Eye Halve A Spelling Checker
Eye halve a spelling checker
It came with my pea sea
It plainly marcs four my revue
Miss steaks eye kin knot sea.
Eye strike a key and type a word
And weight four it two say
Weather eye am wrong oar write
It shows me strait a weigh.
As soon as a mist ache is maid
It nose bee fore two long
And eye can put the error rite
Its rare lee ever wrong.
Eye have run this poem threw it
I am shore your pleased to no
Its letter perfect awl the weigh
My checker tolled me sew.
(Author Unknown. If anyone has information, please post so credit can be given.)
Recently I was working with my son in his 5th grade Language Arts class. He does well in understanding most of the concepts, but commented on how difficult it is remembering all the rules of our language. For example, the difference between two, too, and to, causes quite a bit of confusion for many.
As we worked through a lesson that involved an essay, my son became frustrated when his computer did not catch some of his spelling errors, but tried to correct some of the properly spelled words. I told him to turn off the “auto correct” function, as a computer does not have the capability of always understanding what we mean.
The art of communication is how we transfer a thought or idea from our mind to another person’s mind. In person we have other means to help us such as tone of voice, body language, and gestures. But in writing it is through our words, grammar, punctuation, and several other intricate rules. Some ideas may be fairly easy to communicate, while others may be very difficult.
With the invention of the internet and text messages, language rules have started to change. Many people now use a new version of “shorthand” to speed up the process of written messages. Several children recently told me that handwriting lessons have been replaced with keyboard skills. And with the built in spell checkers and grammar builders, our children are learning to rely more and more on their computers and not actually learning the rules of language. I wonder, how much will be lost in the long run, especially in the world of the writer?
I love the poem! But I despair of these changes being taught! I was an English Major–and I’m old-school and “old”–so when I read much of what people write, I just cringe. Please forgive me sounding judgmental, but I can’t understand why people don’t proofread–what does this mean, I wonder? Oh well…hope things are well with you, and that your son who just had surgery is improving quickly. God bless you all–love, sis Caddo
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Hi Caddo! First an update on Daniel: He went home from the hospital yesterday! He’s healing nicely, even faster than expected. I’m floating on the clouds, praising God! And we’ll be there with him in one more week. 🙂
As for our language skills, please don’t apologize for being old school. English grammar was not one of my strong points in school, but I did my best to learn it anyway. I realized that in order to have a fuller understanding of someone’s writing, whether it be Shakespeare or Stephen King, I needed to learn the nuances of written language. (In private with family and friends, I personally speak in “hillbilly” most of the time.)
One thing that has really surprised me recently, is the number of professionally produced materials that contain misspellings, incomplete sentences and double wording. I’ve been finding quite a few mistakes in Christian’s school books, and it makes me feel quite frustrated. At least with home school, I have the opportunity to correct it. But I wonder about the children in the public schools. I know things change (progress), but is it always a good thing? I guess we just have to keep our trust in God, knowing He will work it out. Lots of love, hugs, and blessings – Amber
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Great news about Daniel! Praising God with you!
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The most important aspect of communication is presenting yourself in a way that can be understood by the one to whom you are trying to inform/persuade/impress. For the writer, they will be read by fewer people as we “progress” toward our ‘newspeak.’ Truth is, however, as long as we diehards persist in using the language properly, we will be understood. Trying to use the modern shorthand of the lingua franca always causes confusion even among those “in the know.” (At least, that has been my experience to date.)
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You have a very good point Dale. We diehards must continue to use the language skills properly, and teach them to the younger generations as well. Much of our “old” knowledge will be lost otherwise, when people are no longer to read or write. As for the modern shorthand, our youth group has been very helpful in teaching me a lot of the codes and symbols. “Lol” for example, used to mean “lots of luck”. I was really confused when people kept putting that in text messages and emails at first. 🙂
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Caddo Veil, Amber Lea. and Dale, You are my heros I need for the old school language rules not to be forgotten. If the rules are forgotten I shall never be able to understand an ever changing written code of letters. It is true I struggle to learn these old rules all my days. How could a man such as I who has been blessed dyslexia ever decode a writing with loose rules?
May God Bless you Three, Amen
PS. How many rules did I mess up in my comment? For my proof reading wife is not around to tell me I have placed the words in the wrong order!
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