I'd like to know why so many people do not know proper English?

Question

Is it laziness or a lack of education? No trolls please.

Answer 1

Many of the rules about what constitutes "proper" English were created long after the grammatical features they prohibit had been in use for a few hundred years. Look up a little bit on "history of prescriptivism" to learn more on this topic. So people haven't suddenly made their grammar worse. They've just continued doing what they were doing.

Answer 2

there can be many factors.. Im an immigrant but l did learn English quickly..after my first 6 months I was able to speak it and after 2 years of classes I was already attending college with regular students and I did pass my ACT test. However, when I took Eng 101 I meet a lof American citizens who were taking remedial classes.. it is a shame for a native speaker..I was not born here and I got better grades than many of them at the end of the semester. Majority of those students had immigrant background.. they were polish, serbian, indians, arabs, africans, west indians, chinese, hispanics etc. They all have immigrant parents and of course most of them did not speak english, but I have met a lot of kids whose parents do not speak a word of english and they are A class students; besides they are able to speak both languages without any accent..they speak and write each language perfectly and they do not mix them..I believe depends of the person.. if they are dedicated,, they learn.. and if their IQ is low...well you know the answer..I am still learning English.. there are some words and slangs that I dont understand..but every day I learn something new

Answer 3

Many do not know proper English because it is not spoken, either by them or to them. The language is dynamic, and it is also lack of education, laziness, and people do not see a need for it.

Answer 4

It's both. I think a lot of laziness was brought upon by computers; lol rofl cya, etc. Some trolls on the old message boards would complain about free 'speach' and such. Lack of education does play a part, but I think it's more laziness than anything.

Answer 5

Definitely both. Additionally, the "No Child Left Behind" Act forces the already-lacking American education system to become so focused on standardized testing that the overall quality of education falls even lower.

Answer 6

It is a combination of factors, including most importantly environment. English is as English has done in our family and surroundings all our lives. Different ethnic, cultural, regional and other influences all have bearing on how and how diligently we speak English, and even if we are enthusiastic about the study of English. We all seem to speak to be understood, not to stand out by speaking. As with everything else, we go along with the flow, and unconsciously and blissfully so.

Environment can greatly influence even our ability and desire to learn another language. Environment also cna motivate us to change our environment, though we may not have the language skills when we get there.

Answer 7

One of the reasons maybe due to the environmental factor. For instance,when a person is around by people who don't use proper English, most probably the person also will be the same.

Answer 8

Lack of education ... PS: Im southern ha.... but I use proper english.... I dont use Aint - Aint isnt a word ... Some people around here say Im fixin to leave - Your not fixin anything ... Ha... Even though i do say that... But I say my sentences as clear as I can ... Im actually Half Southern and half Northern but am mostly Southern...

Answer 9

Pure laziness. If you take the extra 2 seconds to type or talk instead of using things like "u" and "ain't" it would be less confusing for a lot of people.

Answer 10

It depends on what you mean by proper enlglish. English from England? Or english using a lot of big words. I would say that tv and movies teaches people a lot of vocabulary and techniques for speaking.