Whither the English language - have any of u got jobs? I know txt talk is cool, but r most of u illiterate 2?

Question

OK to use kiddy shorthand for messaging, but knowing the difference between 'there' and 'their', or 'where' and 'were' is kind of a basic requirement for getting a job these days isn't it? How about 'its' and 'it's'? Crikey. How do others feel about the way the language is going?

Answer 1

I am a ghost writer, former teacher of special ed English for the better part of thirty years, and occasional evaluator of state proficiency test English examinations in a certain state. I must sadly report that, just like you suspect, the level of written skills is definitely degenerating at an alarming pace.
I could write a dissertation on my suspected reasons for this sad state of affairs, but will simply say that our society is getting what it asked for. The continual pressure to pass incapable students is rife in many districts and states thanks to the current (and pathetic) "No Child Left Behind" act that has teachers teaching to achieve satisfactory test results instead of teaching skills that will last a life time and consequently create educated, functional members of society.
I know there will be those that disagree with this view, but there are many in the classrooms of our schools who are looking over their shoulders as they teach. Thanks to that percentage of teachers who were not up to standard in the past, (among other, numerous reasons) the dedicated professionals who became teachers to help young people are now being evaluated on nothing more than how their students perform on standardized tests so the school districts and states can turn their statistics in to the federal government and tell them what good little school districts and states they have been... They will then get the money they need to function, and thus perpetuate the myth that our schools are doing a good job. The former goal of creating useful, caring human beings is out the window....
So you are right, Molly F! The lack of skills in writing (and pretty much any other subject that can't be quantified and measured by either "right" or "wrong", or "true" or "false") is basically falling to the side of our educational system's steamroller. Things are dire in Languageville and many of the other villes of academia, and nothing is going to get better until we put our foot down and rework our educational system!

Answer 2

As a teacher and a fan of English literature, I hate it. It really irritates me. It is a sad truth that more and more children have poor literacy skills. Dyslexia is more readily diagnosed but I think a lot of it comes from the fact that children are not encouraged to read. So many children in my school are incapable of writing without employing this kind of lazy shorthand. Many will lose marks because of it. I think "text talk" has its place - a text message - but not when you are trying to express an idea for the consumption of others. It's too confusing! Plus, I think it reflects badly on the writer. You cannot help but judge them adversely.

Answer 3

The "it's" vs. "its" thing is one of my pet peeves regarding English. Unfortunately, too many people just don't get it, and it makes me wonder just what they're teaching kids in schools these days.

Too many people (and it's not just kids) don't seem to know when to switch from "texting English" to "proper English." And that's too bad. As for me, when I do send the occasional text message, I actually write it out in "proper English" because I can't stand all of the abbreviations.

I moderate a message board for a friend, and have "scolded" a number of users for writing that way. Some have actually contacted me and thanked me for setting them straight!

But (finally!) to answer your question, I think our language is going south, so to speak. However, languages do evolve over time, so perhaps this is what's happening...like it or not.

Answer 4

I totally agree! I don't think there is enough emphasis on good grammar. I have lost count the amount of times i have corrected people incorrectly using the words affect and effect, learned and taught, borrow and lend. But you've got to take into account that some people may not have had a good chance in education and aren't as lucky as other people.

Answer 5

Molly,

I just got off of the phone with a recruiter, who was impressed at the fact that my resume had no typos and I have an excellent grasp of the English language (I am articulate).

While "kiddy shorthand" has its own place, no one will be taken seriously if they use that "speak" in a professional environment.

Answer 6

Molly,

I feel your pain regarding the butchering of the English language here, but I found that playing Grammar Police all day here took away from my fun.

So I have learned to ignore the incomplete sentences, mixed metaphors, poor alliteration and the likes and tried to concentrate on the heart of the question.

But still, yes it is like nails on a chalkboard very often.

A fellow english stickler.

Answer 7

The new generation must beware, txt talk is slowly removing the need for good grammatical and spelling skills.

This has also come about with the dawn of the spell checker, why learn to spell well, when a pc can do it all for you.

Same as handwriting... scripture is getting poorer and poorer.

Answer 8

Ha! That must be a joke. That is a terrible sentence! I should know, I write enough of them myself.

I think there are people that think, oh well, they'll know what I mean. I think there is a lack of precision and care when it comes to written communication these days. I wouldn't say that I was thick, neither would I say that I was brainy, but I only learnt my there, their and they're's when I went to university. I don't think grammar is taught enough in school.

Answer 9

I used to get teased mercilessly by a work colleague because I cannot "do" text speak. If I ever sent him a text it would be in proper English. I can text faster that way. Maybe I'm just an old fogey in the making!

Answer 10

Ah, so what if a few vowels are missing or a comma is in the wrong place, as long as you can understand it and read it fairly fluently I can't see there is a problem. Though I wouldn't like to read a book or any lengthy text if it was written 'badly'.