Spelling, punctuation & grammar - important?

[oddball]

Hello Michelle , have you not taken the trouble to note that most,if not all,posters,are not looking for a job or adressing thier needs to a lawyer,they are merely asking for advise or information.The ifs,ands,or buts of what may or may not constitute the English language in perfection,is not,nor should be, a neccessity to post on this forum,please make it a rule ladies and i for one am out of here,despite the fact i have the neccessary acumen to take any of you to task for such a minimal and absolute hypocritical denegration of other human beings.Be 'Smart ' should you feel it is your obligatory calling,but please do it else-where. Colin

[oddball]

Originally Posted by Hurricane

as well...........

That should be is well (preferably are you well )
""yes i am thank you" . In the context as written , it is ALSO,BUT NOT HIGH-LIGHTED IN RED,that is an indication of contempt or arrogance.Bitte inshuldigun sei mich,felicht ich hast du nicht verstehen richtig,meine deautch sint nick ser good heute abent.Colin

[Stravinsky]

Originally Posted by MichelleAlison

What if two people applied for the same job and the job involved writing - who would you choose? the one who can spell or the one who can't!

I guess I'd employ the one that was best suited to the job, and if it was the one that couldn't spell I'd make sure a system was in place to ensure his spelling was corrected.

[synthia]

Originally Posted by oddball

the rule would not faze me

The key word was 'enforce' so I wouldn't care whether you were phased or not.

I think you've gotten a bit confused. I'm on the side that says this is forum for exchanging information, not a site that critiques term papers. The only time I point out grammar and spelling problems is if the person is, in fact, looking for work. Then I send a PM and remind them that they just started the job hunt on the wrong foot. Unless the writing makes a post nearly impossible to read, of course. (And yes, I know that isn't a sentence, but it says what I want to say and frankly I don't care if anyone objects.)

As has just been pointed out, those posts are few and far between.

[oddball]

Originally Posted by Dolly

Never one to disappoint, are you Colin

Dolly

Absolutely no sense of or for humour . Colin

[MichelleAlison]

Originally Posted by oddball

Hello Michelle , have you not taken the trouble to note that most,if not all,posters,are not looking for a job or adressing thier needs to a lawyer,they are merely asking for advise or information.The ifs,ands,or buts of what may or may not constitute the English language in perfection,is not,nor should be, a neccessity to post on this forum,please make it a rule ladies and i for one am out of here,despite the fact i have the neccessary acumen to take any of you to task for such a minimal and absolute hypocritical denegration of other human beings.Be 'Smart ' should you feel it is your obligatory calling,but please do it else-where. Colin

Good morning Colin

Two things, firstly this is the Expat forum lounge, where I was under the impression that we could discuss most things and not relating to being an Ex-pat.

Secondly, you quoted "it is known that spelling is not that important". I asked you where this quote was taken from. Was it your own quote, or is it factual? I suppose it depends where you come from. In the UK, the education system doesn't warrant teaching good grammar and spelling, whereas here in Argentina, they do.

I suppose being an English teacher and the fact that I had to teach myself grammar in order to get my qualifications in the UK, made me realise how important understanding grammar is and being able to use it correctly.

Obviously if English is not a first language, this is totally different, but when it is, it is really annoying.

Michelle

[Hurricane]

Originally Posted by oddball

That should be is well (preferably are you well )
""yes i am thank you" . In the context as written , it is ALSO,BUT NOT HIGH-LIGHTED IN RED,that is an indication of contempt or arrogance.Bitte inshuldigun sei mich,felicht ich hast du nicht verstehen richtig,meine deautch sint nick ser good heute abent.Colin

Bitte entschuldigen sie mich,felicht ich hast du nicht verstehen richtig,meine deautch sint nick ser good heute abent

[oddball]

Hy Hurricane,so my German is still better than most posters English,considering i left there some 50 years ago,not so bad i guess.
Ich hat von de loite gelernt,nicht im schule,ich ver bei de vermacht. Colin

[oddball]

Originally Posted by MichelleAlison

Good morning Colin

Two things, firstly this is the Expat forum lounge, where I was under the impression that we could discuss most things and not relating to being an Ex-pat.

Secondly, you quoted "it is known that spelling is not that important". I asked you where this quote was taken from. Was it your own quote, or is it factual? I suppose it depends where you come from. In the UK, the education system doesn't warrant teaching good grammar and spelling, whereas here in Argentina, they do.

I suppose being an English teacher and the fact that I had to teach myself grammar in order to get my qualifications in the UK, made me realise how important understanding grammar is and being able to use it correctly.

Obviously if English is not a first language, this is totally different, but when it is, it is really annoying.

Michelle

First,the title is 'Expats forum lounge'

Second,i do not recall where the quote came from,it was the end result from lots of research on the subject,where one is from would seem irrelivant at this time.
The UK education system was good when i got dragged through it,should it now consider grammar and spelling to be of no importance,why did you have the need to teach yourself grammer to obtain qualification ?
Maybe you could explain something that intrigues me,when a child goes to school in England,he/she is capable of speaking and understanding the language,so furthering education in language grammer and spelling is a continuance of what they have already learnt.When teaching English to none English speaking nations,the English or American system is put into practise whereby the writing,spelling and grammer are the first items on the agenda,conversation,together with understanding ,appear to be something that should just follow on automatically.Many students i have contact with, seem oblivious to the meaning or cognisance of conversation ,which makes it difficult to impossible to get work in the hospitality field. Chidren in Asia are taught by 'Rote',which to my estimation is more a form of brain washing,they are told not to question and not to think,questions make the teacher 'Lose face 'and thinking gives you headaches !! Colin

[MichelleAlison]

Dated 17 May 2008 by Stravinsky

"start a thread on a subject that you feel strongly about, not necessarily to do with expatism

Firstly, the above thread answers your first question....

Secondly, I had to teach myself grammar in order that I can teach English as a second or additional language.

Lastly, at least we agree on something as I also don't like rote learning. What is the use of learning something parrot fashion and out of context. I teach everything in context so that my students can go away and actually use it.

Have a nice day.

Michelle