Why can't anybody spell anymore?

Question

The use of language and grammar in some of the questions and answers on this site is absolutely appalling.

What are they teaching in schools today?!

Angelinad1993 states that it's because of lazyness, and because it's shorter so why waste our time writing things out? Thank goodness for the idiots who let us all take the good jobs while they sit around wondering why they can't even get an interview because they can't spell on their CV.

I work in recruitment, and somebody actually sent me a CV a few days ago with the title "Curriculum Vital". Surprisingly, it was binned.

Answer 1

yes, teaching standards have sunk a lot, i should know, i am a student. my love of writing has put me on the highest literacy level at school, i am only 13 and i have noticed that other students around me are talking like five year olds or making up ridiculous words, the teachers arent improoving vocabulary and grammar too much in the students, it's shocking what type of language and grammar is being used. teachers didn't make my vocabulary stronger, reading did. i read every night from 7pm to about 10 pm and i learnt a lot from books no teachers needed for me, i'm sorted, i'm glad that somebody else is concerned with learning standards because a mere child can't talk or do too much about it to help.

Answer 2

One possibility is that spelling seems to be a skill not entirely related to intelligence, education, or experience, but which relies on some particular capability that varies a lot from one person to another.

I know several very smart, widely read, PhD's who can't spell well. And more than a few people of much less intelligence and education who spell very well (most of the latter are big readers).

The other possibility is that your hypothesis is not really true; it's only people with questions about language that post here, only unemployed people who submit CV's, etc., so that you sample is skewed and only a certain subset of "anybody" can't spell.

Certainly not we, though....

Answer 3

How do we know that it was ever better?
There have always been people who find reading and writing difficult, and children in schools who are slower at it. In the past these people did not have the internet to post on, they would have just written the annual Christmas thank you letter etc. so would not have been so visable.
If they can do it, and are being lazy they will ultimately lose out in not passing their tests and getting their qualifications.
I'd be slow to blame the teachers of today, I'm sure we all know quite a lot of people from older generations who can't spell too well either.

Answer 4

Its totally rubbish but I have to blame text and instant messaging. Although have you ever listened to people speaking on TV recently especially on the soap operas its all "like, totally, bad man, do ya know wot I mean?"
I don't know how true this is but I heard a report that they were looking to make the book Red Shoes into a film and they were having major difficulties in casting the young girls at the ballet school as no-one spoke proper English. This is a very sad reflection of today society.

Answer 5

Wots he pint en spelin wen yer cern shart insted?
Children should be beaten harshly for all spelling mistakes on a frequent basis, and attend school until the age of 18 in my opinion.
I guess the only thing they teach in schools these days is "how to be totally fick" "getta benifit" and of course the degree in "So yoo fink im stoopid or wot"
I take your point.

Answer 6

I remember in elementary school and in jr. high, we got a new list of words every Monday, and there would be a spelling test every Friday. And we had spelling contests, like a bee, boys vs. girls. And in high school, we were taught to diagram sentences. And everyone had to take a foreign language, which really helps you understand your own language better, too.

I suspect that much of that is no longer emphasized.

Answer 7

I don't believe the problem is in the schools...I think it lies in this magic box right here. The internet, instant messaging, emails...everyone has resorted to spelling things phonetically as a way of speeding up the communication process. I find it annoying as well, but it's a necessary evil if you want to use this medium.

Answer 8

considering the liberals grandstanding and posturing for poltical favor with the safety of this nation, if this is the biggest worry you have, you have something the rest of us clearly are not in tune with. i, on the other hand, feel it much more of an issue to learn opinions of others here and educate myself futher on how to insulate the country from more useless liberal dogma vs grammatical hairsplitting.

perhaps the reason people cant spell is what limbaugh calls the dumbing down of america and my suggestion is do something about it rather than complain.

Answer 9

The teachers are teaching correct spelling and grammar. The kids are just too lazy to bother learning, and the parents are too lazy to insist their kids study. Really, how can you expect them to learn to write correctly when they have to keep their mind on so much celebrity gossip and what to buy next?!

Answer 10

I think that the problem was always thee, but got worse with computer spell checkers. The people too lazy to spell correctly would use the spell checker, now they are even lazier and don't even use that. I also think that it is a sign of deeper problems in America.