Lately, I found myself watching more than a few episodes of that 70s/80s show “Mind Your Language” on YouTube and some episodes are quite hilarious. For those who have never heard or watched an episode, the show is set in an adult education college in London. The English as a Foreign Language nightly classes are taught by Mr Jeremy Brown (Barry Evans) and he has to deal with the idiotic antics of his foreign students from France, Greece, Italy, Japan, India, Pakistan, Germany, Spain, China. They give him a lot of grief as they constantly bicker and due to their limited grasp of English, there are often misunderstandings.
I don’t think this show would be allowed today as we are much more sensitive and politically correct now than decades ago where certain things were more tolerated. One has to bear in mind that this was comedy and perceived racial slurs weren’t meant to be taken seriously. Other than his nutty students, Mr Brown also had to deal with the no-nonsense principal of the college, Miss Dolores Courtney who often drops by Mr Brown’s class to check on him.
Actually watching this show was more to learn how NOT to speak English than how to speak proper English. I am sure all the actors in this show spoke perfect English and I marvel at how they put on those native accents without rolling around in hysterical laughter. It’s a wonderful show because although the characters don’t seem to have learnt much English even after several series, there is much caramaderie among them and the comic relief they provide is outstanding.
