English Language Deteriorating

[Canada EH]

https://blog.gruby.com/2005/11/28/deterioration-of-language-in-our-society/

 

I have noticed in newspapers countless spelling errors and grammatical errors. We would love to think its just a one time mistake, but the same author does it multiple times.

Yahoo News is atrocious with their publications, same goes for CBC and lots of other "news" media outlets.

 

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I’ve been noticing more and more how the English language is deteriorating into slang, misused words, improper abbreviations, and mistakes ranging from television to print media, to the web and most disturbing, everyday language.

That sums it all up!

 

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It has become so bad, that the English language has changed to “accept” this. For instance, anyways is often used for anyway. This really disturbs me as it just doesn’t sound right and makes people who use it seem uneducated to me.

That is the downside to the deteriorating english skills of our society. Which makes that segment of the population make less money because they type up a cv which is ridden with errors, then if they even get a chance to have an interview and the written skillset is exaggerated with the in person interview. When it comes to the soft skills, tucking in your shirt, showing up early, professional looking cv, body language then those applicants would have a higher likely-hood of not succeeding, even if they had excellent prior work history.

 

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The problem is that no one corrects the mistakes.

Happens all too frequently, besides that it would be the parents responsibility to teach their children, but even that parent/child relationship is straining and failing. When those adolescents grow up, the problems get more severe in verbal, writting, soft and hard skills.

 

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Is this a breakdown of our educational system or does no one care anymore?

It is a breakdown because in this day in age, children do not win or lose, there are no grades, no goals for children. Our educational system is failing, the parents/guardians are failing big time.

 

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Related to vocabulary issues and slang, the use of email, instant messaging, and text messaging has caused people to become very sloppy in their writing and many people just don’t care what they write.

Social media as well, its getting worse and worse as the decades roll on. I've had received emails of resume's/cv's with LOL in them, they are thrown out.

 

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I find myself trying to proofread everything I write as it is a reflection on me and every communication can affect my work.

It depends on the place. Half the time I don't give a rats ass, other times if I am typing out an official letter I triple check everything. Think about this now, you would think those applying for a job would check out their resume and cover letter 100 times. Simple, basic mistakes along with LOL's and whatever else. Basic sentence and paragraph structures are non existant to most people in certain arena's. Perhaps it is the "I dont give a fuck" syndrome, but even the simplest of tasks like Beginning Middle and End are not followed. What is the problem? What have you done? Thoughts, Ideas. Instead a long wall of text, no formatting, can deal with spelling errors, try to deal with slang if its not too much of it.

 

 

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I wish this was imparted on kids and teenagers as the more they neglect their writing, the bigger problem society will have later.It really only takes a few good influences to change someone’s language skills. It starts in the classroom, but extends beyond that.

Agreed

 

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My wife is a science teacher and for the last few years, she’s been hanging out with English teachers. A few weeks ago, I commented to her that her vocabulary has increased just by being around people that use more sophisticated words. My wife is very smart, but has said that she was never good at the SAT words. Well, I think that has changed just by her friends’ use of new words.

Excellent point there, couldnt agree with you more Scott Gruby.

 

 

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When is society going to start caring?

Not anytime soon.

 

 

- Yes a conscious effort put into this last line. Said no to placing it at the beginning. But what do you guys and gals think of the english language and it deteriorating into what it has become? In the future its going to become a bigger and bigger problem. More PC will take place, no grades, no one wins, no one loses, just a homogeneous society where no one strives ahead of their fellow. Perhaps fewer millionaires and billionaires, middle class will balloon out because no one wants to strive to be the best. It will be hard to go from no grades, to College or University and be slammed with a grading system. More and more failures. Higher taxes to pay for more delinquent adolescents who grow up to become "adults" and hit the system hard. Lots of studies out there to show exactly where all that leads to. No grades, no one wins or loses, testing, sexting, ipads, games to the extreme. More days off during the school year, longer recesses, no more keeping children in line when they go astray.

 

[captain_to_fire]

I once heard a journalist saying “ATM machine” in live TV. 

4 minutes ago, Canada EH said:

Not anytime soon.

 

http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/02/15/u-s-students-internationally-math-science/ 

[Canada EH]

2 minutes ago, captain_to_fire said:

“ATM machine” in live TV. 

Interesting

 

A TV anchor/reporter/journalist doing that, I wonder how old they were.

[Andreas Lilja]

4 hours ago, captain_to_fire said:

I once heard a journalist saying “ATM machine” in live TV. 

http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/02/15/u-s-students-internationally-math-science/ 

Nothing wrong with that. Knowing the meaning of every acronym out there is ridiculous.

 

The extra word helps clarity. Language should serve usefulness, not smartassness.

[captain_to_fire]

2 minutes ago, Raskolnikov said:

Nothing wrong with that. Knowing the meaning of every acronym out there is ridiculous.

 

The extra word helps clarity. Language should serve usefulness, not smartassness.

Journalists are the kind of people you expect to excel in linguistics. Also, unless you live in London where it’s called a “cash point”, the acronym “ATM” is used ubiquitously almost by everyone. 

[Volbet]

Interesting thesis. However, you fail to provide evidence that failure to spell or pronounce words properly is equal to an overall deterioration of the English language.

 

Languages are a funny thing and they tend to evolve organically over time.

"Goodbye" is just one example of a universally accepted word that started as a misspelling of a shorthand.

As much as some people wants it to be otherwise, language is a populist movement. If the technocrats have to change their official rules due to popular demand, then so be it.

 

Ultimately, it's the power with which we can deliver a message that should be the measuring stick for deterioration, not the way in which the power is packed. If you write or say "anyways" instead of "anyway" doesn't change what is understood and conveyed.

 

You could even use Shakespeare as an example. He's widely considered the greatest author in the English language, yet, he not only misspelled word (which was pretty common at the time), but he also invented words.

If you follow your own argument, then you should be out there advocating for the removal of Shakespeare from all classrooms, because his writing will more than anything deteriorate the language of the young.

 

Also, your source doesn't seem to support your conclusion. You essentially jump from "language is changing" to "total homogeny, participation trophies and society will crumple". Not only is this pretty narrow-minded, it also has no historical backing.

[Canada EH]

1 hour ago, Volbet said:

provide evidence that failure to spell or pronounce words properly

No need to look far for proof.

[Origami Cactus]

Well part of the problem may be that the english language is more global than ever, and has more non-native speakers.

 

But i dont think that the english language will fail atleast in the next few hundred years. Before that all the small languages die.

Also a little change is not a bad thing. If you read an english text from the 1200's and now you see that the language has changed. But i get what you mean

[Volbet]

14 minutes ago, Canada EH said:

No need to look far for proof.

Then provide it, please.

If this is your entire defence, then your thesis doesn't really stand up to scrutiny.

[Noctus]

23 hours ago, captain_to_fire said:

 Also, unless you live in London where it’s called a “cash point”, the acronym “ATM” is used ubiquitously almost by everyone. 

"Cash Point" or "Cash Machine" is used pretty much everywhere in the UK

On 11/29/2018 at 11:42 PM, Canada EH said:

-snip

The language is fine over here, just you mental canadians and americans.

[Speed Weed]

English language is hard af.