Illiteracy?

Question

Why are over 75% of the questions and answers posed in Yahoo! Questions riddled with spelling, grammar, and syntax errors? Is this the sad state of our educational system? These entries indicate to me that our young people are incapable of effective written communication. It's no wonder we have trouble communicating with other cultures when we can't even use our own language properly.

Answer 1

I had also noticed the problem that seems to be fairly widespread and not just pertaining to the younger writers, there are also a significant number of adults who also seem to suffer the same problem and for reasons as you mention above.

There is also a growing number of adult literacy classes in many communities in the UK to correct this problem and to improve job prospects, but it is whether an individual acknowledges the problem in the first instance and whether they are prepared to get help or not. For many, it can be a stigma and there is a lot of awareness and shame around this and to which prevents them from accessing courses in which will teach and correct the problem that is far more global than we assumme it to be.

Even on some news channels, I have noticed spelling mishaps and recently came accross 'houses of parliament' plastered on national television!. I have witnessed on many occassions these same televised mishaps that if I were not literate, would not recognize the problem otherwise. It is these mishaps that contribute to the problem and the reliance upon automatic spelling correction from computers, the lack of need for it in many casual jobs.

I had done a creative writinbg module as part of my Degree scheme a few years ago and my tutor thought that it was far more creative for example, to lose syntax and mispell words as it kind of gave the creative flow to writing. I could see his point, and there is something creative in bad written literacy, but would do very little for your credibility unless you were going to be a full time writer.

Many University and college students also suffer terribly with their english and because of the lack of teaching standards in these institutions. It is appaling and something should be seriously done about it, but there has to be a lot more emphasis upon life-long learning for it to be effective to work. It is definitely a much larger problem than we would like to admit, but it also depends upon just how much society recognizes it as such and what they intend to do to remedy the problem.

I do get very frustrated trying to read something I am spending more time working out what is being written than I am the problem itself and read between the lines as I do. I am fairly intelligent and can usually solve the puzzle, but it does take a lot of effort and sometimes wonder if it is me that is understood!

Answer 2

I'm one of the oldies on this site and at first I was, but then I realised that writing the way some do is part of the fun of it all...and of course a lot is a direct result of texting influences. I remember when young we always tried to phrase things so that adults wouldn't really have a clue what we were really saying and I guess it's a bit like that.... but in writing rather than in a verbal format. I've certainly learnt a lot by being on the site and seeing how people communicate with each other.

Answer 3

The same reason people post here for answers-to-questions is the same the reason they use poor grammar. Lack of effort.
Learning takes effort. Research takes effort. Good spelling and grammar take effort. But some people just don't care and want to take the easy route. And they look stupid doing just that.

Answer 4

I wish people would stop blaming the school systems for the lack of education in this country. Blame the parents. Education starts at home! What these kids need today is a good swift kick in the butt!

Answer 5

i agre that a edacashun is real emportant. its not jus the yung kidz thow, therz a gye i work with an hes like 40 an he cant spel worth crap. its almost funy but sad at the same time. i meen duh, we gots spell chek an stufff so why dont peeple use it? skool now dayz juusr wanna push kids threw and graduate them and not teach them any thing. parents also got to work with the kids and make sure they do an understnad there skool werk. smaler classroom populashuns make fer a bettter lerning enviroment, you are not so afraid to partisipate in class as you wood be wit a small skool. I wnet to a small skool and my wife went toa privat skool and we are both prettty smart. she even speeks an spells too langwages flewintly. english is not her first langwage and some peeple dont even notice he aksents. i think the problem is skools not caring and claas rooms to big.

Answer 6

Hanumaste is correct.Give him 10 points!An example was when a teacher asked her class ''what is the difference between ignorance and apathy?''One little boy stood up and proudly said''I dont know miss and you know what,I don't f.....' care''

Answer 7

Well where's the link to the best place to learn English spelling?

Answer 8

i agree with you to a point, but i think a lot of them also happen because of apathy rather than ignorance

Answer 9

That's absolutely the problem. It is also why so many people now home school.

Answer 10

Amen, brother!