Decline of Reading--Decline of Quality of Writing
@WumpyPPancakes (117)
United States
April 16, 2012 1:36pm CST
Hi, All:
I am someone who has been a professional essay rater for close to four years. One of the things that I have noticed through the years is that students' writing is going downhill--quickly.
I rate high, middle, and primary school students' writing tests. This year students' grammar is horrible. Many of the students could not spell, their usage was terrible, and their sentence construction was bad.
I mentioned this to one of my friends; she emphasized to me that they DO NOT READ which is true. Most students do not read solidly as students once did...even a hundred years ago.
In our thirty minute dicussion, I agreed with her, of course. The reason why I was very good in English grammar and writing because I read a lot as a child. This was because I have always wanted to become a writer. I even tried to intimate my favorite authors' writing styles. It was until I grew older and matured (with the help of my college education) that I realized that I have my own writing style and voice. Yet, if it was not for reading a lot, I would not be a solid writer.
My questions are: do you think that our younger generation of kids are suffering because they do not read? What do you think will happen in the next 20 to 50 years? I have other firends, too, who have shared stories with me of ADULTS who cannot write as well--at professional jobs such as state jobs, etc. that are close to my age (30). Obviously, it is not just the younger generation now, but this has been an exisiting problem that has grown worse.
Also, my bigger questions are: if we are passing through students now and accepting grammatical errors (not just typos...major grammatical errors such as usage problems and sentence formation issues), what happens to the standards that we set in the work force? Does this acceptance of errors mean that it is okay for us to have sloppy writing and ill use of our language? Does this mean that incompetent individuals can enter the workforce without solid written communication skills?
2 people like this
8 responses
@shwetat195 (628)
• India
21 Apr 12
hi, i agree with you when you say "they do not read", however, this is the problem with almost all. People tend to skip words and read fast and interpret accordingly.
This is not good at all. As Teachers and Trainers, it becomes a moral responsibility to correct the mistakes and guide the young learners every time they make mistakes.
What would happen after 20-50 years is what we make today. Accepting things, the way they are, would hamper the quality for sure.
In our own individual capacity, we should try to guide the young learners towards the right path
@shwetat195 (628)
• India
21 Apr 12
yes, the onus is completely on us to contribute regularly either through such forums or through different channels...best of luck to us
we have to build a quality future....:) we have work little harder and smarter :)
@WumpyPPancakes (117)
• United States
21 Apr 12
I believe you're right; it is up to us who do write and read well to teach the younger generations to do the same. Yet, it is a challenge when children would prefer to have an I-phone, HTC, Blackberry, etc. then read a lot of books.
I will see if it wasn't young adult/children writers like Suzanne Collins, J.K. Rowling, and Stephanie Meyers...and of course, some others, our children would be up mess hills creek. For that, I am thankful that they are reading something. However, I don't think the majority of younger and older individuals do not read enough to improve the quality of their writing.
Yet, we have to keep bringing up this issue...if we don't, then, we will have a very illiterate society.
@polaroidsredwine (509)
• United States
17 Apr 12
Incompetent individuals can and will enter the workforce without good written communication skills - I heard an interesting example the other day of a woman who hired a professional writer to do a piece for her that was required of her job. I can't help but wonder what will happen for her in the future when she needs to do more writing for her job - it's part of the life of a designer, communicating with clients who may be across the country, and she simply can't hire someone to do the work for her every time.
I think the problem today is from a mix of lack of exposure to literature, lots of shorthanded communication, and lack of ... well, lack of caring in the school system when grammar and spelling aren't penalized like they used to be. It can probably also come from a lack of caring, too - I mean, not too many people are motivated since they figure writing won't be such a big deal in their lives.
@polaroidsredwine (509)
• United States
17 Apr 12
It's one thing to have a ghostwriter for a book, it's another when you're compromising a job you moved across the country for ... the supervisors expect her to be able to write her own things, but if she can't do that, well, I hate to see what happens when she is found out.
Quite a while back writing jobs were more prevalent just because education wasn't really as ... intensive as it is today. A lot of people didn't finish school the whole way through and the literacy rate wasn't nearly as high as it is today, especially since a century or so ago a lot of jobs didn't really require that much literacy (at least, in my country, as there were more industrial jobs than anything).
