^I thought this sounded familiar.

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I might repeat/reinforce some opinions that have already been expressed in this thread but, if you please, humor me as I whip this out...

I have my undergraduate degree in English and I'm currently in the process of jumping through the hoops to become a H.S. English teacher. Here are my thoughts on the subject:

If I saw a few text abbreviations on a term paper, it most certainly would NOT be an automatic "F". It would probably be a few points off, though, depending on how many I caught. Today's English class is more concerned with higher-level learning involving critical analysis. Grammar and spelling errors, while annoying, are of lower priority because it takes 5 seconds for a machine or a dictionary to do the work for you. Your computer, however, can't write a frame-case analysis paper for you.

English, right from the beginning, is a bastard language composed of Latin, French, and the tribal languages of old Germanic tribes so how is it possible for anybody to complain about English losing its "purity"? It was a mess right from the start! Each of these languages had their own rules for spelling and their own rules for grammar so it's a miracle they were ever able to coalesce into a single language. Interesting tidbit, it was only in the Middle Ages when somebody started writing the rules of grammar for English. However, they simply used cut-and-paste methods from Latin grammar which, by that time, was significantly different from English. Thus, not all the rules applied to English. For example, remember the rule that says don’t end a sentence with a preposition? That’s true in Latin but in English it has no bearings. Even “proper” English grammar is incorrect.

English, like all languages, is constantly evolving. Do you talk like Beowulf? No, that’s Old English. Do you talk like Chaucer? No, that’s Middle English. Do you talk like Shakespeare? No, that’s Modern English (Oops, that’s that type of English we all speak!). Guess what? In 200 years people will be speaking a whole new type of English. Don’t be afraid of change, embrace it. It’s what makes language a beautiful and interesting thing.

Get an American, a Brit, an Irish person, an Aussie, and a Kiwi in one room and see how easily they can all communicate with each other. It won’t be a pretty sight. Sure, they all speak English but they still have different words for different things as well as multiple different spellings for the same word. So how can we complain about the misuse of English when there are so many varieties of English that coexist?

When it comes to spelling and grammar, English teachers, the people you’d think are the most hardcore, are actually the most lackadaisical. We’re constantly re-studying the rules of grammar so that we can be one step ahead of the students. I guess that goes to show how arbitrary grammar really is. Like I said, we’re really more concerned with critical thought.

Grammar is a status symbol; people who think they’re better than you will “prove” it by being extremely proper in their speech. It is the teacher’s job to adequately prepare students for life after school and we must give them the tools to access this Culture of Power. Hence, there is a time in place for proper grammar (on a resume’, on a term paper…etc). The TN boards are NOT the place so the grammar Nazis are just going to have to get used to these young’uns and their rascally text language (at least in informal settings).

New words (or “neologisms” for all you word-nerds) are being created all the time right under our noses. All it takes is usage: if enough people use it then it officially becomes a word. For example, “normalcy” is not REALLY a word. The proper word is “normality” but, because enough people use it, it is now a word.

A misspelling here and there does not indicate stupidity. We all do it. If you are the type who likes to point out other people’s mistakes then you have quite the insecurity and you’re doing a terrible job at hiding it.

English isn’t the only language with this so-called “problem.” A Spanish speaker from Spain speaks a very different language than the Spanish speaker from Chile. It’s the nature of language and it isn’t to be feared.

This isn’t really related to English but I think I should mention it anyway. It’s not that today’s teenagers are lazy; it’s that teenagers are lazy. Are you telling me YOU weren’t just like today’s teens when YOU were a teen? Maybe not you specifically but your generation was. People have been complaining about lazy teens since they put on their blue jeans, greased back their hair, and started playing “Rock Around the Clock.” Probably before that, actually.

Well, that’s my argument. Take it or leave it.

I must have been sleeping that week.

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Intimidator Racing in to Carowinds 3/27/2010!

