Our Mother Tongue

[johnnyrod]

Got to agree, and don't get me started on maths, I work in science and the inability of people to figure out how many noughts go on the end of something, let alone if the numbers in front change...

Is it all going a bit 1984? The dictionary is getting fatter, though by adding words that have evolved/sprouted like weeds, at least you have somewhere to look up this crap. The language will evolve, it's likely that the rapid communication we have these days is just making it quicker. It's made up of people talking to each other, so to a certain extent it's up to them how they do it, provided however you can make out what they're on about. The word "chortle" I think came from Alice in Wonderland or something similar. Dylan Thomas was always making up or using verbs from nouns.

I was taught proper English and the apostrophes etc. really grate my XXXX. By the way, if i remember rightly the best pronunciation in the UK is in Inverness, Hs after Ws and all that.

“The young always have the same problem - how to rebel and conform at the same time. They have now solved this by defying their parents and copying one another.”
Quentin Crisp quotes (English Author, 1908-1999)



but then:

“I see no hope for the future of our people if they are dependent on the frivolous youth of today, for certainly all youth are reckless beyond words. When I was a boy, we were taught to be discrete and respectful of elders, but the present youth are exceedingly wise and impatient of restraint.”
Hesiod quotes (Greek poets, "the father of Greek didactic poetry", 700bc)



so dont worry about it! us youthful ones are here to wreck your views! we always have been and so were you!!

Yeah, agree 100% timwilky. Cracks me up when people can't even bother their **** to speak proper English. Progression of the language is one thing, but is the way some people talk today really progress? I don't think it is. I have to say however the people who make me cringe are largely the ones I see on tv, and are people outside of Northern Ireland. Not everyone over here speaks perfect English, not at all, but we haven't made a calculated effort to make a mockery of it like some people unfortunately have.

[northwind]

We should switch to esperanto. Or the Universal Character. That'd teach them.

Originally Posted by Daimo

English in this country is appauling. Teaching in this country is about grades and not education, given the attitude of todays teenagers, can you blame the teachers for not being arsed.... Primary school teachers are all over teh place, upper school teaching, well who wants to deal witha load of gobby teenagers with no respect or disciplin, then have to mark all the work after.... No-one...

Another thing thats needs radical change in this country.

I totally agree with you! I too work in a school and I think it is all about respect, which unfortunatley the children of today have none. When I was at school you had respect for your elders. You did as you were told.
The teenagers of today have no repect what so ever. They are told to do one thing and out of sheer disrespect they do the total opposite.

They are told to sit up straight so they slouch.
They are told to be quiet and all hell breaks loose.
They are told to speak properly and straight away they start talking like they are talking to one of their peers.
And this is all before the lesson begins!!

Teachers are on a losing streak because they can not chastise, or punish the disrespectful or disruptive ones.

And the parents have the cheek to blame the teachers!

Well said

[northwind]

Originally Posted by BabyJ

Teachers are on a losing streak because they can not chastise, or punish the disrespectful or disruptive ones.

There's more to it than that... Must be, I entered school after corporal punishment was banned and we weren't like that- at least, not many of us, and those that were little scumbags wouldn't have been deterred by a bit of punishment. I don't think teachers are any worse for that matter- the majority at my old high school are the same ones that taught me, and most were fine.

Originally Posted by lynw

Not that I like the Americanisation of our language. And the use of Z instead of S does annoy me a little. I view it as the person posting cant make the simplest of efforts, so why should I spend any attempting to decode it? Tend to ignore most people who do that now.

Actually the use of a Z in "ize" is correct (certainly from a classical viewpoint) for most terminations in the British variant of the English language and is favoured by the OED . Though it is now accepted that the use of an S is also correct, and TBH I usually use an S as I get fed up with people thinking I've made a mistake .


.

English comes from the Anglo-Saxon invaders (and later rulers and settlers) from about 500 AD onwards and is not natural of these islands. Then we have the Vikings and the Normans and what was left of Celtic-Roman England. Which is why English is not phonetic but a mixed bag.

The good ol' US of A is the driving force of modern english and where today's sayings come from. Blame Knight Rider and MTV

Even lost our own language!!!

Best way to avoid concerns about the falling standards of the English language is to move abroad like I did! :P