Where Lankan drama begins
Anew breed of young communicators and dramatic enthusiasts
are set to take stage
By Sujit Sivasundaram
In a week when recovered memories are the talk
of the Colombo theatrical community, after the exceptional performance
of Anna Weiss, one such memory came to my mind as I interviewed Sheila
Hammond and Barrie de Lara, the Trinity College London examiners for Speech
and Drama, Effective Communication and Spoken English in Sri Lanka this
year. It was the memory of my parents parading me before many visitors
at home with the persistent request: "Please, please perform that
piece you prepared for your drama exam." This year, thousands of students
would have gone through that very same process of preparation; replete
with meticulous coaching by our able drama teachers and anxious advice
from keen parents.
The Trinity College London examiners in Speech subjects are here for
a twelve week stint of continuous and daily examinations, such is the extent
of the demand for these qualifications. In 1995, the College received the
Queen's Award for Achievement for having the largest number of overseas
students; amongst its presidents is world acclaimed Yehudi Menuhin. The
Sri Lanka centre was established in 1881 and thus has a long history in
the country. As I was told by the local representative, "Parents see
this as a valuable experience for their children, it looks good on the
CV and shows competence in English. The examiners are independent and highly
qualified assessors from overseas and an accurate judgement is guaranteed."
The content of the examination varies according to the subject that
is tested. Spoken English sees the candidate conversing with the examiner
and preparing certain topics and the standard that is required is that
of a non-native speaker. Speech and Drama and Effective Communication,
on the other hand, require the standard of a native speaker and see the
performance of a program of dramatic extracts and talks.
When asked what they made of the standard of their examinees, Sheila
Hammond replied, "There is a wide cross-section here, those who are
good are really good. I have given some of my highest marks ever."
Barrie de Lara, the examiner in Spoken English, evinced a similar enthusiasm,
"Most of those I examine seem to speak English like native speakers."
I was told that there are many archaisms in the English that Sri Lankans
speak. For example, the use of "longs" for "long trousers."
"Thrice is another one." De Lara went on, adding the hyperbole:
"Nobody has used that since Shakespeare!" "Also, 'I am still
schooling' is no longer current usage." In all, then, the Trinity
College examiners suggested that there were many "I930s expressions"
lurking in the diction of Sri Lankans.
As for the style and presentation of speech, there seems to be some
interference with other languages spoken in Sri Lanka. Hammond said, "When
some of my examinees come in, they are perfectly natural, but as soon as
they start their performance, a declamatory style of speaking emerges which
is unbearable.'' Some discussion brought us to the conclusion that this
might have a lot to do with the ethos of public speaking that Sri Lankans
adopt. If you've seen a politician at a meeting clenching his fist and
proclaiming his gospel, you will know what the examiners mean by this.
Predictably, they also mentioned the v-w confusion bringing me to recall
what I had been taught: "Always bite your lower lip for the v sound."
In a post-modern world where the new maxim is "Anything goes",
I asked the examiners to what extent they were willing to allow variations
in pronunciation and speech. Should the English language be permitted to
evolve according to geography and culture? De Lara answered, "1 am
all for a rich variety of luxuriant blooms. The New York taxi driver will
never speak English like the native Irishman, there is room for both of
them. However communicability should moderate variation." Hammond
seemed to agree, "English is a language that is alive, variations
should be allowed as long as the rhythm of the language is maintained.
We expect to pick up a Sri Lankan accent, but if there is undue emphasis
on the rising inflexions for instance, then that will not do."
It was clear in conversation that the examiners evaluate their candidates
in terms of their performance as effective communicators. Hammond said,
"Elocution is not what we call it anymore. Because we don't look for
received pronunciation. What is necessary is truthfulness to the script
and naturalness of delivery. I'd advise more Sri Lankan students to take
Effective Communication examinations as they are the best suited for those
who want to be public speakers and hold positions of responsibility. In
fact some of my Speech and Drama candidates should have taken Effective
Communication instead."
De Lara and Hammond seemed to be enjoying the experience of meeting
so many thousands of young Sri Lankans and commented that they had been
delighted by their politeness, though less formality would have enhanced
their performance. De Lara said. "I must now be an authority on Sri
Lankan children after examining so many of them. They seem a lot happier
than European kids. They are content to stay at home and play with their
siblings and don't seem to demand constant entertainment. 1 suppose what
1 am saying is that they are much less spoilt."
It appears then that a new breed of young communicators and dramatic
enthusiasts are set to take stage in Sri Lanka under the able guidance
of the Trinity College London teachers and examiners. It is anyone's guess
what their Anna Weiss will be.
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