Thread: Reading Writing Hotline

Originally Posted by sheerluck

My own personal view is that the way you present yourself in written form is important. Being able to appear coherent in writing, without reliance on spell checkers and the grammar help on Word will mean that people will deal with you as if you possess some intelligence rather than as a primary school dropout.

I find that very offensive and insulting.

You would be very surprised if you looked into who can not express themselves in written form very well.

My personal view is people who look down on others because they are not as good as you have a lot more to hide than spelling mistakes.

Originally Posted by vnx205

One of the things that contributes to the problem is that society expects schools to do many of the things that parents or grandparents used to do.

How often do you see someone suggesting that something should be added to the curriculum? Some people think that budgeting, ethics, risk assessment, driver education, drug education, sex education, responsible gambling, and a whole host of other things should be taught by schools.

The curriculum is already crowded. Do those people who advocate that schools pick up the things being neglected by parents also have a suggestion about how much time should be taken away from learning literacy and numeracy to make the time available?

So the kids whose parents do the right thing are being robbed of an education?
Schools need to do what schools are supposed to do; teach the three Rs.
Imagine a vehicle manufacturer stopping production to hold hands with customers and teach them how to drive, check the oil, change a wheel etc., etc.. They would be out of business pretty smartly/

Originally Posted by Sparksdisco

I find that very offensive and insulting.

You would be very surprised if you looked into who can not express themselves in written form very well.

My personal view is people who look down on others because they are not as good as you have a lot more to hide than spelling mistakes.

I don't see it as looking down Sparks, it is more a measure of pride. Consider if you were reading job applications, would you be underwhelmed by an applicant who couldn't be bothered to take the time to follow the (English) rules? Similarly, in your trade, there are standards. Would you prefer to work alongside or after a person who can make it work but look messy or someone who takes pride in the neatness of the final, functional task?
I don't have a problem with spell or grammar checks (except for the Americanization of them), I constantly use spell check or look up spelling on an on-line dictionary.

Originally Posted by ramblingboy42

I am writing this because I am appalled at the standard of literacy displayed in this forum . It is of genuine concern to me that sometimes I simply cannot understand what it is that a poster is trying to say, due to bad spelling, incorrect grammar and misuse of words. I am in no way trying to be critical to those who cannot read , write or spell correctly, but rather suggesting that there is a simple remedy available through the Reading, Writing Hotline. You have all seen the ads on TV.....1300655506 , sung as one three double 0 six triple five 0 six..... In some cases it may be that the poster just doesn't care to check what they've written or if it makes sense . Anyway there is an answer. I am applying to be a literacy volunteer with this organisation to help those with problems.....please do not misconstrue this as a personal attack on anyone here but rather my genuine concern to help anyone with literacy problems. Dennis

I have difficulty with spelling also with writing with a pencil or pen. I have had some help with this in the past and they have told me I am slightly dyslexic and have trouble with ending words correctly.

The trouble with writing with a pen or pencil is because i'm left handed and push to hard and i smudge everything.

99% of the time I know i am spelling the word incorrectly but do not know how to spell it correctly. This annoys the crap out of my wife as I am forever asking her how to spell something.

I think 99% of people can understand what i am saying and most people that comment about it have nothing better to do in there lives than to correct my spelling.

I'm a sparky not a English teacher. And it get's on my nerves when people belittle me on my spelling. I don't belittle people because they can't read a electrical drawing

Originally Posted by V8Ian

Schools need to do what schools are supposed to do; teach the three Rs.

Ideally, yes.

There are arguments in favour of schools covering some other things.

For example, let us suppose that some of the information about sex education in Personal Development classes sinks in and the number of teenage pregnancies is reduced.

If so, would it please you that there are fewer unmarried mothers claiming welfare and fewer kids brought up in less than idea circumstances growing up to join the criminal classes?

I am not suggesting that all children of unmarried mothers turn to crime, but the evidence does suggest that social disadvantage is a factor in encouraging criminal activity.

If the drug education classes reduce the number of drug dependent teenagers breaking into your home, would you consider that to be worthwhile?

If the driver education classes (NOT driver training) reduces the chances of some risk-taking P plater wiping out your family, would you think that was a good thing?

I am assuming an ideal outcome, but then you are being idealistic too.

I am one of those people.

I have bad spelling and grammar. My punctuation has a lot to be desired also, as I'm sure many of you have witnessed in my trip reports and in general posting.

I'm not proud of it. I purchased a grammar book to try and help me understand but I still make many mistakes. I would not consider myself lazy, (although I can be a little lazy sometimes with capitalisation) I would consider myself to be lacking in understanding. I still to this day get my "i" and my "e" the wrong way round even if I consciously think about, I will often spell receipt as reciept. I also can't remember what words must not be used to start a sentence.

I will often read back through something I have written and change the spelling of a word because, when I type, the wrong one seems to comes out automatically. For example there and their.

I want to be better but I find it very very hard, I don't know why I find it hard but I do. As an adult I'm embarrassed by it.
I have learnt a few things by having Ron correct words in my posts which is good, however there came a point where it was getting pointed out so often that I was losing my confidence to write anything at all, and coming here to join in the community was not a pleasant experience.

There is a fine line between helping someone and making someone feel really really stupid in front of a wide audience, which is belittling.

This is by no means a dig at Ron as he hasn't done it to me in a long time (although he will probably pick at this now)and he has actually helped me, but I guess I just want to point out that when some of you get on your soap box about things like this it does make some of us feel really bad, and I don't think we should be described as lazy and drop outs etc, just because what comes easy to you (perhaps because you had better schooling) does not necessarily come easy to some of us.

Originally Posted by V8Ian

I don't see it as looking down Sparks, it is more a measure of pride. Consider if you were reading job applications, would you be underwhelmed by an applicant who couldn't be bothered to take the time to follow the (English) rules? Similarly, in your trade, there are standards. Would you prefer to work alongside or after a person who can make it work but look messy or someone who takes pride in the neatness of the final, functional task?
I don't have a problem with spell or grammar checks (except for the Americanization of them), I constantly use spell check or look up spelling on an on-line dictionary.

Actually Ian if someones job application had legitimate spelling mistakes not text speak it would have no impact on the applicant.

And I would rather someone who understands the rules and can apply them to get the job done not the one who makes it look good but is not functional.

After all this is the real world and no one pays money for neatness anymore it's how cheep it can be done.

Originally Posted by Sparksdisco

I have difficulty with spelling also with writing with a pencil or pen. I have had some help with this in the past and they have told me I am slightly dyslexic and have trouble with ending words correctly.

The trouble with writing with a pen or pencil is because i'm left handed and push to hard and i smudge everything.

99% of the time I know i am spelling the word incorrectly but do not know how to spell it correctly. This annoys the crap out of my wife as I am forever asking her how to spell something.

I think 99% of people can understand what i am saying and most people that comment about it have nothing better to do in there lives than to correct my spelling.

I'm a sparky not a English teacher. And it get's on my nerves when people belittle me on my spelling. I don't belittle people because they can't read a electrical drawing

Sparks, I think you're missing the point. I have read dozens of your posts and even PMs. I have noticed the odd error but I have never been unable to understand you. Some people use no punctuation or capitalization in long posts, that become all but impossible to interpret. Your writings have never fallen into that category. Spelling and grammatical errors per say don't bother me (glass houses), it's more the laziness that some people display in not bothering to edit themselves and making their point clearly.