Yes, we know that most of England has been awash with driving rain, scurrying snow and howling wind.
And, we know that the hazy, lazy, hot days of loafing beneath a cascading canopy of fragrant perfumed trees, and breathing the scent of sweet smelling roses whilst to the pulsating purr of bumble bees, all seems like a distant, long forgotten memory.
But, fear not!
Deep in the depths of London’s Brockwell Park, behind a red brick ‘Old English’ walled garden, hiding heady herbaceous flowers, tumbling tendrils of stretched and reaching clematis, and air filled with the sound of soft singing birdsong, summer smiles.
“Well, what’s all this to do with English elocution for kids?”, we hear you say.
Simply – A lot!
Parents, make a ‘MEGA’ note in your diaries as follows:
Saturday 27 July to Sunday 11 August 2013
‘Alice in the Walled Garden’ – A promenade production of Lewis Carroll’s stories
“Alice in the Walled Garden?”, we hear you shout.
“So, what’s ‘Alice in the Walled Garden’ with a smiling Cheshire cat, a hookah smoking caterpillar – that’s bad for your health, you know! – and a Mad Hatter, who’s raving bonkers, to do with elocution for kids?”
Simply – Everything!
Often, we stress the importance of developing listening skills in your child to improve how your child speaks. Research has shown that there is a link between the sounds which your child hears and the sounds which your child produces. Let’s give you an example. ‘I wanna play with ‘im’ – Don’t misunderstand us, there is nothing wrong with the use of colloquial English. However, if your child only hears informal English sounds, then the sounds he or she produces will be informal English sounds, researchers suggest.
“So, what’s ‘Alice in the Walled Garden’ to do with developing listening skills in kids?”, you say.
Lots!
By listening to actors, who have been trained to exceptionally high levels of English elocution, may help in developing listening and sub-listening skills in your child. The development of these important listening skills may help your child to distinguish important English sounds. So, should your child hear ‘I wanna play with ‘im’, the knowledge that your child will have attained by listening to expert English elocution may help your child to correct and produce “I want to play with him”.
See. So, we’re not as mad as a hatter after all!
And what no better way of helping your child to develop these important English elocution skills – by watching Alice’s enchanting world come to life before their very eyes in a magical Old English walled garden – how quintessentially English!
Oh, don’t forget to book your tickets!