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When I was teaching in public school (high school music, not English), I was constantly amazed at the lack of grammar in the curriculum.
At least in my district (and the others nearby), the emphasis in writing was more on ideas than on the ability to express those ideas clearly. Students' writing assignments were graded with a rubric in which grammar was one category out of about 7 or 8 (ideas, theme, creativity, etc were some of the other categories).
All that is fine and good, but, to my cynical mind, it seems like that is a way to give good grades to students who can't write.
Sigh.
People my age tend to learn more grammar from MSN than from Ms. N (the teacher. Bad pun, I know.)
Is it a problem? Absolutely. There's nothing the school systems can do about it...it's entirely dependant on the student's willingness to learn in school, and the influence of the parents.
no it isnt, you just read literature from hs
Tell me 'bout it LOL!! A lot of the tym tho we do short-hand some people grasp it quicker than others and wen u no how u automatically type it in short!! Sorry! It's just gonna b one of those things ur gonna have to get used too!! Luv PP xxxx
You're having trouble deciphering some of these posts because of the illiterate way they are written. No punctuation and no correct grammar usage. And yes this is being taught in the HS and MS curriculum, but the kids choose not to use it or don't learn it. The really scary thing is that when we're old they are going to run the country.
Nope. I'm in 12th grade and haven't learned spelling or grammar since about 3rd grade. They don't care anymore, it is considered unimportant. Which is incredibly sad because so few people have a good understanding of the English language. It's devolution.
Yes, we teach grammar - and spelling, and punctuation, and COMMON COURTESY. However, we are endeavoring to empty the ocean with a teaspoon. The constant bombardment with poor mechanics - and poor VALUES - debases not only effective communication, but the actual fabric of society. Many students can no longer differentiate between street parlance, and FORMAL construction - they think it is ALL appropriate to use. But then - I have seen and met parents, who when called into school because their child was dressed or behaved inappropriately, show up with no teeth, no bra, tattoos all over, and park their big nasty car right in front of the school with filthy rap CDs blaring - as if to impress. We have had such parents assault (verbally and physically) staff and administrators - and then alternately yell "YOU fix my kid - you have him all day!" and "You (**& teachers make too )(*&^&% much money!"
I have taught middle school since 1971. My husband taught 34 years; our son and his wife are both teachers. We cannot fix all the flaws of society when we see kids 48 minutes at a time, 3 days a week.
Sounds like it's time for some night classes. May I recommend Cyberspace Shorthand for Beginners and Ebonics 101. You'll see a great majority of the Internet language barrier evaporate. Of course your IQ will drop to record lows as a result, but you'll be cool. Good luck and enjoy.
Sadly, no. Grammar is not taught in CA past the lower grades.
However, I do not have a problem with "texting" as a register. It suits the technology. I use "computer-speak" on occasion, but I don't use "texting" because I am not comfortable doing so. I can certainly understand it.
The bigger issue is that many students cannot transfer back and forth between registers.
I only learned grammar for half a semester in the 6th grade and we did not even cover everything. The school system was focusing more on math and sciences because of the standardized tests being related mainly to those subjects. Now in high school I believe they are testing almost all of the subjects in order to graduate. It is a shame that they did not focus on it when I was growing up and it is also a shame that many of the parents do not try to make sure the students learn grammar.
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