Thread: What level of English do our schools teach our youths?

Originally Posted by Rovernaut

U guyz got no rite 2 ava a go at ppl jus coz uze got mor skooling dan da ress of us

I'll be a clever dick here..........But posts like this make it alright for the preceding comments about real speak (as opposed to text) to mean nothing.

Originally Posted by Rovernaut

U guyz got no rite 2 ava a go at ppl jus coz uze got mor skooling dan da ress of us

Bt ta gzza in ta stry wz @ uni so hd ltz mor eduktn

D

Unfortunately, we are now far enough down the road that not only is grammar and spelling no longer taught, but most of the current teachers did not learn them, so changing the situation is rather difficult.

And speaking as a former editor of a fairly major international technical journal, lousy English is not limited to the young, nor to those whose first language is not English, nor to the uneducated. And the worst problem is not spelling or grammar, but the ability to say what you mean in a way that the reader sees the same meaning, without any ambiguity.

John

There's shocking spelling and grammar a lot closer to home than that forum.

Have you read some of the posts on here

Spelling and grammar seem to be one of those things.....you either can.....or you don't give a #&*t.

Numpty, beat me to it, but yes, I find it quite poor on our own forum. In fact I posted a thread on exactly that topic some time ago. To be honest, I tend to look over the threads or posts that have exceptionally poor grammar or spelling. The odd error here and there is no biggie, hell I make them. But when it is a battering of errors, I give up and move onto something more legible.

Even when I am having a differing perspective in a thread with someone, I still acknowledge the fact that they present their view point in a legible and constructive manner...ie I can read it.

Personally, I can't stand it, even if I am SMSing I generally make sure I use the correct spelling. We are not talking rocket science here, just simple spelling and grammar and that is a personal responsibility. To me, correct spelling and grammar is the same as good table etiquette, it matters,

Regards

Stevo

U guyz got no rite 2 ava a go at ppl jus coz uze got mor skooling dan da ress of us

I know that is a joke, but if some believed that is the reason why their spelling and grammar is poor as an adult...that is just plain BS,

Regards

Stevo

Originally Posted by stevo68

Numpty, beat me to it, but yes, I find it quite poor on our own forum. In fact I posted a thread on exactly that topic some time ago. To be honest, I tend to look over the threads or posts that have exceptionally poor grammar or spelling. The odd error here and there is no biggie, hell I make them. But when it is a battering of errors, I give up and move onto something more legible.

Even when I am having a differing perspective in a thread with someone, I still acknowledge the fact that they present their view point in a legible and constructive manner...ie I can read it.

Personally, I can't stand it, even if I am SMSing I generally make sure I use the correct spelling. We are not talking rocket science here, just simple spelling and grammar and that is a personal responsibility. To me, correct spelling and grammar is the same as good table etiquette, it matters,

Regards

Stevo

I'm with you (on this subject).

If I think the post is about something technical I need to know, I generally persist with trying to extract the meaning when the writer hasn't made the effort to make it clear.

If the thread is just an exchange of opinions on general matters I don't bother any more. If the writer isn't going to make the effort to help me understand what is meant, I won't bother to read it.

Added Later
Actually now that I am in grumpy old man mode, I might as well keep going.

How come so many people got suckered into buying a computer where the Enter key doesn't work?

Why else would they have lengthy posts that consist of one very long paragraph or even one very long sentence?

Short sentences are good.

Short paragraphs are good.

White space is good.

And don't give me any of the usual argument about criticising those who are less well educated.

It doesn't require a high level of education or even English as a first language.

It's simple. Just write one idea clearly then press the Enter key.

Honestly a big slab of text is quite daunting.

I want to read what you write. I want to understand what you write.

I'm just trying to help you help me.

Originally Posted by vnx205

I'm with you (on this subject).

If I think the post is about something technical I need to know, I generally persist with trying to extract the meaning when the writer hasn't made the effort to make it clear.

If the thread is just an exchange of opinions on general matters I don't bother any more. If the writer isn't going to make the effort to help me understand what is meant, I won't bother to read it.

Added Later
Actually now that I am in grumpy old man mode, I might as well keep going.

How come so many people got suckered into buying a computer where the Enter key doesn't work?

Why else would they have lengthy posts that consist of one very long paragraph or even one very long sentence?

Short sentences are good.

Short paragraphs are good.

White space is good.

And don't give me any of the usual argument about criticising those who are less well educated.

It doesn't require a high level of education or even English as a first language.

It's simple. Just write one idea clearly then press the Enter key.

Honestly a big slab of text is quite daunting.

I want to read what you write. I want to understand what you write.

I'm just trying to help you help me.

Spot on !!!

Actually that is an interesting one. When I was studying English in my first year at uni, they commented on this phenominum. Apparently the big sentances and paragraphs have come about with the use of computers, just like this nokia text has come about with the introduction of SMS I suppose.