Spoken English & Broken English Flashcards
summary
‘Spoken English and Broken English’ is an essay by George Bernard Shaw which is a transcript of a radio talk recorded in 1927. Thus essay gives some instructions regarding how to speak English to a foreign student of English when they travel in the British Commonwealth or in America or when they meet a native. It even says that the native may even speak in a provincial or cockney dialect of which he is a little ashamed and this may even prevent him from obtaining some employment which is open only to those speaking correct English.
The essay he’s been divided into three sections. The first part rightly stresses on the fact that there is no single model of correct speech in English. The first thing everyone (native or foreigner) must remember is that there lies no ideally correct English. Shaw discusses that the notion of “correct English”, which is the proper way in which English should be spoken. According to him, no two British subjects speak exactly alike. Though they all speak differently, they all speak presentably which makes them understandable and thus acceptable as a person of good social standing. The second part talks about how everyone irrespective of whether they are educated or uneducated , speaks differently in public and in private. A person’s speech in public needs to be a careful one, measuring each word before he speaks, to create an impact and make it understandable. But in private a man is less bothered about the speech, the grammar, articulation,etc .. This section is particularly the most amusing and Shaw presents himself as a guinea pig.
Now in the last section Shaw advises foreigners on how to speak while traveling in English speaking country and here he gives another warning of quite a different kind. The first thing that a person who is a foreigner should do is to speak with strong foreign stress and use broken English without grammar. Then every native to whom he speaks would understand he is a foreigner and would try to understand and be ready to help him. He shouldn’t expect everyone to be polite and use elaborate grammatical phrases. But now this advice is flawed as it is outdated for now that many people not only visit many English speaking countries but also reside in countries like America and Britain.
With globalization taking its hold on the world and the need of learning multiple global languages out of which English stands at the very helm, has led people to seek out the ‘correct’ form of the English language.
What, according to Shaw are the advantages of learning to speak well?
Bernard Shaw says that when we travel in the British commonwealth or in America or when we meet a native of these countries, we have to speak English well enough for understanding.
what is meant by a provincial or Cockney dialect?
provincial or Cockney dialect means which spoken in the East End of England.
what does Shaw say about his own speech?
Bernard Shaw confesses that he himself does not speak English in the same way. when he speaks to the audience, he speaks carefully. Bernard Shaw criticizes that it is an insult to the native speaker of English who cannot understand his own language when it is spoken too well.
how does Shaw speak to his wife?
Shaw says that if he was to speak as carefully as he does to the audience, at home to his wife then she would think that he was going mad. As a public speaker he has to take care that every word he says is heard distinctly at far ends of large halls containing thousands of people. At home he speaks to his wife while mumbling.
Why does Shaw urge foreigners to not try to speak English perfectly when they are in England?
Foreigners need not speak English perfectly if they want to travel in England. Shaw emphasises that there is no perfectly correct English and there is presentable English which is called the “good English”. If a foreigner were to speak English perfectly, then the native English speakers would think that the person is a “confidence trickster” or a con man.
what does Shaw advocate about listening?
George Bernard Shaw says that people are more interested in speaking rather than listening so as a foreigner, listening is the better quality to have as the native English person would like to answer questions and help the foreigner who they find interesting (bro).
why are home manners different from company manners?
in case of company manners, people usually speak in a more refined, precise and with correct grammar. They want to speak carefully to make the other person hear clearly. Also the topic of discussion is usually in a more formal tone. However for home manners, it is much more casual, as the person we are speaking to is a loved one or a dear person and even if we mumble they would not see it as disrespect. There is no need to maintain formality or correct grammar when we are speaking with our close ones.
What is the Connection between Spoken English and Broken English?
The title of the essay “Spoken English and Broken English” implies that there is a connection between the two terms. Spoken English refers to the way in which the English language is spoken in everyday conversation, while Broken English refers to a non-standard form of English that is often associated with non-native speakers or those who have not had formal education in the language.
The connection between the two may be that Broken English is seen as a variation or a subcategory of Spoken English. It is a way of speaking a language that deviates from the standard form but is still considered a valid form of communication.
It is possible for the two to co-exist because even native speakers of English may use non-standard forms of the language in certain situations or contexts. And for non-native speakers, Broken English may be their way of communicating in a language that is not their first. In that case, it’s not necessarily “broken” but rather a different way to express themselves.
In conclusion, the title of the essay suggests that there is a connection between Spoken English and Broken English and that they can coexist as different ways of communicating in the language. It could also be an exploration of the societal view of “broken English” and the implications it holds.
