The benefits of speaking clear Standard English with clarity and expressively

Bernard Phillips Opinion Jul - 20 - 2015 , 06:52

’’Mind your speech a little lest you should mar your fortunes.’’ —William Shakespeare

English is a second language and the official language in Ghana and, rightly or wrongly, it is also the international language of business, diplomacy, and education.

In Ghana we conduct Parliamentary debates in English, our education and broadcasting is predominantly in English.

Unfortunately, spoken English is not taught in schools, not even in the UK, certainly not in Ghana or Nigeria. It is because it requires specialist training to teach Spoken English.

There was a time before Independence and just after when our lawyers, judges, broadcasters, politicians etc. spoke clear Standard English with confidence.

Unfortunately, over the years, since independence, our spoken English has deteriorated.

While educated Ghanaians may write excellent English, many struggle with the pitch range, intonation pattern, stress, and accent of Standard English.

Of course there is no good or bad accent and there is absolutely nothing wrong with speaking English anyhow a speaker pleases, that is his or her choice. It is also inevitable that the influences of our local languages will affect the way we speak English.

That is not to suggest that we do not strive to speak English with clarity and eloquently.

Benefits of speaking English with clarity and expressively

There are many benefits of speaking English with clarity and with the right pronunciation and intonation.

Business and academic research over the past decade has proven time and time again that those who speak the widely accepted Standard English with confidence and distinction are perceived to be better educated and even more intelligent than those who do not.

Despite the fact that human resource officers try to ignore the accent, it still affects decisions on a subconscious level.

People who are capable of speaking confidently and demonstrating their grasp of the English language have a better chance of a successful professional life.

If two people with identical qualifications and experience were to go to an interview for a job, who is likelier to get the job if one of them speaks English in a clearer, more expressive and confident manner?

We are not talking about snobbish old-fashioned speech, but clear, resonant, and effective Standard English spoken with clarity and confidence

Many multi nationals prefer well-spoken staff. Even in the United Kingdom, large corporate companies, including multi nationals and banks, send some of their executives and some frontline staff to be trained in formalised English speech with the intention of bolstering communication skills and enhancing their business Image.

Many native English speakers have regional accents, which some employers consider may be distracting in negotiation and presentation scenarios and on the telephone.

Some politicians in the UK and famous personalities have been coached to speak their own language with the right rhythm and intonation.

Most famous of whom include Mrs. Margaret Thatcher and David Beckham. Today, many other UK politicians and famous people are taught how to speak their own language with clarity.

Almost all Customer Call Centres for UK companies are based in India and without exception all Call Centre staff are coached thoroughly to speak English with clarity, as the customers in the UK who call the Call Centres will otherwise, not understand them.

The second language and official language of India like Ghana is English and all educated Indians speak English.

Yet Call Centre staff, all of whom are graduates and speak English, are coached to speak English with clarity.

It is no shame to improve your spoken English. It is self-improvement.

Do we not all admire those who speak English eloquently?

Rightly or wrongly we all tend to regard people who speak English well as educated.

“He has such an educated voice,” we hear, or ‘’She speaks with such poise and confidence.’’ All of that simply means the person in question speaks English well and with clarity.

Are we not all guilty of the same perception that people who speak Standard English with clarity and accepted intonation as being educated and intelligent? In some cases, these stereotypes have nothing to do with reality.

Nevertheless, do we all not wish we could speak clear, expressive Standard English?

It is not enough to just understand ourselves, our ears are attuned to the way we speak English.

Inevitably some of us may want to go for higher education overseas or perhaps even attend high-level business or diplomatic meeting overseas. The need to speak English with clarity becomes absolutely necessary.

Non-Ghanaians may struggle to understand us if we do not speak English clearly and expressively.

They would never say they do not fully understand us. Similarly we would struggle to understand native English speakers with strong regional accents like Geordie, or say a Chinese speaking English with the strong nuances and accents of his or her native language.

We would never say, or keep saying, sorry I do not understand what you are saying. We may write English very well but when we need to speak English with clarity we cannot opt to write an essay!

