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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To expect dd's teacher to pronounce her 't's

151 replies

paolosgirl · 29/08/2007 21:49

DD (8) has a newly qualified teacher this year (who looks about 12, LOL). She is in love with her, but came home shocked that Miss X says swee'har', le'er, bu'er etc (I'm forever telling DD and DS to say t when it's in a word)

Would it bug you too, or am I turning into my mother?

OP posts:
islandofsodor · 30/08/2007 11:43

MB, apparently when Lesley Garret wemnt to music college she was told off for singing Rejoice Grairtley

unknownrebelbang · 30/08/2007 11:46

You beat me to it, Islands, same accent here, although I wouldn't go so far as to call it awful, lol, it's not THAT bad.

I do think good diction should be encouraged, allowing for regional accents.

And apologies for being prissy, but I expect my sons' teachers to set an example to my child in all sorts of ways, (except when they're in the pub with me, lol).

But then I know I've turned into my mother.

IMO YANBU.

muppetgirl · 30/08/2007 13:13

Just had a thought, when I was teaching I had 'teacher writing' and my writing. I write slanted to the right normally but had to write upright using cursive script which really changed what I do naturally. I think this is a very similar situation. I wrote to set and example of how to write, especially during hanwiriting practice. I would expect other teachers to speak with good pronounciation.

Judy1234 · 30/08/2007 13:53

I suspect on the whole you get better speech from teachers in private schools. I certainly have seen apostrophes wrongly written down on schools signs in the state sector which just wouldn't has a day in private schools. My mother taught 40 children classes in poor Newcastle state schools after WWII. She used to teach them to speak accurately, tried to stop "you was" and all those things that can hold you back your career in due course. Fine to know that it's okay at home to speak in a certain way but if it's going to mean people just you as not so good because you don't know "you was" is wrong.. I think in those cases it's only right teachers tell children.

A couple of years ago I was cross the teaching assistant was saying "ay instead of a" in "a cat" etc rather than "ay cat". Every a was an ay but the teacher didn't speak like that and when we were doing a lot of reading aloud at home I'd correct it.Then we had a little discussion about what it's rude to say to others and what not. In other words say it as your mother tells you but don't tell the assistant she's getting it wrong because that's just rude.

lucyellensmum · 30/08/2007 14:47

blimey, what about the majority then, who cant afford private education, are we doomed to poorly speaking louts then??

To the OP, i guess it depends on the region the teacher comes from but i would be expecting a decent level of speech from the teacher and a few t's and H's would be nice

cat64 · 30/08/2007 15:57

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

mm22bys · 30/08/2007 16:46

Some people just talk like that! My DS came home from nursery singing "now I know me ABC", and it's like, who's been teaching him that!

I try to correct him when he sings it, but it seems nursery is much more influential than poor mum...

walrus · 30/08/2007 16:57

Haven't read all these messages so hope I'm not repeating, but my dd has a 't' in her name and it drives me nuts when people don't pronounce it.

maman4 · 30/08/2007 17:16

Xenia,does your dd say scottish words or phrases such as 'a wee bit' or cheerio?and if so how do you react to it?do you correct them ?

fircone · 30/08/2007 17:35

In my experience the actual teachers are fine, but (apologies to all you literate ones out there) the teaching assistants are another matter. If these people are washing out paint pots, escorting children to the loo, fine, but if they are involved in teaching the children then higher standards should be demanded. One wrote "exsellant reading" in my son's book - grrrrrrrr. I usually keep my head down as a parent, but this time I was moved to complain to the class teacher. Luckily other parents voiced their displeasure too and the offending TA's contract was not renewed... And this is a bog-standard state school, by the way.

Judy1234 · 30/08/2007 18:03

We don't live in Scotland. I would correct any cockney that crept in, but the best way to do that is not to say you've got something wrong but just say what they said again correctly. Sometimes they say "for free" when it should be that something is "free" so I'd mostly say something like - "yes it's free" and then occasionally point out to them that for free is wrong.

maman4 · 30/08/2007 18:08

sorry assumed you lived in scotland.

clumsymum · 30/08/2007 18:10

Haven't read any but the OP, but I am rather shocked that a number of staff at ds's school don't seem to have a grasp of using English correctly.

