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Word power : Comments
By Peter Botsman, published 11/12/2006In politics a witty one liner is capable of flooring a heckler, like a right to the jaw.
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I believe that this misuse is mainly due to ignorance of the language's structure, grammar, and to a lesser extent, spelling.
As well, there is an acute lack of knowledge about how to deliver words, phrases and sentences.
This skill, possessed by many actors, is a thing which sets their oratory apart from the mundane or routine.
They can insert meaning and emotion into a line by understanding the intent of that line, then applying their skills to give a wide range of shades and meaning to bare words.
Few people get the opportunity to speak in public and measure their effect on audiences in the way that professional performers do.
It is depressing to listen to some professional speakers, such as ABC radio newsreaders, display a lack of ability to scan a sentence, identify subject, object, verbs and prepositions, then read the lines in a way which reflects the writer's idea.
The other morning, I heard an "experienced" ABC newsreader refer to the "....economy IN China...".
Unlike the post WW2 era when ALP parliamentarians often emerged from the less well-educated sections of the workforce and whose speech reflected linguistic ignorance, today's members really should have little excuse for their not being able to use English fluently and well, despite the failure of schools over the last few decades to teach it thoroughly.
Experience with good speech lends an ability to use English powerfully, ironically, emotionally and effectively. It's skill which Kevin Rudd seems to have, and ought place him in a similar position to deliver the quick, biting ripostes of Keating, Whitlam, Menzies and their ilk.
At last, John Howard will need to confront a more level playing field.