Origins of spoken standard English

In the early days of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Lord John Reith, the first Director General, popularised a speech pattern known as Received Pronunciation.

Received Pronunciation (RP) was described as typically British, and was also known as the “Queen’s English,” “BBC English,” or “Oxford English.” Those of a certain age will remember the clip accents of BBC newsreaders of the 1950s—at least from newsreels.

Received Pronunciation is, however, a cultural element of the past and the new spoken Standard English has evolved a long way from the typically traditional upper class British RP heard on old BBC newsreels and in films of J. Arthur Rank.

The teaching of Standard English today acknowledges the cultural diversity of English speakers across the globe without reinforcing some of the old stereotypes associated with the past.

Nevertheless, Standard English still retains some of the kite marks of education and social status that RP held and it remains highly important in the contemporary global marketplace.

Slang and English dialects are quite common in numerous parts of the world, including university campuses in Ghana. Such variations of the language may be suitable for everyday communication. However, when young people start looking for a job, their situation requires having an additional tool. The ability to speak Standard English in a clear, expressive, confident manner becomes an important career tool for these young would-be professionals.

Learning spoken Standard English should be one of the first steps toward securing a foothold on a successful career path.

No loss of cultural identity if you speak English with clarity

The ability to speak English with clarity and expressively does not mean a loss of cultural identity. Komla Dumour, of blessed memory, the Ghanaian who read the BBC World News can never be mistaken for an Englishman.

There are many other well-spoken people who have succeeded in western society and who have maintained their pride and strong connection to their cultural heritage.

The list includes Paul Boateng, Diane Abbot, Chuka Umunna, Kwesi Kwarteng, Adam Afriyie, Samuel Gyimah, to name a few.

If a Ghanaian speaks fluent Chinese, he or she can never be taken for a Chinese person and his fluency in Chinese will not make him less Ghanaian.

Some people may say there is something called Ghanaian or African English; there is no such thing on the global stage. Just as there is no Chinese English or German English, no speech can be strictly called English unless it follows the rules laid down in the spoken English standard.

Any language (e.g., Twi, Dagbani, or Ewe) must be spoken properly; otherwise, it can—and often does—invite laughter and derision from those who know how to speak the language well. It is not enough to say ‘’this is how we speak English in Ghana’’

If an Ewe person speaks Twi with the same nuances and pitch of Ewe, he would sound awkward to an Ashanti. Just as an Ashanti would not sound right to an Ewe if he spoke Ewe with the nuances and accent of Twi.

Is it any different if Ghanaians speak English with the nuances of our different languages? Yet some will say it is Ghanaian English. Would it sound right if a Chinese spoke Twi or Ga or any of the Ghanaian languages with the pitch and rhythm of Mandarin or Cantonese? Of course not!

There are many Ghanaian and Nigerian children who attend expensive private schools in the UK often known as public schools.

Many of the children in these ‘public’ schools will all come out speaking clear Spoken English; their speech then distinguishes them from their peers who were educated in their home countries, and they will often go into better paying jobs.

Of course this is hardly fair, but the entire world is not always fair, even nature is not fair. It is for that reason that learning the tools of clear Spoken English is an additional tool to help you succeed.

Whether we like it or not, Spoken Standard English is associated with prestige and high education.

It is not necessarily for everybody. It is a matter of choice, whether you want to speak well or not. The certainty is that the ability to speak English with clarity and the right intonation will help improve your career.

Many people who do not have the skills to speak Standard English with clarity lack confidence in the company of others who do. As a result, they may self-impose professional limitations.

If you are uncertain of your spoken English, you will probably avoid going to a job interview or applying for a position that involves lots of verbal communication. On the other hand, if you are trained and have the tools to speak Standard English with confidence, then you are more marketable even in the international arena.

Students and professionals who acquire the skills to speak English with clarity are at a distinct advantage.

Tools of speech are available that will enable a non-native English user to speak Standard English with clarity and expressively when desired. Yet that person may elect to speak in his or her regional accent at any time or in any situation.

It will not make us any less Ghanaian or African; it will, instead, enable us to compete, advance, and improve our careers and ourselves.