If I Had to Do It All Over Again...

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hi leo
nicely put!
one question was left unanswered for me: what is (technically) your native tongue? i tried hard and didn't notice any accent i could put into any "box". i would guess "the netherlands" though...looking at your name that might fit. ;-)

and even if you can accept some people not being able to write/spell english correctly because its not their first language, i sometimes have a hard time agreeing with the degree some people lack that ability. as you said...it influences the way people perceive you as...not fair, not pc but true...

i had to force myself a tad bit to avoid typos and lazyisms since this ain't my native tongue either. but in times of the internet and dvds everyone in any first world country has the means to do something about their lack of experience with languages. especially with english. it's such an easy language (no offense meant, i love it)! at least basic communication should be doable for anyone who wants to be perceived as an intelligent person.

i can understand that its tough as a kid to see the benefits and disadvantages of lacking the ability to speak and write at least english (besides their native tongue), i didn't realize that in school. but anyone over 20 could have done something about it.

the only problem i have with the whole thing: if i'd tell anyone who actually has that problem, it would in a way be like saying "hey you sound like an idiot". i fear the positive intention might be overheard by the "victim".

keep up the good work
jan

You guessed well ... my first language was Dutch. But note I said "technically". I spoke only Dutch until I was about 3 - even though I was living in Canada at the time. Hence I learned English at a very young age. So calling it my "second language" is stretching the point just a little, though it is accurate.

But it does give me a bit of respect, and some sympathy, for those that truly learn it as a second language. In particular, as I've helped adult relatives in Holland try and understand some of the rules and idioms. It's a challenge for them, to be sure. English is a VERY difficult language for many reasons.

And very important.

Well written (and spoken). I had my son listen to your comments - he is in a writing class he doesn't have much use for.

By the way, I work with a full blooded Yupik Eskimo fellow, for whom English is a definitely a second language. He grew up speaking Yupik Eskimo as a first language, but can write, speak, and spell English better than most of us who grew up with English.

Thanks this gem and your other helpful articles,

Will

Leo - you touched the same nerve that we both appear to share (2/23/06) - functional or semi-functional illiteracy for all to "see." I'm 64 and have been a major geek since I was 14. My dad always beat me up about how important the ability to communicate would be throughout life. Now that I have a retrospective of note to look back on - he was dead on.

Being insatiably curious and, as I just learned via a blog, an in-control ADD I.T. professional - I have gone through several hundred podcasts looking for a way to satisfy my curiosity (during my 35 minute [each way] commute - and as I work around the house on weekends). I can't believe how bad it is out there. Thus far the only trade-off between being informed and listening to a functional illiterate is Todd Chochrane's GeekNewsCentral podcasts. The only reason I stay "suscribed" (Todd's word) is because he hits my information needs on the money. But he butcher's English so badly that I actually become internally irate. I wrote him 6 or 7 months ago to tell him that he should hunt down this Jr. High English teachers and smack them both for failing him. I also warned him that someone, with a command of English, will take away his spot in a blink of an eye because he or she will sound like the have a meaningful education (like 98% of the TV news anchors, etc.) and will talk as if they can be trusted. Actually I'd love it if Andy McCaskey (Shashdot Review) and Todd would trade places.

Rant Over - thanks for reading this far - John Shea

CC - Todd Cochrane

Thinking you, Leo, may be interested, I wanted to let you know that you were suggested by Google when I searched-- being the most wonderful person on the planet:. Also, my degree is a BA: English! Love, Dana Elle Richards Ex of RonRichard.com

Now that I have girls who want to be writers, and was told by my college comp. teacher that I should be a writer, I confess that good writing is work, work, work. It takes effort, brains, time, and sometimes, research. Those slave-driving language teachers in high school were right on. You have to learn grammar, language mechanics,and even literary techniques to be a good writer and communicator.

Is it lazyism ' JP's term' not capitalize or to use proper punctuation, I know it bothers me to read them,, But then I suppose a lot of people are bothered with my writing, One that bothers me the most is I, people who use i this and i that. thats all i have to say about it.

Great article. I am a lost cause in math and far from perfect in writing, but I had the best of all possible English teachers in middle school; she gave five years worth of help in two years... God bless you, Mrs. Raley!

Here is one of her secrets. For those wanting to build writing skills, try increasing the amount of book reading you do, in subjects you really like. Check your own writing (usage, grammar, spelling etc.) against what you read.

My brother: he has worked for IBM (and a few other big companies) but he cannot be bothered to spell or capitalize worth a d*mn in his E-Mails. How on Earth he manages to get away with this, I cannot begin to imagine. Me, I see this and tear my hair out -- which I can't spare, as I'm going bald as it is! :(

Just like Leo's technical advice, he's once again "spot-on" by acknowledging that people form opinions of you by the way in which you write. At least, that's the case with me and with most other people I know.

Although I don't expect all the things I read to be perfect insofar as spelling and grammar, it's clear when someone hasn't even made an effort. If that's how the writer feels, that's when I don't take the time to read his words.

Where I come from, if you wouldn't even take a moment to spell-check your message nor make the effort to capitalize and punctuate, this is akin to . . . Well, what's the point? Just imagine your own list of ill-mannered behaviors and you'll get an idea of how I feel when someone writes in a manner indicating he didn't give a hoot. Just my penny's worth.

Thanks, Leo. As always, a great, great article.

P.S.: Use Firefox and enable the built-in spell-checker. You'll wonder how you ever managed without it. Does Internet Explorer spell-check yet? I don't see that feature in IE and that's a small part of why I don't use it.

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