Do American teachers teach correct English grammar and spelling, or are they dumb too?

Question

If students are taught correct English, why would they use "your" when they mean "you're", "effect" when they mean "affect", "I am laying down", when they mean "I am lying down"? The standard is so bad, I have to wonder whether the American teachers are teaching English correctly?
Just as an afterthought, many African-Americans use "ain't" and don't pronounce the "g" at the end of "ing" words, like "I'm goin', man". Do the African- American teachers speak that way when they are teaching?

ISN'T IT INTERESTING TO SEE HOW MANY ANSWERING ARE DEFENSIVE?
They can't comprehend how my using the term African-American shows a complete respect for that culture, that I am not attacking teachers but asking for honest feed-back on how teachers are teaching, that posting this in the religious section is intentional because that is where you get the most replies. Don't religious people have intelligence on subjects other than religion? It is amazing how many answering questions look for errors in the questioner's answers so they can attack the questioner, as if finding an error there will somehow excuse them from whatever makes them feel inferior or guilty and puts them on the defensive. Ah, well, such is life.

Answer 1

Yes... english is taught correctly... but poorly.

Re: African American teachers... some speak like that... most do not. But, in any case, a large percentage of African American students seem to immune to the teaching of proper English. Cultural influence is greater than teacher influence. What really gets me is when they say something like "He axed me to go out on Friday."

Answer 2

Most of my teachers were pretty smart, but the casual use of language has taken over. Just read here for a little Y, R, U, Cuz, these have all but become a standard of communication.

I am not sure about the African Americans. . . but I do remember a while back there was some talk of teaching "Ebonics" to help "them" learn. I mean, this is sad, youknowwhatimsayin?

Just remember that the worst person to learn English from is an American.

Oh, I could be wrong, but don't you teach English properly, not correctly? Or better yet, teach proper English.

Answer 3

In defense of the African-Americans, I'd consider it dialect rather than lack of education. Just for example, I speak with a Boston accent and I say my caaa...not my car, my yaad, rather than my yard. It's dialect or some people would call it accent. In speaking, we leave off ending letters, but do spell things correctly in written form. I also worry about students being taught correct English. Does anyone who recently passed High School English know what a dangling participle is? Do you know what constitutes a compound sentence? How about a prepositional phrase? I am not putting anyone down; I am just curious.

I will say that this question is absolutely in the right category because I don't see very much charity in some of these answers I just read. Attack the poor person who is so misled that they couldn't find the right category. This question is exactly in the right category!!

Answer 4

I know what you mean! I don't think the teachers are dumb, but they definitely need help in grammar and spelling, especially some of the African-Americans. I know this because I volunteer in a private school. I'm quietly shocked by their grammar!

The teachers are definitely intelligent. And they've given their lives to help underprivileged children. It's just that they did not receive the same quality of education in English. It has made me appreciate the education I received when I grew up.

It seems like everyone writes poorly these days! Rarely do I see anyone write correctly in the business world. And I can't understand half of the stuff the people on here write! Good observation!

Answer 5

The teachers do try and teach correct English and its usage.
The reason a lot of people do not speak correctly is because they have developed lazy speech patterns! Most children today do not have a parent at home who can help them with their English homework. Parents are too busy working to pay much attention to how their child speaks!

Answer 6

We teachers fight the good fight and try to teach spelling and grammar. Sometimes we have more success than others as our teaching is a drop in the bucket when compared to the cultural and other influences which shape a person's habits and skills. Also, these text entries are not in school, nor are they graded, so a student typing here has no reason to try and be proper. and neither do i

Answer 7

Yes, your very right about most English teacher, teaching English. I have noticed a big raise in incorrect speaking in the last 30 years. I believe that the American Liberal Do-Goodders have dummy up the educational system so much that today's teacher and students are just learning enough English to get by and incorrect English is widely accepted.

I have to be very careful how I tell you this as my own daughter is a English major and I can hear her speak and she speaks so terribly that I fear for her students speaking skills myself. I have tried to talk to her about her language skills but she tells me if they were not correct she would not have received her degree.

So you have asked very important question about to days teachers and youth.

Ain't shore you'r right in the subject thow.

Answer 8

depends on the teacher. depends on the milieu. much of english grammar and spelling is abstruse - i'm highly articulate (sorry, it's just the fact), and much of it confuses even me. the pluperfect? or is that latin? damn the prescriptive grammarians for attempting to make english conform to latin grammar. laying and lying stiill confuse me, though i'm solid on affect and effect, and your and you're. i'm also an excellent speller, but some words still confound me (i'm thirty seven). i've only just got a grip on, "necessary" (and i'm not going to spell check it, in case i haven't). furthermore, leaving the g of the ends of words is among my favourite things, when i'm in certain moods, and some of the greatest writers have used ain't, with aplomb and verve. i am not black, by the by, nor do i, in general (you'd never guess it), speak in the urban vulgar (as in common, not sexually referential, though the two mix freely). in short, get over it, and i say this as an horrific pedant (go ahead and tell me to remove that h - hell, tell me to capitalise my words, or use z's instead of s's, though i be american). by the by, you've left several commas out of your question, the first sentence runs on, and you missed at least one typo. B- for the writing, itself, and D for being hidebound. english, like all languages, changes, minute by minute - even latin, believe it or not.

Answer 9

I live and work in Western Canada where we write and speak as they do in England.

Our grammatical structure is somewhat different from that of those living and working in the U.S.A..

In the U.S.A. the pronunciation is often different as is the spelling of many words.

English is a ""Living Language"" and continues to change.

There is a tendency everywhere to ""dumb down"" the language.

Supposedly to allow more people to communicate in the English language.

Introducing the ""dumbing down"" has lowered the understanding level of the language so now repetition is more often required to transmit the information trying to be conveyed.

Laziness is also lowering the quality of conveyance.

The newer generation teachers in ALL SCHOOLS are teaching a much more ""fractured"" or debased language.

The "fill words"" like-- Ya know ya know, and Daaaaaaa, and Like, Like ,Like Yah know, - are all indicators of a language fast going "down hill".
~~~~
Answer to your question ; NO they do not.

Answer 10

Let's not bash teachers.
I've taught many writing lessons in a variety of ways and some children just refuse to write correctly. Furthermore, some parents refuse to help their child with their homework and reports. Writing is a process and parents need to be willing to sit with their child as they write or at the very minimum correct their writing and explain why. Yes, as teachers we do this in school. However, support at home helps a child to master the mechanics of good writing.