It is a lot easier to immerse yourself in a show than a book - kick back and let the TV do all the work while you sit there and just absorb, but I guess it really also depends on the person. Sometimes reading a book quietly can be just as relaxing for certain people.
@WumpyPPancakes (117)
• United States
17 Apr 12
It is not uncommon to have individuals hire a writer to do their writing jobs for them. Ghostwriters and author collaborators will write books or help individuals tell their stories (i.e. in particularly, celebrities). Even though I am more of a supporter of someone writing their own work, there still something to be said about celebrities getting help from other writers to tell their stories. In some regards, they value that their story be told decently.
However, if we look at the overall context, writing type jobs are still needed now...but not as prevalent and plentiful as they were 150--200 years ago. Charles Dickens, Mark Twain...even Ernest Heminway and F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote for entertainment...and Hemingway and Fitzgerald were prominent 20th century writers...and they are still being read today.
However, most people are depending on television and television shows...and the streaming of watching entertainment on the Internet. As some of my friends tell me, it is easier to go home after work and turn on your television and watch a show than grab a book and have to focus and read it.
And I agree...some people don't care about writing well and also reading well. However, there are still people who are in higher positions that care. They want the entire package...they do not want workers who can demonstrate excellent written and verbal skills.
@sukumar794 (5040)
• Thiruvananthapuram, India
17 Apr 12
It is truly evident that the quality of writing is largely dependent on the amount of specific knowledge that one might have gained through a lot of extra reading. Only Reading makes you a full man.It instills in you the required skills of mental well being.
@WumpyPPancakes (117)
• United States
17 Apr 12
I agree; the more reading you do...and types of reading you do, the more you are able to critical think and question the world around you. I love when you said that it makes you a fully a person. I certainly believe it does. I know from my own experiences reading has enriched my life and kept my brain sharp. Also, when I continuously read, I write better. Vocabulary is better, style is better, grammar is better, content is better, etc. I think that it is important that a person should at least read once a week or twice a month, if anything.
@inedible (768)
• Singapore
18 Apr 12
Ironically, it do appear that some typographical errors do be present in your post.
I don't be knowing what the standard of education is where you live, but in my home country, the standards for English classes do be not very high (understatement!). I did be learning more from books than from school. I mention this because I do be wishing to point out that perhaps there do also be a problem with your local education system, in addition to poor reading habits among students. Over here, they did be not teaching things like the purpose of semicolons, or what gerunds be. Even now, I do be unsure on how to use semicolons.
(tl;dr: Perhaps the education system is also at least partially to blame.)
And... a hundred years ago, be it really true that students then did be reading more? I thought that did still be in the age of child labour.
Anyways, as to what will happen in the future... Things may actually improve. I hear universities are paying attention to complaints on the poor quality of graduates' communication skills. They're starting to place more importance on teaching graduates proper communication (or so I've heard). Maybe, just maybe, one college class over a single semester can fix all the problems caused by people not reading.
@WumpyPPancakes (117)
• United States
21 Apr 12
Yes, I know that I have typos in my post. Before I could edit them, the post was submitted...and I couldn't go back and change it.
When I was attending school over twenty years ago, from elementary school even to high school, teachers emphasis grammar and the mechanics of it...and reading was encouraged inside the classroom and outside the classroom. However, growing up in my time, computers were starting to gain their appeal...
We were too poor to afford a computer in our household. Back in the 80s/90s, computers were too expensive for most families to afford. Now, most families can afford a computer especially if there are two working adults in the household.
I cannot say for certain that not having the type of technology that exists now that didn't exist then helped more kids to focus on reading...but I know it helped me. It is ingrained in me to always strive to write well and read all the time. I find that children these days are more distracted by the array of technological gadgets.
@fannitia (2167)
• Bulgaria
16 Apr 12
Yes, this is the main reason, they do not read! I got to this idea years ago when my daughter was in school. When I was a kid we had no computers, videogames, Internet. We were playing on the streets and we were reading books. The grammar was boring for me. I didn't take care about the grammar and orthography lessons in my first school years. All he more that I was studying French and the French grammar is overwhelming. But I was reading books everyday and everything got in my head.
And the major problem now is this acceptance of errors as you say. This is because not only the kids but government officials and politicians make unacceptable errors. We have generations of people who don't read books and know mainly Twitter syntax.
