The proper way to talk in english
- 1. THE PROPER WAY TO TALK IN ENGLISH BY GEORGE LASLUISA
- 2. CORRECT SPELLING? • The best way to talk: the best written English. • WHO DECIDED WHAT IS THE BEST?? • This is an attempt to ‘fix’ the language. • The relation between sound and spelling.
- 3. ATTEMPT TO FIX PRONUNCIATION • There are almost seven different ways to represent the vowel sound “ee”. • ATTEMPTS: • 1589, George Puttenham’s ‘The Art of English Poesy’: to advice poets which words to use. • The eighteenth century, the codification of writing: the pressure to write correctly. • 1756, Thomas Sheridan ‘British Education’: focus on elocution. • Thomas Sheridan established distinctive sound of English language, types of diphthongs and syllables.
- 4. SHERIDAN • 1762,lecture about PRONUNCIATION attacking dialects. • Socially divided ‘proper’ and ‘non-proper’ speech. ACCENT was ‘manner of pronunciation’. Fight for pronunciation 1791, John Walker ‘Pronouncing dictionary’ Short north Long A for innacurate speakers 1795, William Smith on Walker’s “mincin modern affectation” Long South
- 5. SHERIDAN IN SCOTLAND • He tell them the advantages of an uniformity of pronunciation. • The Select Society in Edinburgh aware of disadvantages due to their imperfect tongue. • There were two language in Scotland, and the smaller (GAELIC) retreated. • Dr. Jhonson: The conversation of Scotts grow everyday unpleasing the English.
- 6. THE ACT OF UNION 1707 Scotland’s law and administration were on London Gaelic the low language. English for laws, administration, education, religion Scotticisms were avoided for polite society.
- 7. ROBERT BURNS • His work refuted Dr. Johnson • A Romantic poet. • He loved Scotts. • 400 songs reaching back to its roots. • Scots suffered the disregard of non-standard English.
- 8. WILLIAM WORDSWORTH • Lyrical Ballads in 1798. • Poetry written in the language used by men, not a poetic diction. • Writing about his childhood, rural life. • An educated person in Cambridge and traveled Europe, but soiled in a low rustic life. • Wordsworth’s work carries a philosophical study.
- 9. MRS. MALAPROP • In a polite society, the way of talking make people risk ridicule. • Richard Brinsley Sheridan invited Mrs. Malaprop, from French meaning ‘inappropriate’ • Mrs. Malaprop was supposed to be a culticated lady. • How best to use and speak language. • All of these came Jane Austen.
- 10. JANE AUSTEN • Her style: description, conversation, narrative. • Novels suitable only for women. • A time to spread libraries: • Expensive books by a small hire. • Literacy and education grew. • Poetry and drama. • No use of language of streets or swear words, and the language of the bodily parts not allowed.
- 11. CENSORSHIP • Coarse language withdrew from public view. • The word BLANK to censor bad words. • THE INDESCRIBABLES or synonyms instead of dread words. • Bowdler censored words from Shakespeare. • It went to stigmatize provincial accents and dialect words.
- 12. VARIETY • The sounded /r/ sound. “lord” “laud” • Keats ridiculed at rhyming “fauns and thorns” • Pygmalion play. Transformation to a lady by implanting proper pronunciation.