The English have no respect for their language, and will not teach their children to speak it.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Shaw criticizes English people for neglecting their language and failing to teach it properly.
- In plain terms
- The English do not value or teach their own language well.
- What can you take from it?
- National identity requires linguistic pride and education.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Why do languages change?
- Should schools teach standard English?
Another view
It overlooks dialects and the evolution of language.
More from George Bernard Shaw
It is impossible for an Englishman to open his mouth without making some other Englishman hate or despise him.
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