Learn in Brief{Click on Me}
Shaw here emphasis the point that there is no such thing as ideally correct English and no two Britishers speak English exactly in the same manner. He says that because of his rich experience as a public speaker and also as a play righter he was appointed by the British Broadcasting Corporation as a member of a committee whose main aim was to develop a model of correct English speech for the British Islands. The Committee was chaired by a poet Laureate who was also an artist and his materials are the sounds of Spoken English, and a specialist in pronunciation Johnston Forbes Robertson, a well known actor known for the beauty of speech was also a member of this committee which was heterogeneous blend of Krish, Scottish, Welsh, Oxford and American members. All theses members could be recognized by their difference in speech and hence we can’t conclude that they spoke English correctly. They, of course Spoken English presentably which is easy to comprehend. Imitating them would make us persons of good social standing. It is also astonishing to note that this committee sometimes did not agree to the usage and pronunciation of most of the simple and common words of English.
Shaw says that the two commonest words in English are ‘Yes’ and ‘No’. But no two members of the committee pronounce them exactly alike. Yet there are some people who find delight in avoiding them. Shaw points out that good effort is needed to comprehend or to follow words, syllable by syllable. He says that he is speaking carefully to an audience of thousands of gramphonists. But if he speaks carelessly as he speaks to his wife, the audience can’t make out, and at the same time if he speaks carefully at home, his wife thinks that he has gone mad. The usage of English differs from situation to situation. One would indeed be labelled mad or insane if one talks to his wife in the same manner as he does at a Gramophone recoding and vice - versa. Shaw, in a lighter sense, asks us to be careful even while speaking to wife and the conversation between a husband and wife should be like a conversation between a King and a Queen. Unfortunately that doesn’t happen with all of us.
Shaw classifies manners into two types namely Company Manners and Home Manners which also vary according to the situation. Family members do not speak among themselves in the manner as they do on ordinary occasions when they are in the presence of an outsider. Shaw further adds by citing an example of ‘key hole moral’ the listener gets surprised to note the difference between two situations. The difference is greater in speech than in anything else. Foreigners need not speak English perfectly if they want to travel in England and if they are wise to be understood these. Even if they do so, they will not be understood since a vast majority in London speaks bad English. If a foreigner speaks perfect English, he/she will be suspected of being a beggar or a confidence trickster. Speaking English too well is in fact a pedantic affectation. George Bernard Shaw further mentions that the stranger hears every syllable distinctly when he asks him what O’ Clock is it? But his wife hears it as “Cloxst”, because it is good enough for her but not to the listener.
Shaw emphasizes that there is no such thing as perfectly correct English and there is presentable English which we call “Good English”. In London, Shaw points out that Nine hundred ninety nine out of every thousand people don’t only speak bad English but speak even that very badly. They neither speak it correctly nor be understood when it is well spoken. He suggests the foreigners, to speak with a foreign accent, and speak broken English, that is English without grammar. Then, the native understands the foreigner and try to understand and gets ready to help. The native never expects the foreigner to be polite and to use elaborate grammatical phrases. Shaw cites an example i.e. “Will you have the goodness sir, to direct me to the railway terminus at charring cross” But if the foreigner shouts “Please! Charing Cross! Which way!” The stranger would have no difficulty, responding to it half a dozen people will immediately overwhelmed to help. If any foreigner requests the native, pronouncing all the vowels and consonants beautifully, how will not understand, and would suspect him to be a beggar or a confidence trickster.
Finally, G.B. Shaw suggests us that one must not speak too well even with cultivated people, during private inter course also. While dispelling the fears of foreigners with regard to the language G.B. Shaw says that little knowledge is adequate to travel England, and adds that to speak too well is a pedantic affectation, even among English people. G.B. Shaw says that is an insult to the native who can’t understand his own language when it is too well spoken.