1954-08-28 — Page 13

POCKET CARTOON

by OSBERT LANCASTER

"I wouldn't worry too much,

| sir—after all, the first good- will visit from a Chines football team will soon pur all this camaraderie în Ita proper perspective."*

SELLING ROMANCE TO PARIS

By James Mayo IT'S happened! London is IT'S

THE CHINA MAIL SATURDAY, AUGUST 28, 1954,

IS THE

ENGLISH

LANGUAGE

OUT OF DATE?

CALL attention to a research which

novel

is going to be made into the written form

of the English language. It

By

William Barkley

Never

to

is too early to go into de- tails. Plana are still in process of formulation and I business, but as for the language,

stereotype it!

allow a warn that they will

take now thought

enter this years to show results. But sphere" If things go as I think they will I predict results of very great importance.

For the first time in the history of the most wide spread Innguage on earth, a major educational authority in England is beginning to make a scientific study of the use of the language in schools,

This

13

A lone outsider is the Chicago Tribune, which luas decided that the latter "y" is a better form than the

conglomeration "ph" end now prints such forms es gramatone and autobiografy.

Unparalled

form

J

In

}

Experiments will also, bo conducted where pupils aro bilingual. For example, do children speaking Welsh and English from infancy in Wales read Welsh more easily or with greater difficulty than English? so, why so? On this subject can provide a small piece of Mr David evidence myself. Grenfell, "Father of the House of

K

Commons, tells me that he never remembers learning

to

ho

Burma, Stam, Ceylon, because it has hardly any gram- China,

Africa, in the mar, and that the English people Indonesia. distrust the grammarions. For, West alone, half a million people of all the languages on the lips year are

learning some of inan, English is incomparably English, and English newspaper

circulations are bounding. Poople's Tongue.

I read Welsh. As he spoke it, ho it not a cheerful picture, with could read it as soon as It has had an unparalleled cats growing

opportunities for learned the alphabet. He tells half Britain perience. For two and a

to spread what she me that today he may write one centuries no grammarian ever thinks

for every is good in her way of letter in Welsh laid hands on it. For all that life? Shall we not be centent? hundred that he writes in Eng- time, after the Norman Conquest

lish, but that he has no trouble in 1068, the English language No. We cannot real. For at in writing Welsh, whereas ho besido was exiled from the royal court home in England a shock has will have a dictionary of Westminster and banned from boen administered to the him in writing English. every court of law. Nothing educational system under which but French or Latin was heard it is rocking. An officiel report It is of prime importance 10

The written exporting romance

the or written in these circles. of

by the Ministry of Education that Miss Florence Horsburgh, demonstrates that one-third of the Minister of Education, has thus left Paris!

Jenner, Heather

English kingunge

The craftsman, the artisan, the children leaving its highly in a House of Commons state- Britain's No. 1 marriage-

private enter- the

of entirely to the Institute branch of Landen prisers, whose not in this de- made this language of England. 11, after ten years compulsory

the peasant, the ploughman-he expensive schools at the age of ment already officially pro- bureau expert, has started a Education, a

mised her goodwill and "No Enterprise.”

her partment Its directors Dr

He found Notable ameng

It as complicated branch on the boulevard University,

education, either them was the

cannot read

read good wishes for any such ex- Bruce Pattison, who la London

said Dr Johnserti,

language

their who boasted any other

own language at all or periments conducted

by and business is booming.

University's Professor of English

he had When he had finished with It it very badly, very slowly that in

She has recognised authority. Frenchmen, it

his dictionary he had seema, is a Foreign Language, a strik- one

ch- and it again came into itorary without comprehension of any promised no money, That is to done the work of furly French- At this time of are no longer quite so keening title.

you

and simplest say, she has laid down that no practically wiped but the shortest men who

180, they as cunstifti in the off-season, he controls a on marrying French girls.

the French

the grammar clean out of it and meanings. Academy. now.

This in reading the government grant will be made for foreigners vacational course

to assist the research. In its simplest speech in the world! French girls, In their turn, which

Webster in the USA and Murray of it as it is today 1 attended by 220

England were other in- spoken form, a miracle of practi- have

hankering for students. They come from 35 in

dividualists who maintained the cal simplicity. to Englishmen....while Eng-different countries--Iceland

of necessity, Sudan

Germany to Nigeria and traditional usage fish girls are crazy

Indonesia and nearly all of them much against their will. French husbands.

