Most Inarticulate Generation

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Like totally. You know what I am saying?

I hear this a lot at my college. Makes me cringe.
 
Well, whether or not this is inarticulation, I am disturbed by the 42-year old father I know who calls his 9-year old daughter “dude.”

I have started reading a book titled, “The Death of the Grown-Up,” by Diana West. I am only a chapter in, but she deals with things like language adults use, the way they dress (like adolescents at times), and the relationship status that adults have with children (parents are no longer adult authority figures to their children, they are best friends.)

Here is the sub-title of the book, which I think says it all:

“How America’s Arrested Development Is Bringing Down Western Civilization”
 
*I see the deterioration, of the love of reading, and teachers don’t seem to promote a love for the classics, anymore…like when I was growing up. :bighanky: Modern novels just lack something that classics do…

I also think with texting, and so on…there seems to be a lazier way that kids communicate with each other now. And they are communicating less verbally…and more screen to screen, misspelling words, everything abbreviated. We need to be cognizant of it, because when you look at the reading and writing skills across the nation, they are slumping considerably, so I think it’s more than mere parental concern, or conjecture. The stats are starting to really show how poorly our nation’s kids are doing (on average) when it comes to writing and reading skills. *
 
whatevergirl said:
I see the deterioration, of the love of reading, and teachers don’t seem to promote a love for the classics, anymore…like when I was growing up. :bighanky: Modern novels just lack something that classics do…

*I also think with texting, and so on…there seems to be a lazier way that kids communicate with each other now. And they are communicating less verbally…and more screen to screen, misspelling words, everything abbreviated. We need to be cognizant of it, because when you look at the reading and writing skills across the nation, they are slumping considerably, so I think it’s more than mere parental concern, or conjecture. The stats are starting to really show how poorly our nation’s kids are doing (on average) when it comes to writing and reading skills. *
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I agree, completely.

Your post reminds me of a woman I saw on FoxNews, who was advocating that we spell all words phonetically, because she views the English language as too hard to spell. Talk about dumbing-down the world. I was livid listening to this idiotic woman.

In her view, words like “height” should be spelled “hite,” and that form should be followed for all words with the long “i” sound, as an example - “hite,” “mite,” fite," to go along with “bite,” and “kite,” I guess.

She just refuses to have to use her brain to get by in the day-to-day.
 
Jersey_Jeepster said:
… a woman I saw on FoxNews, who was advocating that we spell all words phonetically, because she views the English language as too hard to spell.
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I can remember my son feeling the same way-- when he was six and half! :rolleyes:
 
I like this short video. I put it on my Face Book yesterday.

In addition to the mechanics of proper English, there is another point, though. The questioning tone and lack of conviction.

The questioning intonation for sentences became popular when I was young-- for girls. Now I hear men using it. 😦

The lack of conviction I am not so sure of. 😃
It seems that people can speak with conviction if it is in line with certain viewpoints only. Just my observation.
 
sharmin said:
I call my kids dudes, and I am quite articlulate. Not sure why this is a problem. 🤷
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**If “dude” is used as a loving nickname great! **

If a parent is trying to be their kid’s best friend, not so good.

**i do see a general lack of respect for others being promoted as cool or funny in our secular world (ie. Bart Simpson…).
**
i love a good laugh, but all too often, it is at someone’s expense & not a positive uplifting thing.

We should use our language to share the Love of God, not the frustrations of our life.

"The good man out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil man out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. 36 I tell you, on the day of judgment men will render account for every careless word they utter; for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." (Mt 12:35-37)

Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, Ora Pro Nobis Peccatoribus!

mark
 
Mark77 said:
**If “dude” is used as a loving nickname great! **

If a parent is trying to be their kid’s best friend, not so good.

**i do see a general lack of respect for others being promoted as cool or funny in our secular world (ie. Bart Simpson…).
**
i love a good laugh, but all too often, it is at someone’s expense & not a positive uplifting thing.

