I learned English as a second language, not a big deal, but still, I see people that learned it as a first language who don't even know how to spell!! Why is this, and should I dumb myself down to fit in??
2006-12-02 12:53:30 · 18 answers · asked by coca_cola_froggy 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Languages
No, don't dumb yourself down to fit in. Maybe you should try hanging out with a smarter crowd.
2006-12-02 12:57:04 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 2⤋
You should never dumb yourself down just to fit in. Just because you know it is spelled wrong does not mean you have to mention it to the person writing to you. Many people take the education being provided by the public schools for granted and they do not believe it makes a difference whether they learn or not. Others dumb themselves down to fit in with the popular culture of the moment. Creative spelling and ebonics is the "In" thing right now. That does not mean you have to do the same thing to fit in. Find your niche without changing your true self.
2006-12-02 21:02:50 · answer #2 · answered by Hawkeyes 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Well i have learned that when you learn a language as a first language you learn how to speak it before learn how to spell it. But you also have to know spelling isnt really that important at all and just because you dont know how to spell things defiantly doesnt make you dumb. Isnt everyone dumb in their own way anyway? and why would you wanna fit it in anyway.
2006-12-02 21:09:19 · answer #3 · answered by bethany_8_5 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Everyone has her own strong points and weak points. Language is easy for some, but not for everyone.
The first thing you should do is to not call people dumb simply because language is not their strong point. Many brilliant people are not good speakers/writers.
The second is to realize that language education in America declined with the switch from phonics to whole language, which made it even harder for those who struggle with language to learn it properly. When a person does not learn well, it is not the person's fault, but the educator's/system's fault, and sometimes the parents for not paying attention.
Third, you mean "people who learned" not "people that learned" since you are referring to people and not objects.
Those who talk down to people add to the problem. They help nothing.
2006-12-02 21:12:50 · answer #4 · answered by voxxylady 3 · 1⤊ 2⤋
An interesting problem that arises in different areas is their pronunciation effects their spelling, since they try to spell like they say it. I've noticed this with my kids as they progress through spelling lessons at school. That's why I'm teaching them to first ensure that they have said the word properly before they attempt to spell it.
2006-12-03 18:40:29 · answer #5 · answered by Jagg 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, there are always dumber people and yes, there are native speakers of English who have a very difficult time spelling, but don't let that cause you to act dumb yourself...
2006-12-02 22:26:40 · answer #6 · answered by creative 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
USA public schools are notoriously bad. I went to a public school and basically had to teach myself. I really didn't learn basic math until I was in college. I don't think you should dumb yourself down. I think you should find more educated people to associate with.
2006-12-02 21:02:02 · answer #7 · answered by Curious George 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Thank you for asking that question. When my daughters were in high school one of them made a D in English. Her first language. I asked her how does she think she must look to people who were taking it as a second language and they were making straight A's? It nearly drove me crazy. She eventually set herself straight and made good grades again. I know this did not answer your question, but I thought how wonderful to see I am not the only one.
2006-12-02 20:59:19 · answer #8 · answered by Bridghid 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
please don't stoop to a lower level of grammatical usage. using proper and correct grammar is an attractive attribute to possess when applying for a job or trying to make a good impression with someone.
spelling, over the last 20-30 years has been devalued by MANY teachers. they feel it is more important for the student to be able to express his/her thoughts than to be able to spell each word.
i don't (and will never) agree with this philosophy, but it's out there.
2006-12-02 21:06:28 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Don't. Be proud of your accomplishment, and realize that their are problems in the educational system. You don't have to "dumb yourself down to fit in" - you should find different more educated friends instead.
2006-12-02 21:01:53 · answer #10 · answered by Paul H 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
NEVER dumb yourself down to fit in! There is a difference between arrogantly flaunting your education and BEING educated. Anyone who resents your education or knowledge has a whole bunch of their own issues and you should not worry about trying to seem cool to them.
2006-12-02 21:01:21 · answer #11 · answered by Skeff 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