General Chat

Hi Gwynne! Yes, the satisfaction in passing exams can be such a thrill. One that seems to be available to fewer and fewer students, given the trend towards nothing being deemed a failure. It's a topic on another thread, but I think there's a lot to be said for working towards a standard and teaching people that 'fail' is not a four letter word, if you get my drift!! :-) I'm all for rewarding effort, but there are standards that need to be met in some areas and it's not necessarily a personal disaster if some don't reach it. Try again or move onto something that can be done is the best advice I think. We all succeed at something and none succeed at everything. ps I've just seen that you saw my reply on that other thread. Congratulations to you for having the courage to stay off the roads. Too many people thing they're wonderful drivers when they're clearly a danger to all. :-)

Hi Felicity, I always 'read through my work' as well to correct any mistakes I may have made, I'm not a very good typist. I'm the daughter of an English teacher, it's in the blood. lol When my son was very young I taught O level English Language to adults for 10 years. At the same night school I also taught adult literacy, which was very rewarding. It was lovely to see the progress that people can make when they want to and the satisfaction they felt when they passed an exam. I love our language and I will fight on the battlements to see it preserved! Gwynne

A long time ago now, but yes.

Snap!!! First thing i do in the morning!!!!!!!!LOL! You were an english teacher?

I'll confess too, that if I look at my own response and spot a mistake, I have been known to go back in and update it to correct it. I wonder what anyone thinks if they read the version with the mistake and then re-read it after the correction!! It must be the pedant in me. :-(

LOL!!

Me too!! :-)

i do hold my hands up to the fact,i always look back on anything before i post it,but sometimes i don't,and i wouldn't want somone to think i was thick if i didn't...

No, Hays, it doesn't bother me now, especially on a forum like this, but I do think it's an interesting topic that most people have an opinion on one way or another. :-)

? SORRY forgot the question mark.

Some people,are so excited when they come onto Genes,i think the last thing they are looking at is their spelling... does it really bother you that much..............

Speaking correctly and using good grammar has little to do with education much beyond the primary school level. Most of these basics should be in place by the time a child reaches High School and certainly before they start studying a GCSE syllabus. Part of the difficulty, I feel, is the idea (in some circles) that if a child is not having fun at school then the education process is failing. Some things are difficult to learn, need to be learned 'parrot fashion' and some find learning some things harder work than others. I agree that some have difficulties and the language 'lives' and changes, but that doesn't stop it being reasonable to strive for a level of correctness. Children are quite capable too, as has been mentioned, of using one register of speech in one set of circumstances (ie with grandparents) and another with friends. Part of the issue, I think, is that there is a current trend for some people to have the atittude - this is me and accept me as I am, I don't care how people view me so long as they put up with whatever I dish out. Then there are others who take the view that how they see things is the only right way of seeing things. It's an extension of the PC brigade and the Human Rights Are My Right At Any Price brigade, perhaps. PLEASE, before anyone takes me to task on this, understand that I'm not getting at any individual or making a comment on people who have genuine language difficulties. This is a very general statement by an ex-English teacher who used to get very frustrated by the low level of language skills demonstrated by many 11 year olds, but who loved devising ways to persuade them that developing good English was worth the effort.

I have to admit bad spelling gets to me especially at the greengrocers' and florists' stalls. I also find it difficult to understand why someone who posts doesn't just check it afterwards, especially on the Success boards etc. How can we help if they haven't written out properly what they are trying to say?

I'll deal with you later Master Hayes! I'm just going to watch Deal or no Deal with Great Grandma. Not mine, the kids!) Ooops missed the possessive apostrophe! Cherryx

Would someone like to start a Thread and teach us Txtspk?

Go on Paul, rub it in.....tell him the difference between the comma on the bottom line of the keyboard and the apostrophe on the middle line (Only joshing, takes all my brains to empty the cat's litter tray, never mind turning a tap on!)

Right Jim, was meaning on boards like this. The old standards have gone, even Cherry with her,stand at the back' it was 'stand in the front ' in my day (or the corner). And garters were for shooting ink blobs at girls. Happy days

aha but jim this is the evolution of our beautiful language. it is now electronic etiquette to only use capitals when one is shouting. OK?? lol!

Oh Harry, you are so naughty! It's fewer in number and less in quantity! I've told you that so many times! Now pull your socks up and make sure the garters fit otherwise you'll have to stand at the back of the class! Cherryx

Harry, I think it does matter on this Site where we want to be able to communicate information correctly. Mis-spelt names and incorrect or incomplete dates are not going to facilitate Re-Uniting Genes. So if someone demonstrates that they are sloppy or careless when typing it does not give us much faith in the research they are showing.