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I learned English as a first language. but we had elocution classes as a paid for extra at school. Nothing else except pronunciation.
I always assumed that I had just picked up my received pronunciation and perfect accent, which draws compliments even from native English speakers, just because my parents spoke well.
This was all my mother's doing. She was very proud of the fact that her side of the family was four generations born in England.
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This was despite the fact that my father came from the East End of London. Yet, he spoke perfect English, too. But he was an introvert who liked reading books on practical subjects. He was an opthalmic optician who had wanted to be a doctor.
His father was 'just a tailor', I thought, but my father kept pointing out that his father, like my father's grandfather, had been a master tailor.
A master tailor? What's is that? One who is an expert in measuring, cutting and sewing cloth and buttonholes, and supervises and employs others, as the boss and/or chief tailor and trainer of apprentices. I wondered whether as in other trades and professions he probably had to submit a sample of work to a new employer or guild to get the title).
My father's grandmother spoke no English. But when I asked my retired father to write in a book called Grandfather's Book the professions of his ancestors, I discovered his maternal uncle was the head master of a school.
After my mother died I found the written evidence of the tuition and tests I had taken. And the moral is: It is not enough just to be born in a country. That does not mean you speak perfect English.
It is not necessarily a permanent disadvantage to be born elsewhere. It is not only what you learn at school and what you hear on a daily basis. It is taking the trouble to speak correctly and learn from the experts.And continually learning.
Useful Websites
visitbritain.com
https://www.britishcouncil.org/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhetoric (Skip to the end for links to rhetorical terms.)
https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhetoric
About the Author
Angela Lansbury is a travel writer and photographer, and teacher of English and other languages. Please share links to your favourite posts.
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