OUR MOTHER TONGUE
Sir, —A pica for hotter teaching in the use of English, made hv Lord Baldwin in a speech recently, calls forth the sympathetic appreciation of a large number of people, who are genuinely concerned about the speech of our younger generation. One cannot but note with concern the appalling manner in which our children are allowed to mutilate the English language. The introduction of many vulgar Americanisms into our midst is to be deeply deplored. There used to be a boast that we in New Zealand spoke better English than most people, but how long will that be possible when our children are learning to speak so incorrectly? "Watcher doin'?" is a common example—one hears "yeah" on every side. Cannot anything be done to check this calamity, for calamity it certainly isP Lord Baldwin very truly says: "Once lose your tongue, or let it hecome an inferior medium, and I doubt if anything in this world can ever restore it to you." , Concerned.
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Bibliographic details
New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23109, 6 August 1938, Page 19
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166OUR MOTHER TONGUE New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23109, 6 August 1938, Page 19
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