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BBC English, or whatever they think it is

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New Dexter
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BBC English, or whatever they think it is

Post by New Dexter »

Now I realise that this subject bores some members of this forum but they don't have to read this post. I like the English language and appreciate the efforts some, for whom it's not a first language, go to express themselves in my language.
The BBC, however, seems to have its own agendum. There has been much discussion about the dreadful English used by some on the BBC. We now have to hear people say "He authored", "She penned", something is "evidenced" or he/she "referenced" something.
Recently I have noticed that people do not say, for example "I went to the shops" but "I went TER the shops".
This country has a monarchy and we have a Queen. Queen, spelled phonetically, is Kween. Quality is thus Kwality but although BBC announcers manage to say Kween they have decided to use Korter for quarter and kolity for quality.
English is full of inconsistencies, anomalies, illogicalities and downright oddities but an awful lot of people speak it worldwide.

Try explaining to an non-native speaker why there are five ways of pronouncing the "ough" sound!

I would have liked to ask the BBC's USA correspondent why he thought that people were "sat" around a table instead of "sitting" and why he though that "governor generals" was the correct plural to use.

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marchesmark
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Re: BBC English, or whatever they think it is

Post by marchesmark »

We've had an email from the BBC: they want to know 'is you disrespectin' them'?

A.N.Other
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Re: BBC English, or whatever they think it is

Post by A.N.Other »

Dear New Dexter,

Firstly let me apologise for my terrible grammar, spelling and English. It comes from a background of poor education at school. I don't want to blame the teachers at the comprehensive which I attended. They were busy teaching the pupils that showed promise and due to staffing levels, didn't really have the time for the slower, uninterested ones like myself. Credit where credit is due, they did alter my time table in order to make me attend remedial classes. It did at least learn me to spell my name correctly. I also don't want to put the blame on my parents who were busy looking after a large family while working to finance general living.
I was lucky, I was offered an apprenticeship and learned in no time that the things being taught were not only useful but needed. I therefore caught up to a level that I could communicate with my peers. Once a level of competence was reached then night school soon got dropped for socialising.
I now have to use a key pad and the internet more often with work and my interests.
I am ashamed to admit that I am forever shouting out across the room for people to tell me how to spell something. That said though I find that in general I can communicate with family, friends and work colleagues without them correcting me continually.
Again apologies for not being correct but on the whole I hope that I make myself understood and can both give and receive advice when it is needed.
God knows what will happen when I have to chat with HRH when I get my knighthood.
Colin,
I may be slow but I’m rough as well !

Sydsmith
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Re: BBC English, or whatever they think it is

Post by Sydsmith »

Arks instead of ask, decade instead of ten years, yeh instead of yes, etc etc etc.

It's not just the BBC it is all broadcasters, how are our children to know what is correct if they are fed such a diet of bad English.

Phillmore
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Re: BBC English, or whatever they think it is

Post by Phillmore »

The BBC is left wing and therefore ashamed of appearing elitist. By employing regional accents and dumbing down to the lowest common denominator they believe they are being populist and inclusive. In the good old days that was the domain of ITV Innit?
Andy

1954 Conquest Mk1, 1956 Conquest Mk2, 1957 Conquest Century Mk2, 1955 Austin A90 Westminster

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John-B
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Re: BBC English, or whatever they think it is

Post by John-B »

I'm always amazed when they interview people from the other side of the world, especially third world countries in Africa, where the interviewee speaks clear and grammatically correct English, no mumbling or indecipherable accent. (I had to look up how to spell indecipherable as I used an f instead of ph, so my spelling is getting worse.)
The foreign interviewees aren't necessarily from the richer element of society.

I blame school teachers for the decline in standards. An accent is acceptable, but errors in grammar, spoken or written, are increasing.

Vortex O'Plinth
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Re: BBC English, or whatever they think it is

Post by Vortex O'Plinth »

John-B wrote: Sat Sep 16, 2017 11:24 am ..... An accent is acceptable.....
Just as well, since everyone's got one. ;)
Nick

"Don't bother with the Air & Space Museum - there's nothing to see.......".

