South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-10-26
BETTER SPEECH
ADDRESS SUBJECT
Speaker Says That American
Voices are ShriII and Speech
SIoVenIy.

Better Speech Week which is 90
be observed nationally from Novem-
Der 2 20 November s, was given an
able and interesting Interpretation
as 20 its meaning and purpose Sa-
turday afternoon before members
and guests OF the Mishawaka Wo-
mans club, when Miss Anna Dob
bins OF the English department OF
South Bend high school spoke in be
half Of the movement
In introducing her subject Miss
DObbins referred 70 the generally ac-
copied fact that American voices are
shril and American speech careless.
n not slovenly when compared with
the voices and speech OF the aver
age European. quoting Henry James
as a 1oted authority with the state
ment that "Our national use Of vo-
cal sound in men and women is
slovenly, an absolutely inexpert
daub of unapplied tone. The Ameri-
can voice is one OF the stumbling
blocks OF our continent due TO in
difference 10 tone standards. 7 com
mend 10 YOU imitation of formed
and finished utterance whenever
that music steals upon your ear The
more YOU listen To- IT the more YOU
YOU viii love fl. the more you viii
wonder that YOU could ever have
lived without it."
To combat this national handicap.
and realizing the importance Of the
subject. in February OF 1915, the
national convention OF English
teachers appointed "A committee on
American speech and thus launched
the Better speech" movement.
Miss Dobbins stated This first com
mittee had a personnel OF 16, which
was later increased 70 ITO. At the
present time the membership has
been reduced 20 the original number
and is headed by competent persons
from many professional walks of
life. Among the various activities Of
the body have been the following;
sending leaflets Of Information over
the country. contributing 10 various
magazines and papers; discovering
methods OF procedure; exerting in
fuence sufficient 10 make legal pro-
vision for the requiring OF oral Eng
lish IN the schools and the teaching
of proper speech formation to the
English teachers in the state of New
York.
Thus far the fields Of endeavor
have been the schools primarily ard
the business professional and social
life secOndarily, declared Miss Dob
bins in tracing the development of
the movement. The aims set forth
upon the presentation Of the move
ment IN these fields are formally: 10
present n concentrated effort TO
arouse public sentiment 10 the need
and possibility of improving the
speaking voice and raising the stan
dards or speech in daily life. 10 ac-
complish results in "a wider scope
than in merely the elimination of
errors in grammar and tone.
Cooperation Essential.
Cooperation between the educa-
tional business and social groups.
according To Miss Dobbins, is es-
sential Although having its initia-
tiOn in the schools. the Better
Speech" movement can hope TO &C
complisih but little unless a senti-
ment i'm its favor is created in the
home primarily where the child re-
ccives IT. first definite education and
Impressions. In this connection Miss
Dobbins decried the prevailing Gus
tom OF teaching the impressionable
child a. speak baby talk" which
must later be unlearned and re-
placed by proper speech. Increased
Interest in reading aloud from good
literature would provide an effective
step toward the coordination Of the
home and school forces, said the
speaker, as would also more
thoughtfulness on the part q the
parents in regard 20 their own
speech, and more watchfulness over
its slOvenlineSs and inaccuracies
In business the wider use OF the
dictaphone and the telephone and
the stress laid upon personal sales