QUALITY IN SPEECH.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18404, 10 June 1925, Page 7

QUALITY IN SPEECH.

AND THE NEW ZEALAND ACCENT.

SUGGESTIONS PROM PROFESSOR

NEWLANDS.

New Zealanders are always interested to get an expert opinion about the quality of their speech, and it was ■with this end in' view that a "Dominion" representative put some questions to Mr JV C. Newlands, formerly Professor of Public Speaking and Elocution .at New College, Edinburgh. The, interview was pleasant for the interviewer, if not for- his v subject, because it became evident,, as the Professor "warmed up" to his favourite, topic, that there is a very fine quality about the speaking voice which, if cultivated, hasa real value in adding to the pleasure of even an ordinary conversation. This point was mentioned to Professor Newlands, who agreed that care in speech is not merely desirable for the public speaker, but an absolute necessity for everyone."Some'ladies -who have many good I things in life, such as motor-cars, I fashionable furs and gowns, are t scrupulously careful 'to have the " latest style" remarked Professor Newlands, "because they believe these surroundings make them pass for society ladies. They seem to attend to everything but the training of a cultured accent, forgetful that whenever they open their mouths—no matter how delightful are their' surroundings—that they proclaim the* real set to which they belong." '"After eighteen months \pi travel throughout the Empire and Britishspeaking countries" continued Professor Newlands, "I have become appalled at the varied accents served up as 'the King's English.'" Starting with Britain, some of the dialects am not misusing the word—awful! In Scotland, the Doric is dying. The secondary schools insist on English being spoken, even with the broad vowels and the trilled fr.' First time I visited Kerriemuir, the 'Thrums' of Sir James Barrie, I went into several shops to make purchases, thinking I might hear the Forfar dialect, but I only heard English with a peculiarly hard turn in vowels, and a clip of certain consonants. I was bemoaning the fact to an old inhabitant, who sadly agreed with me 'You won't hear sucn a thing in Kerriemuir as, broad Forfar dialect from the young generation,' he said. 'That's what this damned education is doing for us! Changing our character, and stealing away our native tongue I' " .' Professor Newlands added that he met • one man, a baker, a distant relative of Sir James Barrie, who did speak the broad Forfar dialect, and it was a sheer delight to listen to him. However, there are some accents that are vile, and some, that are beautiful. "People who are careful with their speech," •' continued this excellent authority on the subject, "must ever be on the alert to keep it pure. Contamination creeps in so easily when talking to those who have not had the advantage of a good education and refined speech." The interviewer thus led his subject up to the most interesting question of all, his opinion of New Zealand speech. Professor Newlands showed true Scottish caution by quoting a paragraph from the London "Daily Mail" of last January, from its Christchurch correspondent, which stated: "Complaints are rife on,the prevalence of a Colonial

'twang' in New Zealand. ..As a remedy, ib is suggested that an exchange of primary school teachers between New Zealand and Britain should be made, to enable New Zealand teachers to study English as it is spoken in the Home Country." "It is to be hoped,"« commented Professor Newlands; "that no one will go on the . assumption that all, teachers at Home are good speakers. Teachers sent out here would require to be carefully selected. There would only be a place in New Zealand for the best. Certainly in England gooS English is spoken at the" but the - London business men, have raised a strong protest', against the vulgar speech of scholars coming-from the London County Council schools. I know for a fact that in good schools in New Zealand, excellent English is but when one pauses to examine defects of speech both here and in England, one realises that many of the teachers have riot had the advantage of instruction in good speaking. If it is the desire of New Zealanders to improve their speech, careful .attention to this subject in the schools, is a very effective method of achieving that end, but it is only, reasonable to to ask that the teachers should receive adequate instruction in this important subject. New Zealanders have one great -advantage," concluded Professor Newlands encouragingly, "Their speaking ybice is really good in tone j and pitch!"