why can't American's speak English?
By eden32
@eden32 (3973)
United States
February 8, 2008 2:09am CST
This is not about immigrants, legal or otherwise. I'm talking about people born in the US, to parents born in the US, of Grandparents born in the US, etc and et al.
I'm by no means the grammar, speech or spelling police; but some incorrect usages of words (both out loud & in print) just make me crazy.
I like that mylot is an international community. I love hearing how people outside of my corner of the world think. From time to time I'll see a posting with spelling and/or sentence structure that's so off I feel compelled to click on their profile to see where they're from... only to find that they're from far-off exotic (thick sarcasm) Texas, New York, California etc.
If you have to "ax" me something, I am going to duck.
If you "half" to go to the store, where is your other half going?
Why do some 'P'eople randomly insert capital letters in words that aren't proper nouns?
Sometimes maybe it is just a slipped typo, but I hear these things in conversations too. My partner is a body piercer. Recently I was part of a conversation with an adult woman who wanted to get a private piercing. She asked how much to get her "click" done, and stared at me wide-eyed when I suggested the word she was looking for ended in a T.
Alright enough ranting, I half to go to sleep & my other half will be up all night with the baby ;)
11 people like this
18 responses
@p1kef1sh (45681)
•
8 Feb 08
I do not know about the state of the English language in the US. But in England itself you struggle to hear proper English. I blame text messaging, This has become a universal language of its own. Recently I received an e-mail from a major Government Department in London. The message read: R U (up arrow sign) 4 a Mtg. I replied that I did not understand the message and asked them to send it again in proper English. Which they did. I think that unless checked, people will always take the easy way, and language is no exception.
4 people like this
@Phaedra_Scythe (3325)
•
8 Feb 08
Good for you for calling them on it. I think most people just would have shaken their heads and ignored it. You're right. It should be checked. We have a wonderful, rich language that should be kept allowed and people should be discouraged from breaking it down.
2 people like this
@Phaedra_Scythe (3325)
•
8 Feb 08
Just noticed this; I think I meant to write "alive", not "allowed". Irony!
2 people like this
@teri123456 (54)
• United States
8 Feb 08
I see what you are getting at.
However you must understand people are used to chatting now and some people think it is cute to spell words funny.
While others simply have bad grammar.
Don't let it irritate you so.
I will tell you something that happened to me recently.
A young man from a bad side of town, who could have very easily been mistaken for trouble, befriended me. Once the small chat was flowing I kept wondering what his intention in speaking to me was. While the questions began to go deeper into my background, I realized maybe he was wanting me to dig a bit into his. I began to ask him some questions. I found out he writes poetry. Which I am a sucker for poems so I persuaded him to share.
His thoughts were lovely, raw, truthful, and just beautiful.
However, the more I read, I noticed more and more misspellings. I was completely torn, he had opened up to show me his treasure of thoughts. Even misspelled I could understand his meaning...I had to think for a moment what I was to do. Be the proper english teacher and crush his shining moment. Or let this moment pass and in the future find a time to teach or help him.
Sometimes the right thing is not always right to do.
4 people like this
@djmarion (4898)
• Philippines
8 Feb 08
since we live in different countries and with different up bringing, our knowledge really vary. i understand what your point is and even i, also wonder why these people have incorrect language usage.
in our country we are very particular with our grammar and english is critical, way back school days our teachers always put correct grammar in our daily task.
its just that maybe in other places grammar is not that critical and so grammatical errors are acceptable so long as what they are trying to say is understandable.
2 people like this
@Phaedra_Scythe (3325)
•
8 Feb 08
*lol*
Super post.
One of the phrases that irks me the most is when people talk about "excaping". There's a "S" in there darn it!
Trust me, it's not just U.S. English standards. Even the English English standards are to be mourned. "We was goin' out, innit." Gah!
@positiveminded1977 (7072)
• India
8 Feb 08
I too feel that Americans could improve their language skills :)... I am very fond of American English, but when I see the way Americans write, I find myself turning to the British for some beautiful English.
2 people like this
@asawako48162 (3321)
• United States
8 Feb 08
Yes, there is a problem with our "common language"
The United States is made up of so many different if boggles the mind.
I too am not a good speller as my wife is from the Philippines and can beat
me in scrabble evertime.
I wish I could answer your question as what you are saying bothers me too but
I guess this busy world and I shall never agree.
Thanks for the great post.