It took me ages to convince ds that 'specific' or 'specifically' were correct, rather than 'pacific' or 'pacifically' which were the words his class teacher (and teaching assistant) used.

And I have lost count of the number of times I have pointed out to a teacher, and to the head, that the drawers in each classroom that contain paper and pencils should be labelled 'stationEry' rather than 'stationary' .

Judy1234 · 30/08/2007 18:37

The teenagers went through an awful speaking phrase with like every other word which seemed to disappear as soon as they went to university. It's amusing to watch.

Teachers getting grammar and spelling wrong however is not on and I also think they have a duty to teach children that although at home they might say XYZ when they come to write their essays or go to job interviews they need to know that is not correct and will cause them a disadvantage.

Caroline1852 · 30/08/2007 18:55

xenia - "they need to know that is not correct and will ..."
I went to a State Grammar and I was taught that "not correct" is incorrect!

MaryAnnSingleton · 30/08/2007 18:57

YANBU

startouchedtrinity · 30/08/2007 20:43

I really cannot believe this thread. My dh drops his t's and h's, so does my fil, my bils, dh's grandparents, his mother, my stepmil, her dcs, their aunts, dh's 15 aunts and uncles and their spouses, all his cousins, most of their friends...Where I come from this is how people speak, it is not lazy to speak the same way as the rest of your community.

It's a good job he never became a teacher. I will show him this thread, maybe he will consider giving up helping at dd1's school not only because of the malign influence his way of speaking may have on such 'impressionable' young children but (if thsi thread is anything to go by) the possibility a parent might make a complaint.

Forcone, I have arelation who is a TA. She is also the most shocking speller I know. She also has SEN and has come from no qualifications at all to train for her job, and specialises in working with SN pupils in her school, who adore her.

Original poster
paolosgirl · 30/08/2007 20:55

Ah, but this isn't her community. She's a teacher, a professional woman in a professional role, teaching children in a classroom. Very different.

OP posts:
startouchedtrinity · 30/08/2007 21:07

Paolosgirl, I have no idea if it is a part of a regional Scottish accent to drop t's or whatever. But there is a pervasive idea on here that anyone who drops their t's does so out of laziness. I find it objectionable that 'professional' means pretending to be something that you are not. My mother is at the top of the tree professionally (grammar school education) but she always made sure that I have grown up to be proud of my heritage, and more importantly took her mum and aunt to important business functions even though their accents (cockney) might not 'fit'.

ScottishMummy · 30/08/2007 21:21

so your child ahs a good NQT who you say she loves but an accent - o blimey what do u want an enunciated mouth full of marbles teacher whom your child loathes

pardon the pun but have a word with yourself

value the competent teacher and their positive attributes and not necessarily received pronunciation

Original poster
paolosgirl · 30/08/2007 21:38

No, it's not the accent - it's the fact that she doesn't pronounce her t's. You can still have a regional accent and pronounce all the appropriate letters.

OP posts:
fiddlemama · 30/08/2007 21:42

paolosgirl: YANBU Your dd is 8 and is therefore still learning some very basic spelling. Of course it does not help if the teacher is not pronouncing words clearly! (Whatever accent she is using).

Martianbishop: From posts I have seen on other threads you are a secondary school chemistry teacher? Of course your diction is not so important and you are clearly a very good teacher as your results show.

clumsymum Do the drawers move?

Oops! My wine glass is empty! Again!

Original poster
paolosgirl · 30/08/2007 21:46

Time to fill that glass again I'm off to speak to dh now - it's been cubs and brownies tonight, so we've barely said 2 words to each other with all the ferrying around we've been doing. Night!

OP posts:
Berries · 30/08/2007 22:01

Not pronouncing 't' is on a par with saying 'f' instead of 'th'.

HATE the presenter on 'New Life in the Coun'ry'.

clumsymum · 30/08/2007 22:17

fiddlemama
I assume the drwers go in and out !!