Hгo themselves teachers of the this matrimonial English language in their own Why tangle? There was a gleam entries. in Heather's

green eyes when I put the problem to her.

BUTTERFLY TYPE

over

Obstinate

13

he had

05

is today.

Experiments

Educationalis19

say I. our hair

Soft and amooth, distinctive in flavour and of excellent fragrance: theso qualities can be savoured by those who demand the best, and know that this is obtainable when the call is..

WHITE HORSE

Scotch Whisky

ASK FOR IT BY NAME Bola Importers & Jardino Matheson & Cai Lady

A

NEW LOW FARES!

and The

Hooray for that, Government gots in

in our way too much. money can casily be a year

found, about £5,000

ten years.

of

Old To take gender alone, English was as bad as German. The sun was a woman, the moon Every nation except English

When கயுட

Alfred's King Iras ut

various times

the

arc appalled. for enlisted its best linguistic men went into what was

New Forest to cut ribs for the They see themselves un trial and ought to come

டி scholars to clarify and improve

written Language.

The first English fleet, they apoke convicted of failure in their first prietors

Moreover the Army newspapers. French Academy found French of the mighty oat as a female. duty.

authorities complain bitterly. wo The graceful birch was mascu- mediaeval mesa

who could read a line. The word "the" itself was

Mamy boys centuries ago. Frenchmen were

bit at 15 have lost the art by suli writing the letter

"" in sco or what according to

18 and, when they are called up for service

that age, the Army finds that in thousands of cases it has to train the boys to read before it can teach them to fight.

17

a

"French girls say their own It is quite extraordinary how thousands of words in which the gender of the noun. inen are too much the butter-vbstinately the English people it had not been pronounced for fly type. They believe English-have rejected the idea of any fivo hundred years. The

mon and more soild and pendable-but

what

Dr de-authoritarion

I won't впу I think about that one! 'Our English men cliente seem to think French giris can run the house better than the girls they meet at home," she anid. They feel they Will not only make good hostesses, but will help them in their Careera

of

A

Shock

at

Some of it

from the pro- English language

Incomparable

said to his sample of school classes should loving care

gleaming presses tended with

What is an English language centralised Academy modelled and imposed

newspaper? Is it the newsprint supervision Dver the form of the present style of writing

It is printed on? Is it the ink their language. No royal com- French. The Milan Academy

or the string that lies the papers mission has ever "sat" on the did the same service for Itallon

The Institute of Education of

in bundles to distribute English Jungunge. No learned in Dante's day. The Madrid Once his rulers disdained to London is ready to search and wholesalers and retailers and academy or society has ever Academy laid down the rules write his language, the English research to find why this should

roaders? Is it the battery of made pronouncements upon for Spanish.

working man took a look at all be. One such proposal is that a No study, group from Oxford

this grammar und

and bought by That be taught first to read a simple boards of directors only atter or Cambridge

Sometimes governmità. have has ever ponti-

pals, "Let's forget it." It was a is the most leated on its good usage.

intervened directly.

decision written form of the language long study logical

to ensure that the committeo

the Prussian krown to the Indo-European

of these children The progress of

when

en printing-house is equipped with The language has just grown Government which decided and language group. There may be will be studied both And nothing but the best

для

and most Those us it still grow.

who decreed the present form of the other explanations but that will starting with the simple, dictate is written form are the German language as recently as do for the time being

when graduating to the ordin up-to-date machinery?

and tho and difficult, Bry book publishers, 1905. The Bolsheviks were quick printers--the

the A

is the chief

Is that what makes an English tho

prosses,

conlcmpt The scholarly university

Ideas Macmillanses, and also the news- conveyor of

essential quality that of Shakespeare using as now only the accepted is not its their and

written form is of supreme im- that the birth paper proprietors

this employs

Incredible These oditors.

are the people purtance.

One of Lenin's first in 1504 is rewarded in Stratford form

this English.

incomparable who decide that we shall write

to collect a was to

band

His death thero in of in Latin.

