LAXITY IN SPEECH.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIV, Issue 4512, 8 January 1923, Page 2

LAXITY IN SPEECH.

APPE AL FOR PURE ENGLISH. In an address at the annual distribution of prizes at Newington Col; lege, Sydney, the headmaster, Dr. C. J. Prescott, said that he deplored the prevalence of bad grammar and slang and the general laxity in speech and writing. “I wish,” he said, “I could see as; the result of pur extended education, a wider appreciation of the fine Eng-; lish language. When the old class! 4 cal system was being assailed we were told that a rich compensation would be found in our own literature And accordingly English enters into every school curriculum, mostly A 4, compulsory. Very reluctantly- I hay| to express the opinion that, the have been disappointing. Under old regime boys spent little' time school on English, but they grew a® quainted with English literature, an| they certainly learned to write t® language correctly and speak it bea® tifully-. We have now had compulsQEra education in primary .and seconds® schools for 40 years, and what are tig results ? Bad grammar, enunciation, unconscious slang, ing pronunciation meet us on evejig hand. Our boys and girls are loyal enough to the flag, but they have not yet learned to be loyal to their mo 4 ther .tongue. I am not speaking of any one class, still less of my own. boys in particular, and I know there’ are many honourable exceptions; but scores who are brought up in good homes and educated in good schools are little credit to us in thi?, respect. In so far as a climate affects the voice, we must expect that some changes will be distinctively Austra; lian, just as Canada and the United States, have each produced a pro-’ nunciation of its own, and acceptthem with the best grace we may. But we have everything to gain by keeping a watchful eye on changes as they come.”