Post by hantslondoner on Mar 11, 2017 11:59:56 GMT
I consider myself to be reasonably well-informed about language and the like, having learnt two non-English languages from scratch, and going on to study them at university (together with some linguistics).
I believe that the primary aim of language is to enable COMMUNICATION.
If the native speakers of those languages I initially tried to speak or write had insisted on perfect grammar, or perfect punctuation (in some other languages punctuation can be different, by the way), then I would have got nowhere.
It was only because of these people's TOLERANCE and willingness to accommodate my imperfections that we managed to communicate, and the result was of benefit to us both.
Unfortunately Britain has been notoriously resistant to, and complacent about, learning other languages, something exacerbated by the fact that the power and influence of English has actually increased in recent years, thanks to the internet, etc.
After Brexit the increasing amount of intolerance, is, I'm afraid, often the result of ignorance and unwillingness to see or understand the other point of view.
To me, being pedantic about the way a message is transmitted often obscures the value of that message, and is, I'm afraid is more a reflection of the person who does it rather than the person trying to give the message.
I have already had conversations with one poster on here about that, and do not wish to dignify his recent posts by entering into another conversation with him.
Another example of this kind of intolerance is with people who have dyslexia or other learning difficulties.
Studies have shown that these should be regarded as more of the way the brain is wired, rather than stupidity, class, or upbringing, and that people who suffer from dyslexia often excel in other ways. Again, the message they are giving may not be grammatically or punctuationally perfect, but with a little goodwill and tolerance one can understand their message, and it may often be one well worth receiving.
I'm not saying we shouldn't have standards, but I am saying that we shouldn't ignore or discard those who haven't met them (yet), often through no fault of their own.
By the way, spellchecker errors and typos are not necessarily the fault of the person trying to communicate, either, and don't usually detract from the message. Although maybe we should sometimes check what we send more.
I believe that the primary aim of language is to enable COMMUNICATION.
If the native speakers of those languages I initially tried to speak or write had insisted on perfect grammar, or perfect punctuation (in some other languages punctuation can be different, by the way), then I would have got nowhere.
It was only because of these people's TOLERANCE and willingness to accommodate my imperfections that we managed to communicate, and the result was of benefit to us both.
Unfortunately Britain has been notoriously resistant to, and complacent about, learning other languages, something exacerbated by the fact that the power and influence of English has actually increased in recent years, thanks to the internet, etc.
After Brexit the increasing amount of intolerance, is, I'm afraid, often the result of ignorance and unwillingness to see or understand the other point of view.
To me, being pedantic about the way a message is transmitted often obscures the value of that message, and is, I'm afraid is more a reflection of the person who does it rather than the person trying to give the message.
I have already had conversations with one poster on here about that, and do not wish to dignify his recent posts by entering into another conversation with him.
Another example of this kind of intolerance is with people who have dyslexia or other learning difficulties.
Studies have shown that these should be regarded as more of the way the brain is wired, rather than stupidity, class, or upbringing, and that people who suffer from dyslexia often excel in other ways. Again, the message they are giving may not be grammatically or punctuationally perfect, but with a little goodwill and tolerance one can understand their message, and it may often be one well worth receiving.
I'm not saying we shouldn't have standards, but I am saying that we shouldn't ignore or discard those who haven't met them (yet), often through no fault of their own.
By the way, spellchecker errors and typos are not necessarily the fault of the person trying to communicate, either, and don't usually detract from the message. Although maybe we should sometimes check what we send more.