For the Arst time scientific Instrument of education, this In the main as Dr Johnson two scholars and remodel the written 1010 is recorded in English. data will be available to probe unparalleled vehicle of Ideas?. centuries ago decreed that we

language with such effect that

question-why worry? the cause of the trouble. An should.

the rest of the world has gaped

IA

the English language answer should be given to carry Does not the English language And the printers and news over

of since at the spread

doing woll as it is?

Certainly weight with the highest authori- deserve a little attention? of England literacy in the Soviet Union. paper proprietors

It is spreading like

of wildfire. ties to the question of what it is it, alone

all human simple have one

rule in this

obstructs reading instruments, incapable of im- "During the war Ulity girls maker: "Mako no

Why is England as distinctive Mary Asiaties today prefer it to i change in

think it their own languages. Engilsh ability of I

ono third

by of the provement

modernisation? were all the rage: husband-

what we inherited. Streamline in this question?

from the fact that the language newspapers, to be read Ministry's millions of pupils at Let us test what a little spit and hunters had to be practical. But and moderniso production in arises

despise

are springing up in the present time. English by them,

polish can do to it, every other department of the grammarians

"Lots of French girls tell me they are attracted by the Eng- lish countryside, Ourers say English hubbands are the kind

and don't ent in the world, expect their wives to be slaves as Frenchmen do.

Englishuman "One

sald ho wanted a French wife "because after a long walk in the rain sho would come back looking

But there just as lovely." It's always the mon, whatever their nationality,

who worry

arbonat

fond

nowadays

looks.

looks are what count,

You can't get away with

shiny nose just by being good

*

at scrambling caps.

With girls it is just the re-

verse.

They

to never seem bother whether a man is hond-

sume

otherwise: It's com panionship and affection

ore looking for."

FAMILY AFFAIR

How do husband

they

or bride-

hunters in Parls compare with

Heather's Mayfair clients?

"They

couldn't be

different," she said

тота

for Andings compared year by year the to see that lingus and that its this simple tongue lasted so long with the mass of schoolchildren language newspaper? Or rather

acts

Next

not

which

it

Why

How much do you agree with William Barkley? Read below

the reactions of

four

THE REV. CANON A. P. ROSE, M.A..

Lecturer in Philosophy, University of Hongkong

"Here in France it's a regular MR Barkley

Vanxious

seems unduly tarian or centralised supervl

of Hongkong's leading authorities

"whether you can make words mean so many different things,”

"Tho

THE VERY REV. F. S. TEMPLE, M.A..

said

I

family affair. They all sit down English language. Modern and it might be the cause of much be Master, that's ali.”

and talk it over together then the client's mother

or

now

And

Dean of 8. John's Cathedral

19," question

FIND it difficult to work up

here let us remember to modernise the sion" over the language, and Humpty Dumpty, "which is to

great enthusiasm about it, that American is quite a dif- and should hate to think of a ferent language to English, both that make their harm. We do not think expressdung

Control of langungo might be committee of experis 'modernis

equally important and valuable, sister own

and become science would be advanced or way

by crank

round aring the English language the Royal attempted comes along to us.

acclimatised in our language, or made more rational "In Britain it's just the other

wither

by a Society, or its President, were to doctrinaire party, George Or- a table, and feel that any lan- but both needing different rules quietly

away,

standards. Anyone who well

“1984” gungʊ novel

any value devolops and Customers whisper process of free consensus. No way about.

decisions Rive

controversia! upon

describes such a situation where and gets adapted by common has to correct essays of Amori- to scientiae evertions still under "Newspeak" 'Bo suro to mark the envelopa very great hardship approus discussion.

different needs the oficiat use to the

of can and English children. well We suspect that language "Personal," with

full my

Oceania: The each generation.

Imow how totally different the Initials, or somebody at home writers; their worst punishment such authoritarianism would be

of languages are. think the French attitude the remote chance of a dis- the death-blow to science, it purpose of Newspeak was not 'The strength and beauty

"the might be no less serious to ly to provide a medium; the English langungo Hê, 'in

suffered

adventurous

be

by

will got hold of

is so much more sensible

conelso in every way.

in and honourable mention

King's

wide

troussou

and mici...

which would enjoy as

sprend comprehension as Bocured by natural growth.

money,

She likes Italian opera and his torical novela,"

AVERAGE AGE "Whereas 'so many English- clients just talic vaguely about their prospects and waffle about culture!"

