Subjects: English, History
Years: 7–8, 9–10
How much attention must broadcasters pay to the pronunciation of words?
Watch language experts and ABC staff discussing the preferred pronunciation of 'Don Quixote', a fictional Spaniard who appears in the novel bearing his name and in several significant artistic works.
This clip reveals the importance placed upon the pronunciation of words, especially those that originate in languages other than English.
Things to think about
- 1.Have you heard of the word 'quixotic', or of the name Don Quixote? How do you pronounce them? Don Quixote is a famous character from Spanish literature. Do you think it's important to pronounce his name the way Spanish people do, or is it preferable to 'anglicise' his name — make the pronunciation more consistent with the English language?
- 2.Why does newsreader Ross Symonds believe the pronunciation of Quixote has been brought before the committee again? Why does the committee think it's inappropriate to use the Spanish pronunciation? Why might the committee have a practice of anglicising words? Do you agree with it?
- 3.How do we decide when a word should be pronounced as it would be spoken in its original language, and when should it be anglicised? Consider things such as ease of pronunciation, cultural and personal sensitivity, current usage and the perceived degree of sophistication (not wanting to sound too clever or too uneducated). Prepare a short statement summarising your priorities and considerations.
Many of the words we use every day are actually 'borrowed' from other languages. These are known as loanwords. Find an appropriate source that will help you discover why one community borrows words from another. What languages has English commonly borrowed from in the past and what languages is it likely to borrow from in the future?
Date of broadcast: 1 Aug 1975
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