Poor spelling

[Lace Neil Singer]

I find that people who speak English as a second language tend to type it better than native English speakers. Sad, but true.

[jackfaire]

I find that people who speak English as a second language tend to type it better than native English speakers. Sad, but true.

Why is it sad? If English speakers had to learn the language the way non native speakers do they would be more formal in their typing as well.

[Lace Neil Singer]

It's sad cuz you'd expect someone who grew up speaking English as their first language to type English decently.

I wasn't attacking non speakers.

[jackfaire]

Way to totally miss the point. -.- I shall attempt to explain what I meant.

It's sad cuz you'd expect someone who grew up speaking English as their first language to type English decently.

I wasn't attacking non speakers. Jeez.

lol neither was I. I was defending native speakers actually. People always say it is sad if I misspell a word that a non native speaker wouldn't have misspelled or if I don't type as well.

The assumption is that I have studied the language in the same way as a non native speaker when I haven't. I know English because of how my parents, peers etc spoke it. If I read more than I learn a more formal form of English and improve my spelling and grammar.

I would not expect someone for whom English is their first language to type it decently. I would expect a non native person to have better skills with the language, regardless of language, than a native speaker.

[Lace Neil Singer]

Ah right. I just thought you were missing the point entirely.

I don't expect native English speakers to type as fluently as non natives do; however, it's not too much to ask that they don't type up their entire posts like so:

helo mah nme iz em i wnt frends lol i luv anme i wnt 2 cht lol

O_o

[jackfaire]

One pet peeve I have is that no one knows the difference between Shaking and Nodding anymore.

Shaking your head means no. Nodding your head means yes.

People either get these backwards or if I type *shaking my head* they want to know if I am "shaking" it no or yes.

[muses_nightmare]

Oh man, I've been noticing the whole head shaking/nodding thing too. It's annoying.

[ladyneeva]

I commented on another forum that I find the text messenger shorthand nearly impossible to read, and was essentially torn a new one. Including one person who smugly told me that texting is taught in school now.

And my sister who told me that her dyslexic daughter's teachers told her not (NOT) to correct spelling mistakes in notes written at home or on the internet, because children need some place to make mistakes without getting corrected. She was also told to remove any spell checking programs, because being constantly "nagged" about her spelling would cause the child to suffer self esteem issues.

Hell, I practically want to marry my spell checker. Makes it so that nobody has to see how often I type thier!

[Lace Neil Singer]

Yeah, that makes sense. So children should be allowed to spell incorrectly, cuz of course when they get round to writing out CVs and application letters, spelling mistakes will ensure they don't get the job. Yeah, makes sense. One boss I had used to file badly spelt letters and CVs right into the bin. His reasoning was that if they can't be bothered to take a bit of time to make their application perfect, then they won't bother to work hard at the job.

[draggar]

I find that people who speak English as a second language tend to type it better than native English speakers. Sad, but true.

You can normally tell the difference between someone who just doesn't know and someone who is not fluent in English (when it comes to errors etc..).

As for people who speak English as their first language, there are many dialects. The US version of English is different from the UK version of English (color verses colour, check versus cheque, etc..).

Also, I know that in the US people take pride in their different dialects. You have "Hick Speak" (dem dare, dis here, etc), Ebonics / Urban (I'z be goin', where u at), text message / IM (GTG WTF LOL, wer r u?), and "L33t sp34k" (Elite Speak / hacker - h4x0rz, etc..).

The non-native speakers usually learn correct UK or American English and don't learn the above mentioned dialiects until they're here.

[Boozy]

If English speakers had to learn the language the way non native speakers do they would be more formal in their typing as well.

When I started university, I was placed in an advanced French course. All the other students in my class had been in French immersion in school and could speak fluently. They had learned the French language...well, "organically" would be the best way to describe it.

I had attended English schools that taugh French in a formalized way. There was more attention to spelling, grammar, syntax. I couldn't follow much of the university level course, because my aural and spoken French was so poor.

But I continually aced the written and reading tests while my classmates failed them.

So I guess there's something to be said about the strengths and weaknesses of both native and non-native speakers.

[jackfaire]

So I guess there's something to be said about the strengths and weaknesses of both native and non-native speakers.

Exactly my point

[Lace Neil Singer]

Even so, if I see a post typed entirely in chatspeak, I won't bother to try and plough thru it. It might be the most erudite argument ever, but if it's written in chatspeak and textspeak, I won't bother trying to translate it. On a lot of forums I go on, there's actually rules about entire posts in chatspeak; the odd word here and there is fine, but entire posts of it are not allowed.

[jackfaire]

Chat speak and such is a matter of appropriateness.

If your debating you use common English.

Use the right form of text or speech for the venue and topic.

[protege]

One boss I had used to file badly spelt letters and CVs right into the bin. His reasoning was that if they can't be bothered to take a bit of time to make their application perfect, then they won't bother to work hard at the job.

I'm one of those people. If I can't read your resume or application, it goes right in the trash. Sorry, but even though I can translate "idiot" or "AOL-speke," I really don't want to. I have better things to do with my time. I refuse to babysit idiots who can't be bothered. Either do it correctly, or get the hell out of my office