Unfortunately I don't see the solution.
@WumpyPPancakes (117)
• United States
17 Apr 12
Hi, Fannita:
I believe that the solution is to get kids to read more and have less distractions; however, you're right; implementation will be very difficult.
One day, I shared with my colleagues that kids are really addicted to their Smartphones. I told them that most school systems allow them to have their phones with them...out and on. They were taken back by this. All of them objected about how has school systems agreed to and accepted this standard. I told them...it has to do with the majority of the parents. Most of the parents want their children to have their phones on them because they are concerned about their safety or paranoid about reaching them. I can understand that...due to the school and university shootings. Yet, what ha is happening is that students will play on their phones and not listened in class. When parents are angry and asking why their kids are not improving on their academics...they do not realize the vicious cycle that they are participating in. That is...they are supporting their kids to have their cell phones on in classes.
This is one of the biggest contributing factors of the downfall of kids not being able to perform successfully in school.
@thepooloflust (163)
• United States
17 Apr 12
I also think it's because they don't read. I think they don't read because they have so many other distractions (phone, iPod, video games, you name it.) that they can't concentrate on reading something for too long at all. That, or they just plain can't be bothered. I've also heard many schools are cutting out cursive handwriting. I honestly can't imagine what will happen in the next thirty years but I hope it won't be a generation of people who don't know how to write their own name.
@WumpyPPancakes (117)
• United States
17 Apr 12
Our state has cut out cursive handwriting in our school systems. They think that it is wasting time since many people cannot read cursive anyway...and they also argue people hardly write in cursive.
Not all people. I still write in cursive when I take notes...and have a wonderful signature because of cursive writing. Even though some may argue that cursive writing isn't critical, it does set a precedent. What is going to happen when school start just accepting all types of misspelling of words? What is going to happen when schools start accepting minimal writing development? I mean most people already read at a fifth and sixth grade level...and it is pretty a grade or two lower than what I mentioned.
@cher913 (25781)
• Canada
16 Apr 12
i agree with you that the written word is on the on the decline but not necessarily in book form. i think that it is more along the lines of hand written notes and letters, etc.
as for errors, what do you expect from a generation who types like 'how r u?' 'im gr8. ty 4 asking,?
@WumpyPPancakes (117)
• United States
17 Apr 12
Hi, Cher:
I think that I expect them to have the same quality of education that I had when I was a kid. Yet, I definitely agree with you that texting enables them to continue to write shorthanded so they do not have to spell out words fully....this creates errors and acceptance that this is a part of standard language...which is not in formal writing.
@SomeCowgirl (32189)
• United States
16 Apr 12
I have noticed that people seem to be relying on what I would call internet spelling and grammar. I've even noticed my own skills taking a turn for the worse because it is so easy to just take a few hundred shortcuts in spelling instead of typing the words completely out. This site here and another are the only sites that allow me to continue my practice of proper spelling. When it comes to punctuation I have never been all that good with it.
Now a days in school children don't seem to be forced to read as much as they used to. I know my nephew who is in great three or four has to read but it doesn't seem he has to read as much as I did when I was in his grade level. I am 24 years old and I remember we had to take accelerated reading tests atleast once a week it seemed, and it was hard at first as we were learning but did get easier.
If we do not do something soon to help turn around some of the educational values of the school systems we may be educating a dumb society.
@WumpyPPancakes (117)
• United States
16 Apr 12
SomeCowgirl:
Thanks for responding to my post! I appreciate it :-D.
I agree with you that many of us rely on what I call "Internet language" and "texting."
I had another job where I was a professional tutor/instructor. Many of the students that I taught texted a lot. And that is normal nowadays with middle/high school students. They are doing a lot of shorthand writing, and it is seeping into their formal writing along with them not reading a lot.
I am with you; however, I already think that we are dumbing down our society. I am continued to be astounded how adults our age now are not writing to the best of their abilities. I cannot be a hypocrite and say that I am the best writer, but I am better than most. My downfall is that I do not self proof-read and edit my writing. Yet, I am becoming better about it and making sure that my grammar is tighter and my typos are less frequent.
We do need to do something about our educational systems and values. I am afraid that we will be ending up in a situation where anyone can get a job without having solid, effective written skills.
