THE “OXFORD VOICE”

Evening Star, Issue 20720, 17 February 1931, Page 11

THE “OXFORD VOICE”

GIRLS ARTICULATE BETTER Among the many charges laid against the youth of tho present generation is the statement that it cannot speak correctly. Apart from criticisms of grammar and slang it is constantly alleged that our young men and women are beginning to take such liberties with pronunciation that spoken English will soon be unrecognisable (writes Professor Cairns James). While I agree that very few people articulate correctly, 1 think that these accusations are a good deal exaggerated. Take, for example, the muchquoted instance of the “ Oxford voice.” The “ Oxford voice ” is as old as the British Constitution, it is a passing phase corresponding, as all affectations of speech do, with a certain mental outlook. As soon as a child gets out of his baby tunic into his first jacket he unconsciously drops his child-lisp. As soon as an undergraduate gets out of his Oxford trousers into the world in nine cases out of ten be drops his “ Oxford voice.” Then there is that curious striving after tho “ genteel ” which voices itself in the mincing pronunciation of vowels. “'Nice” becomes “ naice,” “no,” “ nao,” and so on. I admit this is a mutilation of the English tongue most irritating to the ear. Nevertheless, some statements that have been made about it are ridiculous. Certain critics seem to think that every typist and shop assistant in the United Kingdom talks in this way. They do not. It is only the few, striving hard after so-called gentility, who speak tho “genteel” language. And if one could compare it w.ith the way they spoke at tho age of ten, it might seem a positive improvement on their mother tongue. But in any case it is only a transitory phase. A weightier argument m support of the charge of deteriorating speech is the inaudibility of our actors and actresses. How many performances in our days can be followed with any comfort from tho gallery? Very few. Possibly quite a number of our London theatres may be badly constructed from the point of view of acoustics. But that is only a partial excuse. I believe, however, that this state of affairs on the stage is due to tho modern style of acting rather than to a national'tcndency towards faulty articulation. In my younger days distinct enunciation was tho actor’s foremost thought. Surely an author’s words ought to be heard. I rohiember'how Mr D’Oyly Carte used to listen to.tho “ dialogue ” of an applicant for employment from the back of tho theatre, and unless tho actor's words were clearly audible ho stood a good chance of being turned down. In those days audibility was everything, but to-day tho “realistic ” school of acting has arisen. Even local clarity is sacrificed in the attempt to introduce an air of realism into the play. SELF-ASSURE)T WOMEN. On tho whole, there is perhaps more truth in tho assertion that our young men do not speak clearly than our young women do not. There are several reasons for this. Distinctness of speech depends a great deal on selfassurance, and, of course, women arc mure self-assured than men. Also, they acquire self-assurance at an earlier age. The war, too, with its devastating effects on speech, produced more looseness of diction among the millions of men in the trenches than among the women who served under less disturbing circumstances.

Perhaps, however, the chief reason is that girls’ schools devote a certain amount of attention to the cultivation

of tho voice, whereas boys’ schools do not. Most girls’ schools have classes in elocution unci slovenly habits of speech are corrected. But in boys’ schools the voice receives no attention at all. Our public schools are particularly negligent in this respect. So many hours are occupied with games and the education curriculum that there is no time left over for the acquirement of audible speech. Tf a person does not learn to speak properly—and to be taught is .tho only satisfactory way to acquire correct articulation—he will unconsciously shape In's speech by imitation. It is lucky for the English # language that the broadcasting station ,is becoming a potent factor in the moulding of the nation’s speech. Our wireless- artists ami the public men who speak irito the microphone are not always to be imitated, but tbeir standard of voice production is high.