SLIPSHOD SPEECH

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 48, Issue 2922, 30 June 1939, Page 7

SLIPSHOD SPEECH

RADIO SERIALS BLAMED The effect upon children of what is called the “Australian speech” of some wireless serials is criticised in the current issue of The Education ■Gazette which is published under the authority of the Minister for Education (Mr Drummond). “Teachers have always had to combat the effect of slipshod speech in the homes, but now they have another and perhaps a more insidious enemy,” says the Gazette. “This is the alleged Australian speech of some of the wireless serials. It is no uncommon thing to hear children in the playgrounds purposely dropping all aspirates and carefully dropping the final ‘g’ in such Avoids as ‘coming’ and ‘going.’ “The effect of this potential educational agency—wireless—is directly responsible for more bad speech than even the pictures.”

The Gazette refers to the various environmental factors which militate against clarity and purity of speech by children. The difference between what a child can do with training and care, and what he actually does as a general habit of speech, indicated the need for tightening-up. One of the most difficult problems which a teacher had to face was that of trying to secure some tangible. improvement in the quality of speech of his pupils. In most cases the boy became possessed of two voices, a bilingualism which was fairly common'in the schools.

In the classroom enunciation was reasonably good, but the same boys in the playground broke every habit and rule, which they were careful to watch in class.

The which would carry conscious Effort from the classroom into the playground and the street had yet to be found.