RE: Should Latin Be Offered as a Secondary School Elective?
February 18, 2013 at 9:51 am
(This post was last modified: February 18, 2013 at 9:56 am by thesummerqueen.)
I know a lot of 40 year olds who can't spell either. Education is a choice, not something that can be successfully crammed into someone's head. My brother and I come from the same family. White, middle-class, Jewish background (Jews LOVE education - we were all PUSHED to do well in school), we lived in one of the most affluent counties in the country near Washington DC, and all three of us (me, him and my sister) went to the same schools one after the other (we're four years apart). While I don't agree at all with some of the standards our school system held, it was ten sights better than a lot of others I've seen.
My sister and I are extremely picky about spelling. However, I'm the only one that reads voraciously. My brother can't spell for shit. On the other hand, he's an absolute whiz at science and math. He simply doesn't care about literature or spelling. His verbal vocabulary is more than adequate. I can't do math to save my life.
So what I'm saying is that 1) you might be hanging around too many people who don't value literature, English and writing or 2) surfing the nets on sights that gather the same. Youtube is not an exemplary pit of teh Interwebs.
What I just gave you an example of is not just "bad writing" any more - it's taken on a life of its own as an ironic way of referring to things. That's part of language.
As for using Latin and Greek for science...Botanical societies are beginning to shed that now in favor of English terms, as English is now becoming a standard method of communication. English is still evolving, you see, and Latin is not.
And actually, if you want to increase a person's vocabulary (and by extension their grammar and spelling) you should encourage them to read. Read, read, read, in their own language (therefore, English). Read lots and lots of books of varying comprehension levels. Don't teach them another language - that gives them someone else's grammar and vocabulary. Read, and write. Writing letters is amazing practice for communication - or writing long-winded e-mails.
My sister and I are extremely picky about spelling. However, I'm the only one that reads voraciously. My brother can't spell for shit. On the other hand, he's an absolute whiz at science and math. He simply doesn't care about literature or spelling. His verbal vocabulary is more than adequate. I can't do math to save my life.
So what I'm saying is that 1) you might be hanging around too many people who don't value literature, English and writing or 2) surfing the nets on sights that gather the same. Youtube is not an exemplary pit of teh Interwebs.
What I just gave you an example of is not just "bad writing" any more - it's taken on a life of its own as an ironic way of referring to things. That's part of language.
As for using Latin and Greek for science...Botanical societies are beginning to shed that now in favor of English terms, as English is now becoming a standard method of communication. English is still evolving, you see, and Latin is not.
And actually, if you want to increase a person's vocabulary (and by extension their grammar and spelling) you should encourage them to read. Read, read, read, in their own language (therefore, English). Read lots and lots of books of varying comprehension levels. Don't teach them another language - that gives them someone else's grammar and vocabulary. Read, and write. Writing letters is amazing practice for communication - or writing long-winded e-mails.
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