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I would comment on this, but it’s like this, the dude just used way to many words in his article. Couldn’t he just like, you know, draw us a picture or something.
Literacy may no longer necessary for most employers and workers. Punching a little picture of a hamburger on a computer screen renders verbal skills unnecessary. In addition, they can vote by pushing little pictures of “The Divine One” holding his arms out wide in forgiveness.
I think the damage was done on purpose. You cannot rule a nation of smart, articulate, self-reliant people. And since some people dearly want to rule over others, the decision mas made to destroy our ability to resist manipulation.
Its hilarious.
“We need exercises in spelling, grammar, style, ...”
My pet peeve: Typed communication without any capitalization. Amazingly lazy, and rude to the recipient. I have a cousin, and also a friend, who sent emails that way and I quit responding — mainly because I refused to muddle through the lower-case mess and even read the messages. Finally, when they asked why I never replied, I told them. They’ve re-discovered the “shift” key.
Prof. Grassl has written truly and with great insight to the ultimate result of “whatever” and “you know what I meant even if I didn’t spell it correctly” that comes from texting speak or other such language laziness. Yet the masses, even on FR, wail and gnash their keyboards at “spelling/grammar Nazis” who try to show how error in correctly expressing oneself can create an impression of poor thinking skills.
And the renaming of history, geography, economics, and civics into "Social Studies."
To me it’s simple. People have different priorities nowadays.
People used to think it important to be logical, intelligent, to show one’s culture. To self-examine by means of good literature and philosophy, including religion. It takes time to learn to speak well, write well, improve one’s mind.
But nowadays it’s important to have a good time. Things simply aren’t sought after if they don’t give us something we want. Everything in our culture tells us that.
Double-plus ungood Newspeak!
Ping for later
“Loss of language among the younger population — that is to say, the ability to formulate and enunciate properly constructed sentences that reflect clear thought — is growing at a staggering rate in the United States.”
Understatement! (Along with the loss of accurate history from a cause and effect standpoint, loss of the will to advance in science and math, LOSS of an appreciation for responsibility and self-discipline...ad nauseum.)
This is because all the teachers are female, and they are all looking to put a 14 year old nothch in thier belt.
Overblown observation, but between Unionisation and the sexin school its no wonder we are in such bad shape.
Although I don’t subscribe to all of linguistic philosophy, there is definately something to what the professor says. I’ve noticed that most of the classic works, especially those translated from Latin, displaly a use of language, writing and argument, far superior to that of today.
If you can stand the cursing, watch “Idiocracy”.
"Like" was chosen long ago as the spear-tip of the eduactional death stroke against American students. It's been a zipper handle that has been used to progressively undo rational thought itself.
The author ends by comparing the results to an ant hill - which makes me reflect that ant hills are blind totalitarian organizations, with working eunuchs, run by a queen.
Use this as a PS to my post #20:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaqaImebd1M&feature=player_embedded#!
It is because young people no longer read. They don’t see their parents read. I suggest books for my children and discuss the books with them. Those I haven’t read, I ask them questions about (bad grammar, ending a sentence with a preposition - grin). We talk about favorite parts and lessons learned. Parents need to show their children the importance and enjoyment of reading by doing it in front of them . By reading good books, children get an innate sense of grammar, which helps as they formally learn it.
Can’t we do anything right anymore!!!???