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Both of my parents went to school in small Georgia towns at a time when you graduated from high school after eleven years. Their education was mainly the 3 Rs, and their speech was grammatically correct and they could spell. My mother used to talk about one of her teachers, Miss Regina Pinkston, who was a legend in the community, one of those who inspire others to want to teach. She apparently had memorized Macbeth, and her rendition of the witches and bubbling cauldron scene mesmerized class after class. Her students were expected to memorize poems and recite them in class, too. Miss Regina, it is said, was certified to teach every class the school offered except shop.
We do not see the discipline Miss Regina demanded any more. Unfortunately, the "just get it down on paper, spelling and grammar do not matter" approach to language a few years back created teachers who cannot write grammatically and without spelling errors. How can they then teach others to do so? Textspeak does not help, but it is not the root of the problem.
I had this conversation on another forum, and a Southern woman said, "I can't make my mouth work that way!"
We say some funny things when we tawk in New Jersey, too.
Yankees who come down here learn speak Southern very quickly, though! When I was in college I had a roommate from Long Island. She was a freshman, and she was saying "y'all" before orientation was over. Southern speech is easy on the mouth!
Both of my parents went to school in small Georgia towns at a time when you graduated from high school after eleven years. Their education was mainly the 3 Rs, and their speech was grammatically correct and they could spell. My mother used to talk about one of her teachers, Miss Regina Pinkston, who was a legend in the community, one of those who inspire others to want to teach. She apparently had memorized Macbeth, and her rendition of the witches and bubbling cauldron scene mesmerized class after class. Her students were expected to memorize poems and recite them in class, too. Miss Regina, it is said, was certified to teach every class the school offered except shop.
We do not see the discipline Miss Regina demanded any more. Unfortunately, the "just get it down on paper, spelling and grammar do not matter" approach to language a few years back created teachers who cannot write grammatically and without spelling errors. How can they then teach others to do so? Textspeak does not help, but it is not the root of the problem.
That teacher sounds interesting!
My mother dropped out in tenth grade from a small-town high school in New Jersey in the 1940s. Her mother was ill and there was a younger mentally-and-physically handicapped sister at home at a time when there were no programs for such children. She was tasked with keeping the house and caring for her sister and other siblings. She did not get to return to school.
My mother, who will be 86 next week, writes beautifully. She asked me to a review a speech she had written to make at the local Veteran's Day event a few years ago recalling her memories of the WWII years and how being married to a disabled veteran had affected her. I took out two words. That was it. It was well-written (and in gorgeous penmanship) with no misspellings or grammatical errors. They really did teach them back then!
Every week, my mom goes to the library and gets a stack of books and sits in her recliner and reads for a few hours every day. If I make it to that age, that's how I want to spend my day, too.
It is awful, and it's sad. I mean, we have a party on this thread making fun of these people, and I'm right at the front of the line, but in reality, literacy in this country has really gone downhill.
I remember years ago reading some interviews with Susan Atkins and Leslie Van Houten and a couple of the other Manson followers, and I was struck by how intelligent and well-spoken they were. These were people around 20 years old in the late 60s, early 70s, and murderers to boot, but their vocabularies pretty well-rounded and they expressed themselves well. I don't think many of the people that age today could be that articulate. There has definitely been a decline.
It IS sad. I often wonder why people don't at least try to improve, however. I see so many people who claim that "it doesn't matter." That's sad, as well.
My mother dropped out in tenth grade from a small-town high school in New Jersey in the 1940s. Her mother was ill and there was a younger mentally-and-physically handicapped sister at home at a time when there were no programs for such children. She was tasked with keeping the house and caring for her sister and other siblings. She did not get to return to school.
My mother, who will be 86 next week, writes beautifully. She asked me to a review a speech she had written to make at the local Veteran's Day event a few years ago recalling her memories of the WWII years and how being married to a disabled veteran had affected her. I took out two words. That was it. It was well-written (and in gorgeous penmanship) with no misspellings or grammatical errors. They really did teach them back then!
Every week, my mom goes to the library and gets a stack of books and sits in her recliner and reads for a few hours every day. If I make it to that age, that's how I want to spend my day, too.
Please extend birthday best wishes to your mom for me!
I second the books & recliner approach to life at her age. I might add a glass of wine and a bit of chocolate.
Yankees who come down here learn speak Southern very quickly, though! When I was in college I had a roommate from Long Island. She was a freshman, and she was saying "y'all" before orientation was over. Southern speech is easy on the mouth!
I occasionally say y'all and I've never been south of Washington D.C.! (and that was just a day trip)
It IS sad. I often wonder why people don't at least try to improve, however. I see so many people who claim that "it doesn't matter." That's sad, as well.
"It doesn't matter", or "You know what I meant", are the mantras of the willfully ignorant.
Quote:
Originally Posted by suzy_q2010
Please extend birthday best wishes to your mom for me!
I second the books & recliner approach to life at her age. I might add a glass of wine and a bit of chocolate.
+1!!
In addition to applauding Mom's desire to continue to improve her mind, I heartily second the recommendations regarding some wine and some DARK chocolate.
(Milk chocolate--especially of the sugar-laden Hershey bar variety--is essentially kiddie candy with little or no health benefits.)
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Southern speech is easy on the mouth!