... Probably just a slip of the fingers... That's the problem with the keyboard. It's not 100 percent flawless. Sometimes you miss letters!

^ But why can't people actually scan over their writings to see if they actually made any mistakes?

I'm not trying to sound like the language police, but I just wish people wouldn't be so lazy.

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Intimidator Racing in to Carowinds 3/27/2010!

You left out Canadian!

Seriously though, sure it's hard to discern the difference between Canadian and American accents, but there are many subtle differences. I love hearing the New Zealander and Australian accents.

By the way, for those that don't know: Kiwi = New Zealander -- yeah they speak English too, similar to the Australian accent, but again with subtle differences.

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ThrillNetwork Lead Moderator (Originally known as Hurricane)

I can has cheezburger now.

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ThrillNetwork Webmaster/Systems Administrator -- My Official Fansite -- Get Firefox!
Everytime I ride a coaster, it valleys. I've never been on a stalled coaster or had one roll back (except Wicked Twister and what was Superman: Ultimate Escape, which does that by design).

I also left out South Africa, Belize, and a number of island nations but, hey, the people get the idea. There are lots and lots of English speakers out there.

Blame our terrible public education system.

I blame the Norman Conquest of 1066. Then I blame the Spain and France for not conquering America before England. THEN I blame public education.
EDIT: *bad* public education systems in parts of the country, rather.

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Yeah, thanks.

It's actually pretty good when properly funded. But, if we continue to fund schools based on the property tax then you can bet there's always going to be a big gap between the high-scoring schools and the low.

Also, there's the whole BS-ness of standardized tests. But that's another topic for another thread on another site.

Sorry to quote this again, but I just remembered I have seen something similar to what you mentioned. Back in my college years, my meteorology and physics departments had a collection of faculty from across the globe, in fact, those departments had more foreign born professors than American professors.

I have seen many times: a Russian, an Israeli, an Ecuadorian, a Egyptian, a Korean, an Indian, a German, and a Kuwaiti all in the same room during a faculty gathering and all conversing in English, even though none of them originally spoke it; it's been their second or third language, yet they all speak it with varying degrees of fluency. It was really something that kind of awe-inspired me to witness.

My point is that English has struck a worldwide chord as a universal medium for communication. Many countries where English isn't a national nor official language, have bilingual signs in English and their respective language.

Case in point: Cities like Dubai, Singapore, Bombay, and Hong Kong, despite their respective locations and multicultural mixed population, all generally use English as the most common language of communication and an English-speaking tourist visiting one of those cities should have very little problem getting by.

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ThrillNetwork Lead Moderator (Originally known as Hurricane)

Not all states have that system of funding schools based on property taxes. But, I agree with you.

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ThrillNetwork Webmaster/Systems Administrator -- My Official Fansite -- Get Firefox!
Everytime I ride a coaster, it valleys. I've never been on a stalled coaster or had one roll back (except Wicked Twister and what was Superman: Ultimate Escape, which does that by design).

OK, if it's the public education system, then shouldn't I be just as bad?

I went to public education all my life, and I didn't come out typing "U R so rite dood!!!!"

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Intimidator Racing in to Carowinds 3/27/2010!

^I guess it depends on what school you went to and where it was.

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Yes and no Racer. Yes it depends on how the school district is funded, however, it is about the students too.

If you take no pride in your work or don't care, then no you aren't going anywhere. But, there are kids in inner city schools that thrive and want a better life. Those that do, get a better schooling, job, home and work their asses off for it! If you really don't care and are just plain lazy and not do your work as asked of you (personal responsibility) by your teacher, then you are the screw up not the district.

Yes, I think standardized testing is bull crap too. My son has special needs and he is now in the third grade and this year is major testing. And I am really worried! Yes, they do give him more time and do it in a small group setting, but my son is horrible at tests. You can memorize everything you want with him, but change a color of the paper its an instant fail for him. His district let him down last year, but I am going to be damned if they do it during testing this year.

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