Schoolteachers are finding that students these days aren't practicing proper grammar and spelling. And, according to the New York Times article [free registration required], they don't see anything wrong.
Literally. They're not aware they're doing it, they see it so much.
Ms. Brecker once handed in a midterm exam riddled with instant-messaging shorthand. "I had an hour to write an essay on Romeo and Juliet," she said. "I just wanted to finish before my time was up. I was writing fast and carelessly. I spelled 'you' 'u.' " She got a C.And perhaps, even worse was this report from a woman performing an internship:
"They would be trying to make a point in a paper, they would put a smiley face in the end," said Ms. Weaver, who teaches at Alvernia College in Reading, Pa. "If they were presenting an argument and they needed to present an opposite view, they would put a frown."Gee, and I had to text my husband back to explain the phrase "l8r" that I had sent to him while we were at GenCon.
Courtesy of Slashdot.
Comments (2)
I'm sorry, as an English major (focus on lingusitics), this l33t crap annoys the hell out of me. If I were a teacher, that kid wouldn't have gotten a C, she would have gotten an F until she rewrote the damn paper.
Posted by Anne | September 19, 2002 3:23 PM
Posted on September 19, 2002 15:23
I'm also an English major, and I would have given her only half credit until the paper was rewritten. I often help a teacher/friend of mine correct papers, and it's horribly fustrating to see kids writing things such as, "i wus @ home in the kichin when sudenly i s33n the bigest monstr evar rite @ mie d00r." Did I mention the paper with that particular phrase was written by a highschool sophomore? I wasn't sure if I ought to laugh or cry.
Posted by Dav. | December 8, 2002 1:37 PM
Posted on December 8, 2002 13:37