Why People Can't Spell?

[Archive7]

Perhaps this question can best be answered by members who are/were involved in education or know someone who is a teacher and can answer better.
I am trying to figure out why a lot of people don't give a damn about their English spelling and this makes me wonder how did they ever got away with passing their English language course.
Is it a brain thing and the need for a photographic memory for example in order to learn how to spell correctly?
Is it their English teachers fault for not spending time and efforts to get such students learn how to do it?
I am not talking about any specific country but just a general observation.
The odd thing is that adults can take offense if you say anything about their bad spelling and would hate you for it so I try not to mention it at all.
Of course mobile texting is not helping but I am talking about adults who were at school before the mobile phone became widely in use.

 

[sonic1]

I am not a teacher but I work with the public and it is shameful how bad peoples' writing, spelling and grammar has become. I am a firm believer that mobiles and computers with spell check play a big part in making people lazy and maybe not as stupid as we may think.

 

[Captain Jack]

It's ridiculous to think that someone's spelling of native English is worse than someone who learnt it as a second language. In Russian, I find that the spelling and general grammar is much better than in English. And if you make a mistake, you get a lot more hassle than you do here (probably because people here don't care about it as much).

Innit.

 

[RustySpoons]

Sheer laziness, or trying to text and drive.

Innit

 

[Lazarus]

On the rare occasion I've challenged someone about an incomprehensible post containing a mixture of proper English, USsian and txt.speak, the universal answer is "It's the Internet, innit". Innit.

 

[Channel Hopper]

It's 'offence'.

 

[Channel Hopper]

Innit !

 

[pgh13]

As above, plus, people don't read, so don't know what written English should look like, and they type/write as the lazy, sloppy speech they hear; e.g I would of.... and the ignorant press don't help; e.g. he was sat, she was stood....etc

 

[RustySpoons]

I don't get why people use "Brought" instead of "Bought" - "Pacific" instead of "Specific"
Is it really that difficult?

 

[dxhound2003]

Here's this old chestnut to prove that it doesn't matter.

Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.

And this other old chestnut to show what a minefield it can be for a lot of people.

A.Word.A.Day -- Travails of English - 2

 

[Lazarus]

^^^^^^^^^^

That's actually quite impressive.

 

[jeallen01]

Here's this old chestnut to prove that it doesn't matter.

Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.

And this other old chestnut to show what a minefield it can be for a lot of people.

A.Word.A.Day -- Travails of English - 2

To whomsoever "wrote" that, I hereby give my most felicitous congratulations on a superb job of mangling the (UK!) English language

 

[Topper]

I am not a teacher but I work with the public and it is shameful how bad peoples' writing, spelling and grammar has become. I am a firm believer that mobiles and computers with spell check play a big part in making people lazy and maybe not as stupid as we may think.

I think you have to tread carefully as people's bad writing is not necessarily down to bad education. My writing is awful but was once neat, the fact that a progressive medical condition means I can barely hold a pen let alone control each individual letter of each word is the result of that, I do agree with the grammar and spelling but often these days English is a second or third language

 

[Topper]

I don't get why people use "Brought" instead of "Bought" - "Pacific" instead of "Specific"
Is it really that difficult?

No but they may actually have a hearing deficiency, since my hearing went I often think my wife is talking garbage but switching them on usually clears up any confusion

 

[RustySpoons]

No but they may actually have a hearing deficiency, since my hearing went I often think my wife is talking garbage but switching them on usually clears up any confusion

Also in reply to another post. I cannot physically write, it hurts so badly and also words and letters come out wrong and in the wrong order.
Anything I've tried to write on paper looks atrocious!
So glad we have computers now.

 

[Ghostleader]

Here's this old chestnut to prove that it doesn't matter.

Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.

And this other old chestnut to show what a minefield it can be for a lot of people.

A.Word.A.Day -- Travails of English - 2

I'm left handed that looked fine to me lol

 

[Topper]

Also in reply to another post. I cannot physically write, it hurts so badly and also words and letters come out wrong and in the wrong order.
Anything I've tried to write on paper looks atrocious!
So glad we have computers now.

Yes I sympathise as I know the issue very well, during the cervical spine surgery I have had twice, they have to double label all the muscles with a colour code to ensure they get sewn back together correctly, as soon as I had the second surgery, the first time I typed, bearing in mind I have passed exams in typing, I could no longer type the word 'because' because my brain knows which fingers and sequence to use to do that. I suspect two 'things' became swapped as if I do not check I always type 'becuase' and I am powerless to reprogram my brain to correct this and yet I did not have this issue before surgery.

 

[RustySpoons]

Yes I sympathise as I know the issue very well, during the cervical spine surgery I have had twice, they have to double label all the muscles with a colour code to ensure they get sewn back together correctly, as soon as I had the second surgery, the first time I typed, bearing in mind I have passed exams in typing, I could no longer type the word 'because' because my brain knows which fingers and sequence to use to do that. I suspect two 'things' became swapped as if I do not check I always type 'becuase' and I am powerless to reprogram my brain to correct this and yet I did not have this issue before surgery.

That's crazy! just goes to show we really don't fully understand the body fully.
I can imagine how frustrating that can be for you

 

[Llew]

So glad we have computers now.

They don't help when people will keep using 'loose' for 'lose' - a spellchecker will accept both as legitimate words.
A casual check of posts in any forum will throw up this irritating anomaly.

 

[RustySpoons]

They don't help when people will keep using 'loose' for 'lose' - a spellchecker will accept both as legitimate words.
A casual check of posts in any forum will throw up this irritating anomaly.

I meant in reference to actually getting words from my brain in to something legible that someone else can read.
I can't physically write, it just doesn't happen.