Am I being redundant by saying it is hypocritical to admonish someone for poor grammar/spelling- when they themselves are writing "inadaquate" posts? (ha, ha-)
I think that it is funny that most of the people that are talking about my English are from different countries, isn’t that strange? In America people are laid back about the way they speak... just like in any language there is slang. Plus I go to one of the top High Schools in California and have gone to an academy for elementary and junior high ( which you have to test into). So for me when the time is right and I would like to be correct and speak in the proper way, I can. Next time someone makes a mistake or two or three, give them a break and DON'T judge them just for that. “Don’t judge a book by its cover”. You don’t know me so don’t judge me; and I won’t judge you. It really isn’t hard to be respectful and unbiased, maybe some of you should try it some time.
Well, BeBa, you have just proven that you are not dyslexic. (The weight off my chest!) As for being laid back, there are limits, even in America. You don't leave your home wearing underwear, do you? The same courtesy applies to your English. So, as for paying respect to others, you should begin at your own doorstep.
I am an American ( the one that started this) and wanting a better reputation for my country isn't wrong. What you wrote was not slang...it was just plain old bad English, and if you think that being laid back is a plus, travel a bit and learn of our reputation abroad. Then you too will look to be a better representative in the things that you can, like learning their langauge, respecting their customs, etc. If you have to start by learning your language, best is to stay home with the other home boys... Good luck to you...
The differences between Beba's former and later letters are so great that I have the impression another person has written the second batch.
Now I feel bad for the girl. No reason for a lynch mob... It is true that there's no easier way to look dumb or uneducated than to misuse gramar or misspell. Its not a true measure of intelligence, but its like walking around with your fly open... Being the master I am in English- I am just as poor in math skills. Fortunately for You Czechs are scaring me... True perfectionists! I certainly hope I get some leeway as I am a new student of your language...
Does it make you feel superior to criticize a 15 year old??? Granted, unless you have read BeBa's other posts you would not know how old BeBa is. BeBa, however, was asking about high school, whereas you mentioned having a post-secondary education. All that time and experience between the two can make a world of difference. Give BeBa a break! There is no need to be so harsh. BeBa, good luck in the Czech Republic. I hope you really enjoy your time there!
Yeah KJP give her a break. If she wants to learn Czech or mtravel to CR dont give her a hard tyme. Let other peeple theenk what they will. Be proud of your country, or do not. Your choice. PS I hope i din t make no gosh darnt speeling erras
Sorry, but I completely disagree. As an educator, I don't allow elementary children to get away with it, certainly not someone in HS. Your entitled to your opinion, but very few of those came from fellow Americans... Waz up has gone too far! Now we are know as a nation of idiots, and fat ones at that...
I would normally be the first to say that a person needs to take responsibility for his or her own actions. However, I do recognize that if a person does not get the foundation and support that he/she needs to build upon or that foundation is faulty, then he/she cannot be held 100% responsible, especially a minor. In this case, perhaps the blame should be placed with the local school system or the American government. And as mentioned previously, you, KJP, have mentioned having a post-secondary education, which can make a world of difference. My English marks weren't great in high school; it wasn't until I started working after university that I saw a vast improvement in my written communication skills. In addition, BeBa may be a very eloquent and skilled public speaker, but that does not necessarily translate into excellent written communication skills. I know this first hand. Not everybody can be great at everything. And that is that said the Cat in the Hat!
REMEMBER: STRESSED spelled backwards is DESSERTS!! My beef is not with her, nor our governement, but with our reputation, and we all play a part....
KJP, If, as an educator, you don't allow elementary children to "get away with it," than you should hold yourself to the same rules. "Lead by example," you said in a previous post on this same thread (p. 1). I understand your concern about the negative image of American's level of education; however, the number of blatant spelling and grammatical errors in your posts only supports that image. In addition, your complaining about others' posts plus your master's degree in liberal arts further compound the problem. After all, someone with such a degree should hardly have to rely on spell checkers and grammar checkers. Either clean up your own posts, or get off your soapbox. Czechpoint, I agree with you that some blame for the gap between the level of education in American public schools and that of Europe should be placed on schools at the local level, and some on the American government; however, I believe that there are underlying issues with discipline (in both the homes and schools) which are more detrimental to the level of education here. American kids in general don't want to study--they'd rather play sports or videogames. Parents aren't making enough of an issue over it. There is a predominantly held view here in the U.S. among the youth, that one doesn't need to be educated to become successful. While sometimes this is true, in the vast majority of cases it is not. To be successful without a good education one must typically have extraordinary innate talent, or be extraordinarily lucky. We Americans (especially the youth) have a tendency to hold up such successful people as icons to emulate, without considering reality. I think parents need to step up and work to refute this attitude in their kids. After all, if parents don't care about their child's education, why should they expect the school or the government to care? This is what I think is the root of the problem in the American educational system. Of course, this has been further compounded by government and school systems "dumbing down" the schools to accommodate those students who are unwilling to put forth the effort to learn. I hope someone else on this forum will actually respond to the broader question of education, either comparative between the Czech Republic and the U.S., or more general in scope, rather than limiting ourselves to an argument over grammar and spelling.
I totally agree that parents need to provide the support and discipline that is necessary for their children to be successful in school, work, life, love, etc. However, the current social and economic situations in North America are such that many children are growing up in broken homes and the sole caregiver is often the only financial support as well and in cases where there are 2 parents, often both parents must work outside of the home to make ends meet. The government in these cases is not doing enough to make sure that parents can be there for their children. In North America it is quite true that we live to work. I don't know too much about the Czech Republic's current social and economic situations, so I can't really comment. However, most of my relatives reside in the Czech Republic and what I have been told is that new parents get up to 3 years maternity leave per child up to a maximum of 6 years, which I am sure must help a great deal when establishing a child's foundation for lifelong learning, discipline, etc. In Canada, we only get 1 year. Although the amount that children grow physically, emotionally and intellectually in that time is astonishing, it's just the beginning and 1 year of leave is not enough. Unfortunately, most parents cannot afford to take more time off. Granted, I don't know what sort of financial support new parents in the Czech Republic receive during those 3 years, but from what I understand of my cousins' experiences they were financially secure and they were by no means well off prior to their pregnancies.
Then the sexism comes in.... Boy you are making the good ole US of A look bad :lol: just kidding I wouldnt hold anything said/typed over the internet. You never know if they are typing this in the middle of the night or ina hurry, and its really not fair. You don't know them and they're probably just as smart, if not smarter :lol: than you and I. It doesn't really matter what other people think of us. We think bad things of them too( Yes its true!). We all support our homeland (Or should!) and we are all entitled to think what we want! I like bush because he does what he thinks is best, even if others don't agree. "What is right is not always popular, what is popular is not always right" No offense KJP but Im not trying to win any International popularity contests here.
I understand what KJP means. While I was living in America, I attended college classes. The teacher was very impressed with my spelling and command of English. She did wrote on one of the papers, that we had to turn in, "Better than most Americans." However, she did complained about my British spelling. Prior my trip to U.S.A. I lived, and studied English in London. I found the teachers very strict concerning spelling. I would say that average Brit spells way better than most average Americans. I think it's because the schools are stricter and not casual about it. I think it's shame for your country if a foreigner spells your own language better than you. However, there are ways to put it. I would answer Bebe's question, yet point out her mistake in spelling. If we don't correct ourselves, we will never learn. No offence intended. And, yes, Czechs are often perfectionists.
