Despite the title, I won't be linking to the seventies sitcom. I'm not sure it has stood the test of time. It may not even have stood the test of the decade it was created in. In itself, this highlights why we should, always, mind our language.
Last night, I watched the anarchic and hilarious show that is Britain's Got Talent. That David Walliams, eh? Crazy. One of the contestants reminded me very much of this classic clip, which shows how importance clarity and understanding is. Obviously, it's hard enough to warble like Mariah Carey in your first language, let alone another. However, the need to be in control of what you're saying, to convey meaning and intention is undeniably vital.
A more highbrow way of making this point is to recall Orwell's great essay, 'Politics and the English Language'. You can read the full work here. If you enjoyed 1984 and haven't read it, you probably should. The precision and thrust of the language we use is vital - and it's vital for our pupils' success. More pertinently, in my opinion, is the ability to cut through the layers of obfuscation which we face daily. Many 'educated' people fail to do this, but it is vital that, in this media heavy age, we teach our pupils to do so. If we don't, they end up as turkeys, voting for Christmas.
This is the fundamental role we have, and the one I most enjoy. We teach people to interpret the world, and to communicate their role within it. There is no greater privilege than that, Let's make sure that we push our pupils to develop advanced vocabulary, to communicate with clarity and accuracy, and to truly understand what they read.
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