We should use our language to share the Love of God, not the frustrations of our life.

"The good man out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil man out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. 36 I tell you, on the day of judgment men will render account for every careless word they utter; for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." (Mt 12:35-37)

Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, Ora Pro Nobis Peccatoribus!

mark
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This is just a guess but I would think that by “careless words” it would mean words without care… words without charity… not so much a reference to inarticulate speech or ebonics.

I could be wrong though. Haha.

I also posted the video on my facebook. 🙂
 
Mark77 said:
**If “dude” is used as a loving nickname great! **

If a parent is trying to be their kid’s best friend, not so good.
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I don’t really use it for either ‘purpose’. I guess if I had to choose why I’ve called my kids ‘dudes’ it’s probably because it’s fun.
Mark77 said:
**i do see a general lack of respect for others being promoted as cool or funny in our secular world (ie. Bart Simpson…).
**
i love a good laugh, but all too often, it is at someone’s expense & not a positive uplifting thing.
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I don’t see this part as relevant to the discussion about ‘dudes’ I guess as it’s obviously not at anyone’s expense. Are we talking about the same things?
 
Jersey_Jeepster said:
I agree, completely.

Your post reminds me of a woman I saw on FoxNews, who was advocating that we spell all words phonetically, because she views the English language as too hard to spell. Talk about dumbing-down the world. I was livid listening to this idiotic woman.

In her view, words like “height” should be spelled “hite,” and that form should be followed for all words with the long “i” sound, as an example - “hite,” “mite,” fite," to go along with “bite,” and “kite,” I guess.

She just refuses to have to use her brain to get by in the day-to-day.
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Yikes, really? How funny! It is a shame, the english language, old english actually, is quite poetic. My ancestors came from Italy…they learned the language. Why can’t americans learn it? lol 😛 I think that it’s sad though…we jest…but really? We are losing our competitive edge in the world…because not enough educators are challenging our youth.
 
whatevergirl said:
*I see the deterioration, of the love of reading, and teachers don’t seem to promote a love for the classics, anymore…like when I was growing up. :bighanky: Modern novels just lack something that classics do…

I also think with texting, and so on…there seems to be a lazier way that kids communicate with each other now. And they are communicating less verbally…and more screen to screen, misspelling words, everything abbreviated. We need to be cognizant of it, because when you look at the reading and writing skills across the nation, they are slumping considerably, so I think it’s more than mere parental concern, or conjecture. The stats are starting to really show how poorly our nation’s kids are doing (on average) when it comes to writing and reading skills. *
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So true Whatever girl~

I think many people say I was born from the wrong century because I speak and write much better than my generation…
I was raised on the classics from a young age, and because of my homeschooling at the time, learned lessons from my great-grandmothers etiquette and handwriting books! 🙂 Perhaps that is why I am so old fashioned in my values…:rolleyes:
 
LilyElain said:
So true Whatever girl~

I think many people say I was born from the wrong century because I speak and write much better than my generation…
I was raised on the classics from a young age, and because of my homeschooling at the time, learned lessons from my great-grandmothers etiquette and handwriting books! 🙂 Perhaps that is why I am so old fashioned in my values…:rolleyes:
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*Aw…that is wonderful, though…a blessing, indeed. :o

When my kids used to ask me…how do you know so many vocab words mom? (they can’t even say vocabULARY :rolleyes: LOL) I would simply reply…READING. READ READ and READ s’more. That is what will build your vocabularies. Read the newspaper, articles online, read books…and your vocabulary will naturally build! They both heeded the advice, and they like using all kinds of colorful words to say simple things, now. 😃 It is not necessary to speak using large words all of the time, but you will know what they mean when someone in the course of your life, throws one out there.

