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school these days
One of my biggest frustrations when my children were in school was the lack of emphasis on spelling and grammar. Children need to be encouraged to write, no doubt about it, and when they are small, who cares about the grammar, the focus should be about expressing themselves.
But later, in middle school (grade 4 and up), they need to recognize what is right and what is not right. This is definitely not the case in Canada.
Throughout high school, children are not graded downwards on reports/essays with grammar or spelling errors. And we wonder why kids can't spell or write?? Show them how to do it, and set the expectation that they do it !! ARRGGGHHHH !!
Luckily my two kids were voracious readers when they were young (still are) so their grammar, vocabulary and spelling was always good.
We're getting away from an education system that will give us literate children. And that, is very sad.
posted by
DivineDiva
on April 15, 2005 at 9:52 AM
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tbgroucho and LEGrant
Don't get me wrong guys . . . I use the shorthand myself on the rare occasions I chat. However, I feel that the younger people who use these shortcuts don't get the chance to practice proper English grammar. When they use
yw for
you're welcome, they're not thinking that
you are is spelled
you're when it's abbreviated. I think this is proven by the fact that these same people constantly spell
you're as
your. Also, when they say
gl2u2, they don't realize that when spelled out it contains both the word
to AND the word
too. The proof is the same as the previous example. In fact, if I had children of my own, I'd do exactly what homegirl does: not allow them to chat until they have proven their ability to use and knowledge of proper English grammar.
posted by
Jemmie211
on April 15, 2005 at 2:03 AM
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that's why I won't let my kids chat
they need to develop good grammar skills first.
posted by
homegirl
on April 14, 2005 at 9:26 PM
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It's TXT-speech! Think of LOL, ROFL, BTW, and a few dozen others that have been used since e-mail first started. Personally, I dislike it, but it does get the message across, usually very clearly, so what's wrong with it?
I first encountered it in gaming some 10 or 12 years ago, when a kid sent "ash?" (age, sex, and handicap?). I wondered whether he was asking about whether I smoked or not, but I broke down and asked him what he meant...
posted by
L.E.Gant
on April 14, 2005 at 9:24 PM
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jemmie
as one who teaches English i can say yes the grammar is getting bad but the thing about internetspeak is its immediacy -- no one stops to spellcheck and people come up with the shorthand. In a sense it's not much different from the language of dictation that secretaries learn (still learn? I don't know), or the kind of slang used among waitresses to cooks in diners. I hardly think that chat rooms are the place to judge the decline of American education where there are so many other places to verify it.
posted by
tbgroucho
on April 14, 2005 at 8:59 PM
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