48 Paddington Street (1940-1949)

British Instructional Films Ltd presentation. Directed by Mary Field. Photographed by Frank Bundy. Recordist D. Howells. The Professor: A. Lloyd James - Secretary to the . Committee on Spoken English. [British Broadcasting Corporation, BBC] The Student: Dr M.D. Ratnasuriya B.A. Ph.D. A man in a flat cap and scarf sells a newspaper. A foreign student asks the paper seller directions to 48 Paddington Street. He does not understand the student’s accent, saying: “Eh?“ When he is shown the address written on a piece of paper he understands. As the student walks off the paper seller says: “Why didn’t you say so?“ Sign reads: University of London School of Oriental Studies. Office door with a sign which says: Phonetics. Student knocks and is invited inside. He asks why he is frequently misunderstood when he speaks English. He comes from Ceylon and the Professor notices a difference in the way his jaw moves when he speaks Sinhalese. The Professor taps out the rhythms of the two languages