Can't write a grammatical English sentence?

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Friday, December 20. 2013

Can't write a grammatical English sentence?

For $100K, You Would At Least Think That College Grads Could Write.

Is it a college's job to teach people to write a coherent, legible, well-structured adult essay? It's not rocket science. In my job, I have to do two or three daily.

Colleges are admitting unprepared students. It's about the money. Follow the money.

Posted by The Barrister in Education, Our Essays at 16:43 | Comments (8) | Trackbacks (0)

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I thought colleges required applicants to write an essay. That's what I had to do to get into my alma mater.

#1 Hmm on 2013-12-20 17:31 (Reply)

Nah, I wouldn't. I keep seeing articles about that. And then, after all, correcting spelling and grammatical errors are micro-aggressions. Quelle horreur.

#2 Sam L. on 2013-12-20 20:17 (Reply)

"Is it a college's job to teach people to write...."

Nope!

Students don't demand that they be taught to write. They demand that they get A's and a degree. So that's what colleges supply.

#3 Mike M on 2013-12-20 22:31 (Reply)

Not merely unprepared, many are too stupid to understand college-level material. At least two-thirds of enrolled students don't belong in college.

#4 bob sykes on 2013-12-21 08:09 (Reply)

50% of Americans are of below average intelligence.

#4.1 Bird Dog on 2013-12-21 08:49 (Reply)

I deal with people all over the globe in the course of business (I'm an engineer). You know it's getting bad when people who speak, read, and write English as a second language write much better than their American counterparts.

On more than one occasion I have received e-mails from 'colleagues' here in the States that include so many spelling and grammar errors as to make their e-mails almost incomprehensible. I have also received e-mails that include more than a few "text-speak" abbreviations that I find to be quite annoying. From what I understand this phenomenon exists in our schools where students turn in homework or essays loaded with "text speak". The better schools reject this out of hand, but too many are willing to let students get away with it, not understanding or caring that they are crippling the students' abilities to communicate clearly.

#5 DCE (Link) on 2013-12-21 09:23 (Reply)

It should be a criminal act to declare a functional illiterate ready for fourth grade, let alone college.

#6 John on 2013-12-21 09:31 (Reply)

While we're at it, let's throw in a requirement for an impromptu three-minute speech, devoid of um, like, you know and the rest of the awkward silence fillers.

#7 BillH on 2013-12-21 11:29 (Reply)

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Friday, December 20. 2013

Can't write a grammatical English sentence?