The Ongar Academy teaching students not to say ‘like’ and
‘geezer’
In what is thought to be the first of its kind in the
county, teachers at The Ongar Academy have devised a project to ensure pupils
speak correctly. It began this term with the aim to stamp out use of the phrase
"ain't". Next, staff will target pupils' incorrect and excessive over
use of the words "like" and "literally". Future targets
could be the reference to "geezer" instead of man and "bird"
when referring to a female. David Grant, head teacher of the school in Fyfield
Road, Ongar, has devised the new policy with assistant head Rebecca Hingston as
they fear that left uncorrected, pupils' speech may cost them job
opportunities.
Mr Grant said: "We have noticed since we started the
school that students use a certain idiolect, which is particular to this area
and in the future may not favourably reflect on them when they attend college
and job interviews. We want our pupils to be able to sit in front of future
employers confident they are giving a good impression by the way they speak,
backing up the qualifications they have worked hard to achieve. "Also,
children tend to write as they speak so incorrect use of words in their speech
are reflected in their written English. If we, as staff, all encourage them to
speak well, they will instinctively become better at written English, which
will have a knock-on effect on all their school subjects."
All 100 Year 7 pupils at the school are taking part in the
project, which is expected to run indefinitely. The aim is to focus on a
certain phrase each fortnight and this is highlighted by posters around the
school.
Crackdown
Teachers of all subjects have been urged to crackdown on
pupils using these phrases. Mrs Hingston said although it was early days,
pupils had already started to react positively to the initiative. She said:
"Out in the playground we have heard pupils correcting each other when
they use the phrase 'ain't' and parents have mentioned that their children have
been commenting on their incorrect usage of words too. I really believe the
pupils want to be able to speak well. "They are just not aware that the
usage of some of their words is wrong but having it pointed out to them
politely, but firmly, they are keen to lose the bad habits." Mr Grant says
speaking the Queen's English is essential for pupils to succeed in what is
increasingly becoming a global job market. He said: "Our pupils will be
competing with other Europeans for jobs. They will be up against non-native
English speakers, who because of the way they have been taught 'proper English'
may be better spoken than them. "In this year of the Queen's 90th birthday
and commemoration of 400 years since Shakespeare's death and I think we have a
responsibility to ensure the way the pupils talk gives a positive
impression." The school has just gained planning permission for the
building of its permanent buildings on Fyfield Road.
My Response:
The recently published article “The Ongar Academy teaching
students not to say ‘like’ and ‘geezer’”, explores a unique case, where a group
of teachers are aiming to change the way their students speak, insisting that
their current ‘bad habits’ will negatively impact their chances of gaining
future employment; arguing that employers will not employ them, if they speak ‘improper’
English.
I strongly disagree with the teachers arguing this case and I
believe it is only in the nature of being a teenager to use such slang terms.
In your teen age years, you are enabled to speak in slang and non-standard English
because that is part of being a teenager. A teenager should not need to worry
about how they would be perceived in a job interview and should simply be free
to speak how they wish, with reason. Slang is often used to fit into certain
social groups, so, without it, a child may find themselves unable to socialise,
leading to isolation and, effectively, making their life a lot worse off.
The way a person communicates is very personal; it is part
of their personality, it helps them create a specific image for themselves,
allows them to express themselves and allows them to be proud of where they
come from. Without different styles of English, no one would have personality.
Slang and ‘improper’ English is seen in every generation of
teenagers, so why is it only now that action is being taken? Previous
generations (whom also spoke with slang) have proved that it is very easy and
very simple to remove themselves from speaking in a certain mode, to enable
that they are taken seriously as an adult. Having said this, I believe, like
those of the past, teenagers today, will mature with age and eventually stop
using slang.
Furthermore, I consider the factor, that most, if not all, teenagers
are intelligent enough to recognise an inappropriate situation to use slang and
will adjust the way they speak dependent on the listener and the circumstances.
Moving on, it is a widely accepted view that the way a
person speaks does not directly correlate with their intelligence or ability,
therefore, if these factors were to hinder a person’s chance of gaining
employment then I believe it is the job interviewers whom are in the wrong,
they should be less prejudice and judgemental against the way a person speaks. Also,
if a person adjusts themselves to speak inversely, in order to create a
different image, then it could be very likely that the employer is not
employing the kind of person they think they are. As a result, it is the
employer whom suffers.
Although I have positioned myself opposing this article, in
some cases Students will be discriminated in job interviews because of the way
they speak. So, to prepare them for such situations, I believe it would be very
wise to have designated days, to specifically target the student’s abilities to
adapt when being interview. For instance, another local school, Shenfield High
School, has a yearly event, for its year 10s, labelled ‘Interview Day’, which
does exactly that.
