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Are spelling and grammar lost arts?

Kathryn

Kathryn

It was on fire when I laid down on it.
OK, I've held off on this topic for a long time, but I just can't take it anymore!

(And before I go any further, let me give this disclaimer - I can and do make spelling and grammar mistakes myself from time to time, so if you're thinking of scouring my posts and copying and pasting all my errors as some sort of refute to this OP, don't bother!)

Is it just me, or does it seem to others that the ability to write well is becoming eroded in modern society?

I have a son who is dyslexic, but because his IQ is over 130, his vocabulary skills are excellent. This combo of characteristics results in his ability to express himself well verbally, but very poorly when it comes to the written word.

Because I have seen him struggle so much with spelling over the years, I am sensitive to some peoples' struggle with the written word and I usually don't point out their errors on this forum.

But, MY GOSH! I know we're not writing theses here, but what I see when it comes to writing skills (or the lack thereof) here, and in "real life," is becoming more and more distressing with each passing year!

Are good writing, spelling, and punctuation skills becoming more obsolete? Is the bar being lowered by our education systems, employers, or other factors?

Your opinions, please!
 
Peacewise

Peacewise

Active Member
I've tutored 15 year old maths students who didn't know their times tables.
I had mine memorised by 8 years old.
Same goes for literacy skills, the basic three R's, reading, 'w'riting, 'a'rithmetic which all seem to be getting lessened.

I think youth are focused more upon television and computers these days - and neither of these media require knowledge of how to do the three R's, quite simply the spare time that kids used to spend reading is now spent doing stuff with pictures or voice.

Is this a problem - well perhaps, depending upon what the youth want to do.

We could argue just as reasonably that the "oldies" generally don't have skills in I.T and that this limits what they can do in modern society.
 
Guitar's Cry

Guitar's Cry

Disciple of Pan
Kathryn said:
OK, I've held off on this topic for a long time, but I just can't take it anymore!

(And before I go any further, let me give this disclaimer - I can and do make spelling and grammar mistakes myself from time to time, so if you're thinking of scouring my posts and copying and pasting all my errors as some sort of refute to this OP, don't bother!)

Is it just me, or does it seem to others that the ability to write well is becoming eroded in modern society?

I have a son who is dyslexic, but because his IQ is over 130, his vocabulary skills are excellent. This combo of characteristics results in his ability to express himself well verbally, but very poorly when it comes to the written word.

Because I have seen him struggle so much with spelling over the years, I am sensitive to some peoples' struggle with the written word and I usually don't point out their errors on this forum.

But, MY GOSH! I know we're not writing theses here, but what I see when it comes to writing skills (or the lack thereof) here, and in "real life," is becoming more and more distressing with each passing year!

Are good writing, spelling, and punctuation skills becoming more obsolete? Is the bar being lowered by our education systems, employers, or other factors?

Your opinions, please!
Click to expand...

In college I was a writing tutor for a College Composition class, and was amazed at the lack of grammar and basic form. I thought it was the public schools not teaching this stuff, but having worked in them for a few years, I see that's not the case. Teachers are trying.

I think it is due to lack of practice. Online, no one cares as long as it is understandable. And where is most of the writing practice people get nowadays? Online.

I remember when I first started using chat programs I was meticulous with my grammar and spelling since I was known for my love of writing. It helped when I got to college since I had not lost what I learned in high school.

However, I notice that I've been slipping, especially when it comes to spelling. When all you need to do is right-click to fix a spelling error that is already pointed out for you, you tend to get lazy.
 
Levite

Levite

Higher and Higher
Kathryn said:
OK, I've held off on this topic for a long time, but I just can't take it anymore!

(And before I go any further, let me give this disclaimer - I can and do make spelling and grammar mistakes myself from time to time, so if you're thinking of scouring my posts and copying and pasting all my errors as some sort of refute to this OP, don't bother!)

Is it just me, or does it seem to others that the ability to write well is becoming eroded in modern society?

I have a son who is dyslexic, but because his IQ is over 130, his vocabulary skills are excellent. This combo of characteristics results in his ability to express himself well verbally, but very poorly when it comes to the written word.

Because I have seen him struggle so much with spelling over the years, I am sensitive to some peoples' struggle with the written word and I usually don't point out their errors on this forum.

But, MY GOSH! I know we're not writing theses here, but what I see when it comes to writing skills (or the lack thereof) here, and in "real life," is becoming more and more distressing with each passing year!

Are good writing, spelling, and punctuation skills becoming more obsolete? Is the bar being lowered by our education systems, employers, or other factors?

Your opinions, please!
Click to expand...

Having taught high school students for six years so far, and done considerable tutoring of high school, middle school, and college students before that, I can say that the state of spelling and grammar in America is absolutely appalling. What young people believe is decent spelling and grammar would curl the hair of people from just two generations ago. My students have gone from merely ignorant of proper sentence structure to not knowing correct punctuation if it bites them in the ***, to writing homework assignments as though they were IM'ing them, or composing in a chat room.

In my experience, the biggest problems relating to this phenomenon are twofold: one, that grammar is simply not taught as extensively, nor is spelling: too much time is being spent preparing children to take standardized tests, rather than absorbing principles of language arts. Two, it is becoming increasingly difficult for teachers to take spelling and grammar into account in grading papers, because there is massive pressure to give the students high grades, or at least passing grades. It is so thoroughly time-consuming and unpleasant a process to give a child a failing grade (parents pestering you and your bosses to reverse the fail, the student being tiresomely insistent that they deserve better, and finally the administration trying to soothe the parents by asking the teacher to reconsider the grade, or offer a "make-up" assignment that must then be read, graded, and fought over) that I and most other teachers I know-- especially those of us who lack tenure-- simply do not lower grades sufficiently in response to poor grammar and spelling. And this results in the students having less motivation to improve.
 
Willamena

Willamena

Just me
Premium Member
Yes. And can I just say, Yes? Additionally, I would like to add, Yes.

And knowing some won't get the metaphorical content, I would still like to add, Yes.
 
Kathryn

Kathryn

It was on fire when I laid down on it.
I'm sorry, Revoltingest. It's tiring being a paragon of grammar.

I had a moment of weakness. But it has passed.
 
Rakhel

Rakhel

Well-Known Member
I try to spell correctly. It drives me nuts when I have to stop and think how to spell the simplest words I know I know how to spell. And with this damned keyboard and my having to go back and add an"a" or an "h" or even a space between words...I wanna scream!!!

But at least I try. lazy B**** that I am
 
Kathryn

Kathryn

It was on fire when I laid down on it.
Hey, Rakhel, that's more than most people around here can say.

KUDOS! And have some frubals with that.
 
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