Literacy in America falling?

[Katahu]

I was just watching CNN yesterday. In one of their reports, they pointed out that more and more American students are becoming more and more illiterate by the year. Some people blamed the teachers for not doing their job, others blame the internet and text messaging. The remainder blame this on lack of involvement from the parents.

I wouldn't blame those who say they blame teachers [no offense Ozzy]. Here in American, I have seen my fair share of lazy teachers who only cared about their paychecks. If a student becomes disruptive or isn't catching up with the class, they just let them slide. There were also instances where some teachers actually allowed "lazy" students [who didn't care about getting an F] to be promoted to the next grade because they would get extremely tired of seeing the same failing student over and over again as they were constantly retaking the same grades. I have even met kids who graduated high school at the age of 21 when they didn't even deserve it yet!

I also sympathize with those who would blame text messaging and the internet. I hate cht spk an odr such txt dat mk things hrd 2 reed. This is why I like SimViation. Here, everyone knows how to at least type English very well. Heck, even those of us who don't even use English as a main language seem to do a better job at typing English than the students I met in high school.

But my biggest pet peeve is slang. I hate slang, especially the sort that leaves me with a dumb look on my face. I was working at Walgreens one night and one customer [a kid who seems to be 18-19 years old] spoke this to me: Hav brokin bubba crayons to eat? Shizza me to you by moona day? :-? I was left with a really confused look on my face. I knew for a fact that it wasn't Creole that he was speaking because I hear Creole almost everywhere here in Homestead. Most residents here in Homestead use Creole as their main language. Spanish is almost at the same level here in Homestead. Now I am hearing kids use long confusing sentences just to say one simple word. One example is the word "hell". In slang, they say "atch to da eee toda dubble hockey stiks".  :-? I swear, if one person comes up to me and talks to me like that, I WILL retaliate by replying to them in complete, unadulterated German.

[Hagar]

I was just watching CNN yesterday. In one of their reports, they pointed out that more and more American students are becoming more and more illiterate by the year. Some people blamed the teachers for not doing their job, others blame the internet and text messaging. The remainder blame this on lack of involvement from the parents.

Exactly the same thing is reported here in the UK. The popularity of text messaging might be partly responsible but I don't see how the blame can be put on teachers. Learning to read & write starts in the home long before children start school. Unfortunately some parents are "too busy" to encourage their children by reading them stories or they are illiterate themselves.

One thing I would like to know. Is it possible to make spelling errors in txt spk?

[Ashar]

One thing I would like to know. Is it possible to make spelling errors in txt spk?

Of course...BRB can become BBR...LOL can become LLO...WTF can become WFT...

[DONTREADMYUSERNAME]

I wouldn't be surprised if more and more people are becoming less able to read or write, with all of the bad speech and "txting" habits we have nowadays. Although I don't particulary trust CNN (actually I dont trust the media in general) I do see alot of my friends just not caring about their grades....

But, what exactly do they mean by illiterate? Illiterate in Merriam Webster means, not able to read or write. I really have never met anyone not able to read or write! Maybe the quality of their writing or reading is going down. I think this is just CNN using scare tatics by saying "illiterate".


[sarcasm]Ohhh nooo! CNN says my child is illiterate! And they said hes gonna join a gang, start using drugs, and rob a bank! It must be those horrible movies he watches! Or that music he listens to! OH MY GOD!!! Its those violent video games he plays!!! I'm gonna throw all of that aweful stuff out! I cant have it poisoning my perfect little baby's perfect little mind![/sarcasm]

[Hagar]

One thing I would like to know. Is it possible to make spelling errors in txt spk?

Of course...BRB can become BBR...LOL can become LLO...WTF can become WFT...

I'm no expert you understand but those look like Internet acronyms & not proper text speak.

The reason I ask is how would one know if it's spelled correctly or not? Is there a dictionary of text speak & if one can't spell how would one use it?

[murjax]

I tend to use actual full english when I chat because it improves my typing skills.  I never ever use any kind of slang when talk.  :)

[Ashar]

One thing I would like to know. Is it possible to make spelling errors in txt spk?

Of course...BRB can become BBR...LOL can become LLO...WTF can become WFT...

I'm no expert you understand but those look like Internet acronyms & not proper text speak.

The reason I ask is how would one know if it's spelled correctly or not? Is there a dictionary of text speak & if one can't spell how would one use it?

They're different? Wow...Stupid old me...

Here's something useful...

Urban Dictionary

[VVM]

cant be bothered with all this 'txt' speak.

[TacitBlue]

One of my friends runs a youth group for troubled teens, and I used to help him out sometimes with the meetings before their schedule had to change so that it no longer fits into mine. I would offer whatever insight I might have, and basically provide a different view point than that of my friend. Anyway, One or two of the kids in this group definitely had problems with "txt" language, the problem was that it was bleeding out into their spoken language! I asked one kid a question and he replied "IDK", which apparently means "I Don

[Brett_Henderson]

Can't speak for Europe, but I've got a good idea of what has happened to kids here

[Katahu]

If I was teacher, I would be like Ozzy. I would build a nice little shack out in the back with various torching devices [my favorite would most likely be the "ordeal"]. If a student were to give me an attitude, I would give him a tour of the shack to make him check his attitude next time. And if any of them were to threaten me with a lawsuit if I give them a bad grade, then I would let them know that their lawyers will be dealt with [Kat clocks his shotgun] accordingly. [smiley=evil.gif]

Of course, that's only if I was a teacher.

[Ashar]

But arn't SAT scores getting better every year? Or is that Collegeboard being Collegeboard again?

[ozzy72]

The scores might be getting better but the tests are getting easier. Tis a simple way to massage the statistics to fit what the government want to say. The same thing is happening in the UK with GCSEs. Last year you only needed 32% to pass maths with an A grade. In my day you needed 86%. Bit of a difference.
A friend of mine worked in NY for a year on the Fulbright Exchange system, she said the main problem in the US with education was that the kids could do exactly what they liked and they knew it. If a kid was listening to an MP3 player in class and she removed his earphones then she'd be arrested for assault!
There was a good article on the BBC News website recently about a school in Ghana that is taking troublesome British students. They still have the cane and things like that and are REALLY strict, and amazingly they've forced these kids that English schools wrote off into learning and now they're all passing with good grades. Tells you something....
And yup I'm quitting teaching for a good reason, Hungary is copying the American and British educational models and I'm sick of being sworn and spat at!

[Ashar]

The scores might be getting better but the tests are getting easier. Tis a simple way to massage the statistics to fit what the government want to say. The same thing is happening in the UK with GCSEs. Last year you only needed 32% to pass maths with an A grade. In my day you needed 86%. Bit of a difference.
A friend of mine worked in NY for a year on the Fulbright Exchange system, she said the main problem in the US with education was that the kids could do exactly what they liked and they knew it. If a kid was listening to an MP3 player in class and she removed his earphones then she'd be arrested for assault!
There was a good article on the BBC News website recently about a school in Ghana that is taking troublesome British students. They still have the cane and things like that and are REALLY strict, and amazingly they've forced these kids that English schools wrote off into learning and now they're all passing with good grades. Tells you something....
And yup I'm quitting teaching for a good reason, Hungary is copying the American and British educational models and I'm sick of being sworn and spat at!

Its still legal for teachers in India to punish students for mis-behavior...Whether they do it or not is upto the individual teacher...

[Brett_Henderson]

When I was in grade-school... The principal had a paddle... It hung outside his office door.. and he used it