STANDARD OF SPEECH

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22141, 21 June 1935, Page 10

STANDARD OF SPEECH

CONCERN AT HIGH SCHOOL PUPILS* FILM VOCABULARIES , ' [by telegraph—OWN corbespondent] GISBOKNE, Thursday The tendency of the spoken English of the younger generation to deteriorate formed the a discussion at a meeting o£v the Gisborne High School Board of Governors. A serious .view was taken by the board, which decided to appoint a special committee to consider the subject and ascertain what steps should be taken to remedy the position. Mr. T. Todd called attention to the fact that prior to- his departure from the Dominion, Viscount Bledisloe had directed public attention to the subject. The greatest importance attached to correct speech, said Mr. Todd, who urged the board to take steps to see that careful, dignified and correct English was used. It was necessary to insist on better spoken English from pupils. The motion was seconded by the chairman, Mr. L. T. Burnard, and several members spoke in support of the proposal.

The fact that there was a marked difference between the English spoken by students on playing fields and that bsed in the class rooms was commented upon by the rector, Mr. J. Hutton, who said that playground talk was not allowed in the class rooms. He explained that the American sound film was one of the factors in the deterioration of spoken English of the rising generation. The film vocabularies developed by some of the students, be declared, were really amazing. _