kaypow started a new discussion called Do you lose respect for someone who can't spell? in writing.
2 months ago
Does a grown adult who can't spell simple words lose respect in your eyes? Yesterday, while checking my Facebook, I noticed a status from one of my friends' mothers, in which the woman had misspelled the word "dying" by spelling it "dieing". Now, having checked Dictionary.com, I've found that, apparently, this has actually become an accepted word in English, but I refuse to believe it. If we...

kaypow responded to a discussion called Child Discipline - Spanking Acceptable form of Discipline? in problem solver.
2 months ago
Hi, bluepenguin, I am a supporter of spanking in certain cases. For example, I believe that it is okay to spank a child who is too young to understand a verbal reprimand. It frustrates me to no end when I go out in public and see parents attempting to reason with their two-year-olds as if the children were adults. A child that young does not understand "Sweetie, you shouldn't do that," but h...

kaypow responded to a discussion called Is it a good or a bad idea to learn a foreign language from the first grade? in student.
2 months ago
Hi, Porcospino, Living in Quebec, I was taught French as a second language from the moment I started school, and while I did not always like it, I understand the benefit that it has had for me. I am glad that I spent all of my elementary and secondary school years learning French, because it meant that I was able to take things very slowly and ensured that I had grasped each step before I mo...

kaypow responded to a discussion called NOT sharing sand toys at the park . . . in parenting.
2 months ago
Hi, much2say, It seems to me that these parents have come under the influence of the general attitude towards "germs" these days. Everyone is taught to be extremely afraid of them and to practically douse their children in Purell from the moment they step outside of the house, which I find absolutely ridiculous. Sure, I would not take my children on a public bus and then encourage them to li...

kaypow commented in a discussion called Do you lose respect for someone who can't spell? in writing.
2 months ago
Hi, airasheila, I definitely do respect people who are doing their best to speak and write in a second language. Being bilingual myself, I still make some mistakes in French, which is my second language, and I understand how confusing some languages can be.

kaypow commented in a discussion called Do you lose respect for someone who can't spell? in writing.
2 months ago
Hi, sishy, In response to your post and to several others, let me assure you that by "losing respect", I did not mean a total loss of respect for someone just based on his or her spelling ability. I still respect this person as my elder, not to mention just as a fellow human being. I was mostly referring to a person being brought down a couple of proverbial pegs in my mind by consistently po...

kaypow commented in a discussion called Do you lose respect for someone who can't spell? in writing.
2 months ago
Oh, dear. Homeschooling by parents who don't know how to spell? Talk about the blind leading the blind. Also, there is certainly a margin of error that we have to consider regarding typos. Everyone makes them, even with all of today's technology made specifically to correct them. However, it frustrates me, too, when people consistently misspell a word... You would think that, after the first fe...

kaypow commented in a discussion called Do you lose respect for someone who can't spell? in writing.
2 months ago
Hi, Derek, That is exactly how I feel about the proper use of a language: it is a discipline, and to continuously ignore simple rules shows a lack of discipline. If you can't be bothered to put some work into something as crucial as your own language, what could that say about the other areas of your life? Of course people make typos, simply because we tend to type quickly or not pay attenti...

kaypow commented in a discussion called Do you lose respect for someone who can't spell? in writing.
2 months ago
Hi, dpk and Hatley, I certainly agree that everyone makes typos in their everyday communications, and I did not mean to suggest that I completely stop respecting a person simply because he or she makes one error. I was referring more to people who continue to make very basic errors in spelling and grammar after having years of education in their native language. Even then, I certainly didn't...

kaypow commented in a discussion called Do you lose respect for someone who can't spell? in writing.
2 months ago
Hi, sid, I think that, oftentimes, that is exactly the problem: schools let young people slide by on their English, and everything just goes into a downward spiral from there. I went to a high school where I was constantly disappointed and irritated by the "If I can understand you, it's all right" attitude that permeated my English classes. Even our exam papers were graded mostly for content...