2 people like this
@asawako48162 (3321)
• United States
8 Feb 08
opps ..ment to say___it boggles the mind
2 people like this
@sacmom (14192)
• United States
9 Feb 08
I'm guessing some Americans talk like this because they weren't corrected in their speech when they were younger, whether by their parents, teachers, etc., so they grew up still speaking this way. I remember the elementary school I went to was into speaking English well and if students seemed to be having trouble with it they were sent to a secondary class so that they could learn to speak the language better. My best friend, who is black (yes, this is relevant), and I were sent to this class around 3rd grade for a short time (I'll admit I dropped the class sooner than I should have :P). Some years later I went to visit her. She told me how some of her friends joke around because she sounds like a "white" person due to being able to say things like asked, instead of axed. We knew it was because of this extra schooling she had that she spoke words the way they were supposed to be spoken and she was darn proud of it! :)
I'll admit, I do make a slip in speaking and typing every now and then. Heck sometimes I even do it on purpose to help express what I am saying (see ending sentence). :P But I won't say things like ax when I'm obviously asking something. Speaking like this just ain't right.
1 person likes this
@barehugs (8973)
• Canada
8 Feb 08
The Evolution of the Species is, and has been, ongoing! Nothing in this world remains constant except change. Several hundred million years ago grunts and snorts became words, and humans began speak. As much as we hate change, there is only one thing we can do about it, except it, as the norm. Without change the English Language would still consist of grunts and snorts!
Happy Postings!
@swirlz (3136)
• Philippines
8 Feb 08
LOL!
I think it's because they grew up speaking that way. Here in the Philippines, English is not our native tongue so we try hard to learn it; pronunciations, grammar, spelling. I think it's because these born english speakers could already get their message across, and was used to this habit, that they didn't even bother to learn proper english.
I was shocked too when I first realized this. I used to have an email buddy five years ago or so, and her english was awful. Even numbers were confusing. Example: twelve hundred (she's used to speaking this way), which is 1,200 (one thousand two hundred) she would write it 12,00... Got me really confused.
@asawanialvin0611 (1877)
• Philippines
23 Feb 08
There are people who ignore what they have because it is always there.They dont know its value until they lose it.
@posham (1236)
• Philippines
9 Apr 08
hmm, maybe it's because people from their native lands are taking their language for granted. since people understands the way they speak, then it's okay for them not to struggle to be the best speaker or writer. on the other hand, people offshore are conscious about how they talk, spell, and write just so other people can understand them. and in time, these people will grow up mastering the language since they are studying it in the first place. come to think of it, i wasn't the best in speaking my native tongue but that's okay since everyone can understand me when i talk to my fellow countrymen.
@MrMalice (82)
• United States
8 Feb 08
Its the fact that today's people are just "lazy-tongued". Why say a full word when the slang can be used? Sometimes its where people were raised. The accents and dialects of America of created completely new ways of saying words.
Today's public school systems are also shying away from putting real emphasis on the correct way words should be said. It really is just lazyness on the part of educaters and parents who let these mispronuciations slip by
@julyteen (13252)
• Davao, Philippines
23 Feb 08
i agree with you even Americans failed to used correct grammar and language usage how much more not Americans like me...sometimes we felt bad about this but we consider and respect to others who do not know little english but they are trying express on it in our international language...don't be sarcastic in judging people who are not came from the U.S.
@bojangles88 (649)
•
28 Apr 08
Because I think Americans may enjoy butchering our language - which has been pointed out already we do well enough by ourselves. They use so many 'z's for god's sake - I do like the letter 'z' (I have 2 in my name!) but they just enjoy taking all our 's's and making them into 'z's and then creating new words entirely like alphabetize (argh!). And yes yes I knw that is in the english dictionary now - but that's only because some american said it enough times in front of an illiterate English person, who then spread it like a rash. Lol. ah dear, this subject does animate me so. But yes I understand what you mean - it is odd to see random capitals etc. and accents in written form (though I do like it when british novelists or poets do this in their work I must admit.
1 person likes this
@sarahruthbeth22 (43143)
• United States
10 Feb 08
I think it is because we don't teach English well here in the U.S.And there are many who type in what I call text speak. They use the shortcuts that they would use on a cellphone to text.I am guilty of one of you pet peeves. I capitalize certain words to emphasize it.
@fizzytom (752)
• Maribor, Slovenia
8 Feb 08
There are two things that particularly annoy me.
The first is when pepole say "I should of gone..." instead of "should have".
The other is when you go to a market stall and the stall holder has made price signs that say "apple's 50p/kilo". Why the apostrophe? Boy, that winds me up.
Most people just don't care any more; and I think that teachers often consider it an achievement to get kids to write ANYTHING that they've stopped correcting every mistake.
@crazed_moma (1054)
• United States
8 Feb 08
lol nice post. ;) i enjoyed the giggle. There's a guy at work who puts quotations around his "name" I want to ask him what it really is.
@dont_pick_your_nose (2279)
• Australia
23 Feb 08
lol well i guess that is matter of opinion, i dont know but i have found that australians who visit america and speak with slighty different pronounciation are often mistaken or completely uncomprehendable. I am not sure why i think it is an accent. it is like asking why cant japanese speak spanish or spanish speak french.
