir,—The letters from D. Morrison and Elizabeth MacLeod (September 16) should receive the serious attention of the Department of Education and all teachers throughout the schools and colleges of New Zealand. Apart from the desirability of ensuring that the beauty of the English language is maintained, it is surely important that it functions as a channel of communication (i.e. that it will be understood by non-New Zealanders). As a recent immigrant from the United Kingdom, I have been told that I should not criticise New Zealanders for their speech, this being the accepted Kiwi accent. In Britain one hears many accents — Scottish, Irish, Welsh, West Country, Lancashire, Yorkshire, Cockney, etc. — than there are American accents, different accents but presenting no difficulties in communicating. Here in New Zealand a visitor abroad will
be very puzzled to hear so many words mispronounced (e.g., sharing becomes “shearing" (as in sheep), air fares becomes “ear fears”). As a friend once said to me, “they massacre the vowels.” As Elizabeth MacLeod writes, there are other examples too numerous to mention. D. Morrison is correct, “if it gets any worse we will be getting a whole new language” unintelligible to overseas English speakers. Indeed, I suggest it is already getting worse.—Yours, etc., W. H. PRICE. September IS, 1989.
Sir,—Regarding the letter “R,” which is misused according to Elizabeth MacLeod (September 16), it is dialectical, coming as it does from having forbears of different cultures, mainly from Scotland. Sixty-nine years ago when I was a pupil in Standard 1, we were asked to write a composition about what we wanted to be when we grew up. On my slate I pencilled that I wanted to be a nurse in a “horsepiddle,” which was how my maternal parent pronounced the word, coming as she did from Scottish parentage. Miss Lockwood, my teacher, read my effort to the class, causing much mirth. I still offend occasionally. Dialects will always be with us.— Yours, etc.,
J. WOODS. September 18, 1989.
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Press, 26 September 1989, Page 34
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332Bad speech Press, 26 September 1989, Page 34
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