Back to grammar school.....

Cinematophile · **Posted:** Thu Aug 13, 2009 2:30 am

I myself find this rant pinpoints the issue quite well. According the previous comments, there is a great difference between non-English speakers who sometimes slip over a few errors and the few (But increasing) native English speakers who deliberately misuse the language and thus make numerous faults quite negligently, I believe we have all got the point.

As a person who tirelessly seek to improve his language skills (Partly for the demanding university works in Australia and also as a hobby), I have over the years rapidly developed a more understanding view and deep insights into English. Just last night, I remember watching "The Adventure of English" on the History Channel and I just can't help but marvel at how the language has developed so much over a long period of time, I was astonished as well as feeling proud of English, yes, the language which is not my mother-tongue!

The point I am trying to make here is that if a non-English speaker can admire the wonders of the language then why can't those who are more deeply-rooted in English admire it as well? Why do they have to improperly use the language by needlessly making errors when with more dedication to the wording, can easily improve things so much? I am not against SMS but people just need to know when is the appropriate time to use it and when it is unneeded and uncalled for, at least show some respect for what you are writing, we have a saying that goes "The way words are written reflects the 'shape' of it's wielder".

~Just the honest opinion of a certain non-English speaker.

Cinematophile · **Posted:** Fri Aug 14, 2009 2:31 am

Well, that was sharp! But what do you suppose can be done to bring the deliberately-ungrammatical-trend-followers back on track? It's an abhorrent prospect undoubtedly.

Paxis · **Posted:** Fri Aug 14, 2009 10:34 am

JerseyCaptain wrote:

In response, Nagakaze, I would chalk it up to the lazy, blasé attitude evident in the internet generation ("Generation Y"). Basically, anyone who was in high school or college (or the international equivalents) as of the mid to late 1990s. A lot of teens and college-aged young adults on this forum are going to HATE me for saying this, but people of my generation (Generation X) were the last of those who actually spent more time reading books, typing on typewriters and word processor units (sort of like typewriters, but with a limited computer core), actually spent more time writing things by hand, and only saw the very rudiments of cellular technology when we were teenagers (or the last of us who were anyway...in the mid to late 80s and early 90s) - big, clunky bag phones and boxy phones that were not wireless. We had no internet as teens...we had no texting tech, we had no iPods, we had no "Twitter", or other such silly things. So we had to work at language use and expression, and there was no "cool" trend to purposefully misspell words and botch up grammar. Such things are a peculiar phenomenon of "Generation Y" (the current generation...those who entered high school in the 90s, and since have been either born in the 80s, 90s, or even the early turn of the century).

I would just like to agree with that, even though I wasn't around then. We all take the new technology for granted. (Speaking myself and all the rest of us teens in the world.) I really see no "cool" trend to purposefully misspell words to botch up grammar, though. Text talk I just find useless and lazy. Everyone is pretty much just getting lazier and lazier with things now, including spelling things out. (Yes, I'm including myself, except for the spelling things out part.)

JerseyCaptain wrote:

Of course, this is just one tiny corner of the internet in a very large world. Taking steps here is not going to undo the horrendous dumbing down of the world's languages (especially international languages like English) by trendy things such as SMS/text speak, or Generation Y internet lingo ("teh" instead of "the"..."!!!111!!!11!1!1" instead of "!" or "!!", or purposefully misspelled shorthand versions of English words such as "cuz" for "because", "z" instead of "s" after any plural noun, etc.). It's going to take a much larger cultural and societal effort on the part of schools, colleges, universities, and governments...and then various media outlets and even (though I wouldn't hold my breath on this last one) cellular and internet service providers, to put an end to the process, and to put renewed effort into teaching reading of books, writing by hand, etc.

I definately agree with this part. It would be virtually impossible to get everyone to use correct grammar this way. Even if we got almost everyone on the internet to help change this, it still wouldn't work. Many people would just simply come back with, as you said..

JerseyCaptain wrote:

"What's normal?"

"Wha'eva! I'll do what I WANT!"

"You don't know me!"

"Who are you to tell ME what to do?!"

"It's only the internet!"

Etc.

Of course though, how would we possibly be able to get schools, colleges, universities, and governments to help out with this? That's got me puzzled.

The Batman · **Posted:** Fri Aug 14, 2009 10:48 am

JerseyCaptain wrote:

JC's amazingly long post

Yeah, I agree. I even know one person who their explanation for their awful spelling/grammar is : -Drum roll- : " Because it's fun"
[I find that a terrible Excuse]

Ghost-Unit · **Posted:** Fri Aug 14, 2009 3:46 pm

I don't like that quoting trend at all. If someone didn't get the humor or whatever the intention was, they may see it as JC trying to say that his post was amazing. Not to say it wasn't, but it can make him look bad. I have had the trend used maliciously against me, and I imagine it can cause a lot of trouble.

Cinematophile · **Posted:** Fri Aug 14, 2009 5:52 pm

I have something that I want to add in here. So as with this issue, (I have been thinking of this for quite a while) it is just a matter of time before they reach the point of realizing how silly and stupid "deliberately-ungrammatical" is and then hopefully... grow out of it completely. I'm NOT saying that it would be a 100% thing but we should know that "Time means Change" and who knows what they'll be like, say, 10 years from now? Sure, he can be the immature, annoying Tommy now but later on he might just be the most respected businessman in town with successful andeavours. I have read various accounts of people who were hopeless in childhood (And possibly up to late adulthood) but due to the changing points in their lives that provoked change for the better, it's almost like an epiphany that slapped them right in the face!

In other words, we play just a small (But not unimportant!) role in prodding and rearing those people back on road, they themselves should know better in choosing assiduously between what is right and what is downright wrong. It's the issue of SELF-discipline and SELF-maturity that I believe my point is targeting.

There's no need for the government (Nor school, universites, etc.) to blow out a grand campaign just to get them writing right grammar, that would be unimaginably embarrassing and not to mention the negative effect as of the rebellious spirit of the raging young people that would no doubt be urging them to do the opposite. They themselves are the deciding factor! They need to wake up from all those silly trends and focus on more important things in life than just being "Cool" or "Trendy" whatsoever. The world we live in is very unforgiving, there's no time, no uses nor apparent opportunities to just being "Cool" in this rat race of a world, I believe the fact will hit them real soon enough.

The Batman · **Posted:** Fri Aug 14, 2009 7:46 pm

Nagakaze wrote:

. They themselves are the deciding factor! .

That is true, when I first used the internet, I didn't know how to type, and nor did I care at the time, but I then decided to learn how to use it.
And your right, we can't force people into learning how to spell, [there is no point in that]

Nagakaze wrote:

They need to wake up from all those silly trends and focus on more important things in life than just being "Cool" or "Trendy" whatsoever. The world we live in is very unforgiving, there's no time, no uses nor apparent opportunities to just being "Cool" in this rat race of a world, I believe the fact will hit them real soon enough.

I guess when they get older they will Decide what is what I guess.
The only people that can change themselves, is them.

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Back to grammar school.....