Hello duckies! I hope y'all doing great...
I have got to say that I got frightened by how loose I let my English go on.
Why am I telling it?
I was comparing my acquired accent (developed by years of self-dedication to studying the peculiar sounds of the language) to some RP's ones in films, and it scared me! Because I, somehow, felt my English is veering off course towards some sort of Welsh accent mixed with Cockney, and to make things worse, an American way of saying the letter R when a word ends in it. (which I daresay, absolutely disgusts me!)
It is all a result of a bastardised English which, is being taught at public schools in Rio de Janeiro. The spelling is somewhat British, but sometimes also American, the accent is absolutely American-oriented with a character having an uncle who is British.
How come they had no standards on developing this whole material? Anyway...
Due to the fact that, I came across this dilemma, I decided to post today a short extract from the film: "My Fair Lady" from 1964 starring the always brilliant, Audrey Hepburn. Here it comes:
Remember, you're a human with a soul, and the divine gift of articulate speech. English is the language of Shakespeare and Milton and the Bible. Don't sit there crooning like a bilious pigeon.
- Look at her, a prisoner of the gutters. Condemned by every syllable she utters. By right she should be taken out and hung, for the cold-blooded murder of the English tongue. This is what the British population calls an elementary education!
- I think you've picked a poor example.
- Did I? Hear them down in Soho Square dropping H's everywhere. Speaking English any way they like.
- Hey, you, sir, did you go to school?
- What "ya tike" me for, a fool?
- No one taught him "take" instead of "tike".
Hear a Yorkshireman, or worse...
Hear a Cornishman converse...
I'd rather hear a choir singing flat!
- Garn! (Go on)
- Garn! I ask you, sir, what sort of word is that? It's "aow" and "garn" that keep her in her place, not her wretched clothes and dirty face.
Why can't the English teach their children how to speak?
This verbal class distinction by now should be antique.
If you spoke as she does, sir, instead of the way you do. Why, you might be selling flowers, too.
- I beg your pardon.
An Englishman's way of speaking absolutely classifies him. The moment he talks he makes some other Englishman despise him. One common language, I'm afraid we'll never get. Oh, why can't the English learn to... Set a good example to people whose English is painful to your ears:
The Scotch, and the Irish leave you close to tears.
There even are places where English completely disappears.
Why, in America they haven't used it for years!
Why can't the English teach their children how to speak?
Norwegians learn Norwegian.
The Greeks are taught their Greek.
In France every Frenchman knows his language from A to Z. The French don't care what they do actually, as long as they pronounce it properly!!!
Arabians learn Arabian with the speed of summer lightning
The Hebrews learn it backwards which, is absolutely frightening
Use proper English and, you're regarded as a freak!!!
Oh, why can't the English... Why can't the English learn to speak?
Everytime I watch this act of the film, it makes me feel so good and also wonder how languages develop.
Have fun reading it... Be my guest!
Cheers,
Murry "BrazBrit"
