NEW ZEALAND “TWANG.”

Taranaki Daily News, 25 January 1922, Page 8

NEW ZEALAND “TWANG.”

DISCUSSION BY THE SENATE. SIR ROBERT STOUT’S VIEWS. “Are NewJ Zealanders developing a distinctive ‘twang’ in their speech?” was a question raised by Mr. F. A. de la Mare, of Hamilton,‘at the meeting of the University Senate. He mentioned the case of a friend who told him he was not going to send his child to the primary school because the “colonial accent” was so noticeable, and said he was afraid there was a great tendency toward the development of a “twang,” which, however, was not quite as bad°as that in Australia.

Mr. J. Caughley, Director of Education, disagreed, saying he did not know tjhere was any such tendency, but thought, on the contrary that the standard of speech and enunciation was improving, although the amount of “slang” introduced was increasing. Sir Robert Stout, Chancellor of the University, referred to his recent visit to Great Britain and said that in his opinion the boys and girls in New Zealand were speaking the English language just as w’ell as it was spoken in any part of the United Kingdom. He had noticed a great Improvement in the speaking of the English language in Ntew Zealand; particularly in Auckland, compared / with 20 or 30 years ago’ There had also been an improvement in Australia.