Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-03-27
Second Essay
On Good English
By W. H. S. Student

The pupils of the WaterVille schools
maintain an enthusiasm in their OBJ
servance of Good English month
which has we'll nigh done away with
the use of slang in their speech.
Yesterday another of the large num-
ten on the subject by students of
the Senior high school was made pub
lie. 1t was written by Miss Florence
Dlonne and is as follows:
"One of the most pleasant expert
ences, in my opinion. is listening to
someone talk, who does not introduce
slang expressions in every other sem
tence of his discourse. There is real
ly no reason why anyone should use
slang because there are enough APP
proved words in the English Ian
guaSe to express his thoughts clear
ly. Yet slang is very generally used
by people of today. To improve our
English we may employ great
number of effective ways and means.
Let us enumerate some OF these.
The reading of good books is one
of the best ways of improving ones
English. Some of our books of
modern fiction use slang and crude
English very extensively; but there
are enough books written in fault
less English to insure wide and in
lCi CSlIliS5 ldIlSe VI SuDJeCtS IOl tIle
choice of any reader. When we are
reading such books, let us notice
very carefully the clearness and the
appropriateness of the words en-
ployed and the smoothness of the
sentence structure. Let us find in
how many different ways we are
able to express the thought of a SEN
, tence in correct English without
changing its meaning. Let us look
up in the dictionary words whose
meanings are not clear to us. Then,
when we are conversing with our
! friends let US substitute the necess-
airy expressive word for the slang
to which we are accustomed; for the
use of slang invariably gives the
| impression that the user is crude
and uncultured.
Another excellent method of i'm
proving our English is by attending
worthwhile lectures. reading, and
entertainments, by listening attent-
lively and observing what excellent
poise and ease good English gives to
it's user. We shall no doubt be
tempted to acquire a similar poise
and ease for ourselves.
when a slang expression does
slip out we should correct ourselves
Immediately. In time this method
will prove itself invaluable towards
improving our English. Let us not
be content to use slipshod language
| for good English walks hand in hand
with that culture and good breeding
which should be the aim of every
person.
"Let us take note of the express
| ions used by our teachers. Their
| speaking correct English should help
us to improve our own speech. Let
| us make up our minds that slang is
a disease which must be done away
with. Let us study our own speech,
| find it's defects, correct them, and
| make the speaking of good English
F! one of our fixed and most desirable
habits, one that we will never want
| to rid ourselves of.
each individual can best study
| his own particular faults and elimi-
nate them by careful study of them.
If we have not a sufficient number
of acceptable words at our command
| to express our thoughts clearly and
well, then we should set to work in
stantly to improve and to enlarge
! our vocabularies. There is some
thing eXhilerating in knowing that
we have conquered weakness. I'M
proving our English should give us
the feeling of having conquered a
fault which binders our progress in
education. Let us resolve to speak
good English and let us keep our
resolution"