It is not easy to see what good would result from "an authori

PROF. E. C. BLUNDEN, C.B.E., M.A., F.R.S...,

his

of

of

such

Let other

MR G. A. GOODBAN, MA.,

expression for the world-viewe or "Modern language.

variety, As Mr

Janguages become and mental habits proper to the just An artificial "A Frenchwoman will say: 'I English

Lewis Carroll represents the devotees of Ingsor, but to make Barkley says in his article, the precise and logical, let the Eag

of of the F Process have a daughter to marry. Her speeding up

authoritarian as all other modes of thought in ordinary man- "the carftsman, lish remain practical, full

diferent single the artisan, the peasant,

compromise, full of the shades result in our language language be much will

to of meaning, able example. The word free sull

different such: she will have this into two, neither of Humpty Dumpty. "When I use possible-To give

word" Humpty Dumpty said existed in Newspeak, ploughman" made the language; adapt itself to the this much furniture,

in rather a scornful tone, itd.

but he wild this by using it needs of the times. It is these such

dally, not by sitting round the qualities of means just what I choose it to could only be used in

illogical practical statements as This dog is free table and deciding what should compromise

which are the from mean-neither more nor less."

The question is," said Alice, um llew or "This field is free be altered, and what should be greatness of the English charac

from woods".

I could not be changed: let other languages for. Let the English language used in its old senso of become streamlined and fast, continue to reflect them.

or "intel- free", since polifical Professor of English, University of Hongkong

and intellectual freedom 110 As for modernising the Eng- longer existed oven as concepts, SHOULD soon be out of my

depth I attempted to lish language, this secros to me and were therefore of necessity

speculative. eight. "If she has not found a

nameless....

...Nowspeak design- Languages

THE husband by then she starts to answer the questions which you grow and change

ed not to extend but to diminish article opens up an in- lish, and that this fault is the surely from

teresting and provocative cause of the children's failure. got into a panic and so do her put before me. The teaching of other causes than critical com- the range of thought."

subject, but in a confused and But this is to deliver the verddlet, family," said Honthor:

14| English as 'a language is a sub-ment or sondemic experiment.

haphazard ma

There are like the King of Hearts," before With har partner at

In tha story of the Tower of two main points. First, that the hearing the evidence. Let us Parks Bureau, svelte chestnut-Ject, an you know, which requires. In that i meo many points in which our language has haired Julbetto Marshal, Heather full attention by the specialist modernid Hell, even in the Babel the whole earth was of Institute of Education is to make have, by all means; a scientific has already launched two My own business has been with written form, since I was you each and language until as invewilgation into the use of wudy by qualified persons of mer tool it upon themselves to writion Enggiladi in school to the problem of willberacy But If it is done well, no đổ amine, before you have even. and the mother of a enough to follow. I will say my observation has been too reach to heaven. It is easy to and boy, Heather dlách | though, that possibly the brief me to offer any conclude homeral that the meet her own husband through demorance of English which Eng #lori. I feel that the meanings a giad to take her own daughter show, adler their school days, by many of our young scholars language the girt of the gods, England cannot, swad, their own

What is the average age for French girl allenta? Twenty-

dozen romances.

#tri

Forty?

"the

only

Headmaster. Diocesan Boys' School ....

English literature, which is quite. As for okapsilón ¿ in Hongkong bulk a lower which would wobjook The Bocon Derun the inquiry, that your know⋅Į @bureau-but claima ̈ ebe'd be | 15h children' are now, said, to of words are not quite amume attempt to dontrol and Fronhapà parlously higs:- Perventand: D and dan arounivimistèmain253

usa client.

may come from the current wor "Whether it's London

orship of this eckmods. 15° Parle, people go to a marriage | zde example, now, budka bterawat kasowing they want to lälaborate formulks on thể

married, and what sort

ape'bada use

yed are distant from them, then do not perceive

sion of

children Lodvloer choo

Partage

pf the con- language

with lenging problem to, all

with education

the solution, is both unscientide