Speak proper!

One needs a good English accent on the phone these days so those bods in Mumbai and Perth can understand one.

Although she was brought up in Cornwall my daughter always had (I thought) a definite Home Counties accent. When she came up to University in Surrey everyone commented on her lovely Cornish accent !!! After she'd spent three years renting a house in Staines this had degenerated into what we refer to as her "Shtines" accent (The closest I can get to how she says it)

When I used to teach mature students, I noticed that those who were smart enough to adopt an 'academic' way of writing undoubtedly increased their chances of doing well on courses and in exams, but in the process they lost something, in that their writing lost a liveliness and sense of who they were and where they had come from.

Yes, I think it's important that children learn to speak and write grammatically, otherwise they risk being disenfranchised - posh, rich people make sure their kids know how to do these things. Fortunately, the development of language is somehow greater than these petty, get on in the world concerns. Through years of teaching and listening to my students, my own vocabulary has been increased enormously - when I can't be bothered to do something, I always now say 'I can't be arsed' - it has a wonderful, deadpan English ring to it.

On a slight digression, as someone who has hearing difficulties, what I really appreciate is not people who speak in a posh accent, but those who really enunciate their words. Now you're cooking with gas!

'Can't be arsed' is one of my favourite expressions.

Or 'you could try getting off your arse' to DH if I think he is being lazy.

I agree with vegas that clarity of speech is extremely important. Even with good hearing it can be difficult to understand people whose enunciation is imprecise or who mumble into their chests. It staggers me how many people don't seem to realize they need to speak louder/more clearly than usual when they turn or walk away from you but carry on talking.

Add me to the "can't be arsed" fan list.

Articulation is the key. Doesn't matter about the accent. Can't stand mumblers

Yes she is right, this is her job and she obviously takes it seriously, which is very good to see, so very well done to her.

Agree entirely, Roseyk!

Did anyone hear a programme on Radio 4 a few months back, where this chap set off to find exactly where "house" becomes "arse" ?! he was explaining that some people would say "I've just had double glazing fitted in me arse" or "I inherited me arse from me mother"

Lovely programme, both amusing and informative!

Just choked on my wine reading this Phoenix

Didn't hear the programme - wish I had!

I just wish I could remember the chap's name" He pops up from time to time, has a lovely accent himself (might be Yorkshire?) I think he's got quite an unusual name, but not sure.

Is it the one who sounds like Mike Harding (singer/poet, whatsit)?

The chap I was trying to think of with the unusual name was Gervase Phinn, but I don't think he did the house/arse programme.

Possibly Riverwalk

Oooh I'm going mad here trying to find it, after all I can hardly phone the BBC and say "Who did that programme about house being pronounced arse" can I ?

You've got me going now - just googled 'arse/house' on BBCs website, no luck!

Ring them up and ask for the nice chap with the Lancashire/Yorkshire accent who sounds like Mike Harding.

I've just email them after extensive googling! How sad am I ???

I remember the programme - No idea who it was though - it was very funny and very informative.
I think the reason people used to be expected to use RP was that it was associated with being educated, as teachers would correct dialect/slang in the classroom. That was in the days when education was respected for itself and had nothing to do with being "posh".
And while children on the whole can distinguish between the sort of language acceptable in the playground and the sort acceptable in polite company, of course many kids do not receive a particularly good example in the home or, these days from the media. It makes me cringe when I hear a (harrassed- maybe) parent tell their child to f-ing shut up/shut their f-ing cake 'ole/f-ing give it a rest etc. Children will copy what they hear, whether at home or on Eastenders.

Didn't hear it but sounds like the sort of programme that Simon Armitage would make [my current favourite tv historian ]. He has a very broad [but quite delightful accent].

My mother who was an infants teacher, once commented when another teacher came in and said that he'd just found two kids 'shagging' in the grounds, that 'they're too young to be smoking'!
To be fair her father smoked a pipe tobacco known as shag.!

No, don't think it's him but I have discovered that he has a website [sigh]....

Galen

Tegan don't think it was him, in fact pretty sure it wasn't. This chap played the guitar and sang a song at the end. I'm glad graces heard it too, at least it wasn't just me!

Billy Bragg [?]....

Ian McMillan?

Is this it?

linguistlaura.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/ian-mcmillan-and-arse.html