Search results for 'tag:Essays tag:Lazy English' matching tags 'Essays' and 'Lazy English'

Re: the use of"let

Anonymous — Thu, 06 Apr 2006 08:01:26 GMT

It's not a myth. The standard of English is the U.S. is slipping on all levels. California, as reported by a radio talkshow commentary tw o weeks ago, scored the second poorest in SAT, next to the State of Mississippi which has the worst SAT scores in the nation. About half of the high school graduates in that State can not adequately comprehend reading materials nor write a decent essay; not to mention math and science. But in California? The State that produced 25% of the nation's GDP during the technology boom just a few years ago? That's mind-boggling! Having said that, I personally heard a lot of natives say "let's don't be late...." instead of "let's not ....". On top of that, the ghetto-style and gangster English are being glamorized as "hip and going-on". Then, the ICQ style English which I call "lazy English" is being practiced on the daily basis by young adults in chatrooms and text messaging on cell phones more often than they do on real school work. Perhaps, that's the reason American English get's bashed. sigh.....

Re: the use of"let

Anonymous — Thu, 06 Apr 2006 08:01:14 GMT

Asian

Re: Is American English lazy English?

wumanfu — Thu, 25 Sep 2003 17:07:00 GMT

Newspeak, beaurocracy versus the language of rhythm and comfort
Hi, probably most of us have read George Orwellâs novel, Nineteen Eighty-Four. Remember that quote: "If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face--for ever"? Itâs a chilling image of state control, deprivation and a sort of âbleachingâ of humanity. Itâs common knowledge that Orwellâs novel was in some way a reflection of his own times and maybe a prediction of how existing trends might turn out. Letâs turn to Orwellâs life for some clarity. His wartime work for the BBC (published in the collections George Orwell: The Lost Writings, and The War Commentaries) gave him a solid taste of bureaucratic hypocrisy and may have provided the inspiration for his invention of "newspeak," the truth-denying language of Big Brother's rule in Nineteen Eighty-Four. Orwell's reputation rests not only on his political shrewdness and his sharp satires but also on his marvellously clear style and on his superb essays, which rank with the best ever written. "Politics and the English Language" (1950), which links authoritarianism with linguistic decay, has been widely influential.
Linguistic decay: itâs an interesting concept. How can a person think if s/he canât verbalise concepts which are like âtools of thoughtâ? Where is the power of communication, organisation, artistic expression? Itâs a little like a form of devolution whereby mankind looses the âthumbs of cognitionâ.. anywayâ¦ If language in the United States is changing, is it devolving? Is the American English language losing power to describe and discriminate? Personally, I believe that Orwell was referring to the style of language used by many government departments; legislators; legal practitioners. Orwell was warning against a tyranny of wordsmiths who used their craft to exclude the rest of the population. For my money, simplification with precision is a wonderful thing. Frankly, the United States is very good at reforming our language.