I love to read though, I think that the internet and video games, while it/they can be fun, etc, has caused our youth to become bored with reading books. (on average, there are exceptions like you, Miss Lily. :tiphat:)*

🙂
 
LilyElain said:
So true Whatever girl~

I think many people say I was born from the wrong century because I speak and write much better than my generation…
I was raised on the classics from a young age, and because of my homeschooling at the time, learned lessons from my great-grandmothers etiquette and handwriting books! 🙂 Perhaps that is why I am so old fashioned in my values…:rolleyes:
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In reading Whatever Girl’s post in this thread, and your response to it, I am convinced that homeschooling is the perfect antidote to the indoctrination and agenda-driven teachers present in some of our schools.

And I love your signature quote. I am an avid Jane Austen fan!
 
Jersey_Jeepster said:
In reading Whatever Girl’s post in this thread, and your response to it, I am convinced that homeschooling is the perfect antidote to the indoctrination and agenda-driven teachers present in some of our schools.

And I love your signature quote. I am an avid Jane Austen fan!
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When I taught 5th grade, I used mostly modern literature novels in our ELA class. I found that the kids most related to this type of work, which i felt was very important. And, I do enjoy the classics. But to get kids interested in reading is key, and so that is why I chose modern lit.
 
sharmin said:
When I taught 5th grade, I used mostly modern literature novels in our ELA class. I found that the kids most related to this type of work, which i felt was very important. And, I do enjoy the classics. But to get kids interested in reading is key, and so that is why I chose modern lit.
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I am drifting away, slightly, from the subject of this thread, but I want to explain the meaning of my posts here.

My points are about 1) parents providing an adult role model to which their children can aspire, and 2) avoiding indoctrination and agenda in the classroom. As a consistent norm, when parents speak to their children as though they are the same age as their kids, the adult model disappears. In my opinion, joking with kids and calling them “dude,” on occasion, is probably not harmful. I am concerned about the 42-year old father I know because he speaks this way as a norm. He is 42 and yet he speaks as though he is a 21-year old college student who is concerned about fitting in with the in-crowd by mastering the lingo. He doesn’t seem very adult.

I think most of us have heard the stories about indoctrination in some schools, i.e.: the promotion of the gay lifestyle to kids as young as kindergarteners, graphic sex education for kids as young as 5 and 6 years old (kindergarten again), the promotion of political ideals of agenda-driven teachers, to name a few.

With regard to literature, the classics are not immune to having their themes reconstructed by teachers. Explore a book by Elizabeth Kantor titled “The Politically Incorect Guide to English and American Literature.”

Description: The Politically Incorrect Guide to English and American Literature exposes the PC professors and takes you on a fascinating tour through our great literature - in all its politically incorrect glory. Included: a syllabus and how-to guide to give yourself the English lit education you were denied in school.
 
Jersey_Jeepster said:
In reading Whatever Girl’s post in this thread, and your response to it, I am convinced that homeschooling is the perfect antidote to the indoctrination and agenda-driven teachers present in some of our schools.

And I love your signature quote. I am an avid Jane Austen fan!
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*Oh I wish I had homeschooled! If you can, DO IT. We are still tossing the idea around for our 13 yr old daughter (but I work fulltime)…my son is completing his senior year next year, so a little late there. But, my kids attended public schools…good ones. Better one in PA, but a solid one here in the county I’m in…that said, as a parent, one must stay VIGILANT about reading, writing, and so forth…

I have said…’‘you will not leave this house someday…off on your own…not knowing how to read and write to MY standards.’’ 😛 So, the school can only do so much…gotta stay vigilant.

Reading and writing is very important to me…I was an english minor in school. My husband even thinks I’m overboard…but they will not leave the home reading and writing writing in a substandard way. 🤓 I said you will be glad you pushed yourselves. Dare to be different. Raise the bar HIGH and you will be glad you did. Sadly, even with the schools, the bar is too low. Our kids won’t be able to compete in the real world, at the rate the country is going. I’m not big of competition, but it’s a fact of life…and you will be left in the dust, when your foreign counterpart comes over speaking the language better than you.

By this point my kids are…asleep. 😃 Kidding, I think they listen to me. :ehh:
*
 
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