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Re: BBC English, or whatever they think it is

Post by New Dexter »

Good evening Gentlemen

Firstly to Big Col. There is absolutely no need/requirement etc for an apology. We are what we are. My original post was not a swipe at anyone on this forum. Just at the Beeb Beeb Ceeb. (see Milligan, Spike for answer). Education of the population is vital but it is a two way subject i.e. there has to be commitment from pupil as well as teacher. Some take to learning, other do not and some learn in a different way and learn subjects that are practical. There have been times when I have met excellent teachers, inspirational men who have left their legacy in my knowledge bank and others who made me wonder whether they were the example of why George Shaw said "Those who can do, those who can't teach"
If I wander off my original post please bear with me. Teaching, to me, is a skill, almost an art. It requires inspiration, the desire to impart knowledge and the possibility of seeing the look of understanding appear in pupils' faces. I asked a head teacher if he enjoyed teaching. He did, whenever his workload permitted. On being asked if he had ever seen that look of understanding, of comprehension appear in a child's eyes, he replied that he had. On being asked how he felt he had to agree that it was a most wonderful feeling.
I had the benefit of a grammar school education. Well in theory anyway. There were good teachers, my classics teacher was my favourite and most inspirational. However, the head master was more concerned with the number of use who went on to university to be bothered with the rest of us. The head of biology who ran his private business from an office at the back of the laboratory, who had to be referred to as "Colonel" because he had set up the school cadet force. He was no more a colonel than I was. Every time he took a lesson he would sit at the teacher's desk and dictate from a text book, the very same one that we had and boy was he annoyed when I asked if we had to know this for the exam. I don't think anyone had had the temerity to question him before. My brother attended the same school and his description of the teaching would have to be "edited" before I could reveal it here.
That to which I take exception is given ammunition by the Daily Mail this morning which revealed that the BBC has decided not to mention an applicant's educational achievement. Why the beep not?. One presumes to create a level playing field. What's wrong with an education?
Listening to the 5pm news this evening I heard Chris Mason announce that Boris Johnson had "penned" an article. No he bloody well hadn't, he had written one. Do we not have verbs anymore?
I have a customer, a young and educated man of 33. Nice young lad but prone to starting a sentence with...., gulp.... "So" and occasionally lapsing into Millbandese with "D'you know what?". (Even Mrs Clinton used that on her campaign trail). I teased him about the "So" on Tuesday and he admitted that he hates hearing it but because he works in London many times in a month where it's endemic and all the Yoof use it it rather rubs off!
On the subject of accents. That's merely a way of pronouncing a word. In London one says glarss, probably in the West Country too but in t'North one says glass to rhyme with mass! Personally I do like regional accents, some more than others
It's the misuse of English that caused me to write the original post, where grammar disappears, words are mis-pronounced e.g. Wevver for weather, etc etc... Nouns used as verbs, the "fashionable" dropping of the letter T in words so that we have Grea Bri'n (see Cameron, David and Teflon Tony for details)
Time to close the workshop, switch on the TV and to use Yoof speak, "Chill Man" (!!)

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Re: BBC English, or whatever they think it is

Post by John-B »

New Dexter wrote: Sat Sep 16, 2017 7:15 pmListening to the 5pm news this evening I heard Chris Mason announce that Boris Johnson had "penned" an article. No he bloody well hadn't, he had written one. Do we not have verbs anymore?
I'm not against new words entering the language, whether it's nouns or verbs, but in the case of "penned", it's almost certainly incorrect. He would have used a computer or a biro, so it should be "keyed" or "biroed". If new words are going to be invented, at least get it right. "Pencilled in" is another phrase, and that seems to be generally accepted as good English.

Vortex O'Plinth
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Re: BBC English, or whatever they think it is

Post by Vortex O'Plinth »

New Dexter wrote: Sat Sep 16, 2017 7:15 pm
...Listening to the 5pm news this evening I heard Chris Mason announce that Boris Johnson had "penned" an article. No he bloody well hadn't, he had written one. Do we not have verbs anymore?
(!!)
I'm afraid these literary barbarians have been with us for some time; I came across the following in a short story by Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849)..

"She had not returned my letter unopened. She had even sent me, in reply, one penned by her own exquisite fingers."

Still, Poe was american, so what can one expect? ;)
Nick

"Don't bother with the Air & Space Museum - there's nothing to see.......".

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