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February 2008

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Subject:
Re: Wee, wee, moan sewer
From:
"Paul E. Doniger" <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Mon, 11 Feb 2008 16:15:44 -0800
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Brad,

Who is this naturalized German who came to the USA at age 13 and is now "the best speaker and writer of our language?" I'm trying to figure that one out, but I can't.

Paul D.


----- Original Message ----
From: Brad Johnston <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Monday, February 11, 2008 7:05:07 PM
Subject: Wee, wee, moan sewer


The best speaker and writer of our language, presuming you live in America and your parents spoke English at the dinner table, is a man who was born and raised in Germany until he came to the USA at age 13, so I can agree with your first statement.
 
Your stab at jocularity notwithstanding, I doubt you think a Frenchman is the best person to counsel anyone on the pronunciation of ban, ben, bin, bon, and bun, to cover the consonants in one swell foop.
 
You say non-native speakers have actually had to study the language. Didn't you? Or is that what the argument has been about for the last 60 years? Maybe you missed it. (Not the argument, the training.) 


"Spruiell, William C" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
 
Hey, non-native speakers frequently have a lot more conscious knowledge of English than do native English-speakers, since they˘ve actually had to study the language.  As for tennis, well, given my level of motor coordination, my best bet is to learn tennis from a paramedic. --  Bill S.
 
From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Brad Johnston
Sent: Monday, February 11, 2008 3:49 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: pronunciation of "been"
 
You let a native Frenchman teach you linguistics?  (in English, I presume)
 
Wow!
 
Isn't that like taking tennis lessons from a golf pro?


"Spruiell, William C" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
 
one of my undergraduate linguistics professors, who happened to be a native speaker of French ...
  


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