When asked by my grandparents (both English teachers) why I wanted to become an English teacher, I replied with, “so when it comes to English, people aren’t stupid.” They scoffed and wished me luck with that naïve goal and moved on with their conversation. While my career choice has since changed not so dramatically from English teaching to linguistics my dearest wish is still basically the same, if not a bit more sophisticated and strengthened by the constant question of what happened to the decline in English understanding in the first place?
In schools all over the country, math and science are the two main things to be studied, understood, and utilized. Apparently English is not too important, especially when literacy is at an all time low in America and the rest of the world (AP). The Australian newspaper Townsville Bulletin reported in 2005 that the government was finally getting around to do something about the illiteracy epidemic in the country. In the seventh grade, my class was forced to take a reading comprehension class because the class before us practically failed a national exam testing them on the subject. I never did understand why we had to take it and why they didn’t. Why are reading and comprehension on a downward spiral? Why are the attempts at improvement so feeble?
In my AP English classes in high school, only about three of us (out of ten) knew the difference between “your” and “you’re” and consistently used it correctly. Regardless of how small the school is, the fact is that our education is not as good as it should be. Apparently my old high school isn’t the only one lacking in the English department. In 2008 The Telegraph’s [UK] Graeme Paton wrote an article about the drop of “standard English in teenagers.” In this, he shares the outcome of a study committed by the Cambridge Assessment, and the results are nothing short of depressing. “Fewer than six-in-10 pupils correctly identified ‘off of’, ‘she was stood’ and ‘this man showed us’ as ungrammatical.” He continues with, “At least a fifth failed to recognise that ‘more easier’ was incorrect. And almost one-in-10 students failed to spot the use of a double negative in the phrase ‘I didn't break no vase’ (Paton).”
So who is to blame? The education system? Modern technology? It most likely is a combination of both. With continuous cuts in education systems, auto-correct, text speak, and general lack of reading, it’s no surprise that we are increasingly becoming dumber when it comes to basic English spelling and grammar.
However, caliteracy.org says we aren’t as bad as we seem. “The literacy rate in the US has many educators in search of answers about this problem that has plagued our country for decades. Instead of decreasing, the numbers of literacy has steadily increased over the years.” However, they do reveal that, “education completion… is drastically low.”
We must raise our English standards, along with the science and math. The US is labeled as unintelligent for a reason and it’s about time we did something about it.
Works Cited
"Literacy Low 'Everywhere'" AP (1997). Full Text Electronic Journal List. World Publishing Company, 11 Dec. 1997. Web. 18 Sept. 2011.
"Literacy Rate - How Many Are Illiterate." Literacy Education - Teaching Literacy. 2008. Web. 18 Sept. 2011.
"Minister: Literacy Standards Too Low." Townsville Bulletin (2005). Full Text Electronic Journal List. News Ltd., 6 Jan. 2005. Web. 18 Sept. 2011.
Paton, Graeme. "Standard English in Decline among Teenagers - Telegraph." Telegraph.co.uk - Telegraph Online, Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph - Telegraph. 24 Oct. 2008. Web. 18 Sept. 2011.
Katie Covin Covin 1
ReplyDeleteMichelle Brown
Writ 101
18 September 2011
Family Perseverance
Where do I come from? I have always been interested in knowing my family’s background and history. To discover who you are, it is important to know where you came from. I knew that my heritage was a mix of Scottish, English, and Irish, but I didn’t know that discovering the stories of my ancestors could enrich my life and help me to feel a part of a larger family. Uncovering the stories of my family’s connection to the Fort Henry attack, the Mayfield Massacre and Mayflower helped me to answer the question of where I came from.
My grandfather recently looked into my family tree and was able to trace our family back as far as fifteen generations. One story he discovered was the attack on Fort Henry, Virginia. William Maxwell is a fifth generation relative on my grandfathers side. He was the first printer in Ohio. He married Nancy Robins who was a young girl at the time of the Fort Henry attack in 1777.
This Battle took place on September 1, 1777 when two hundred Indians, under the leadership of Wendat Chief Pomoacan, secretly attacked the fort in the early morning. Nancy Robins, and another young girl Elizabeth Zane, were credited for saving the fort when they dodged bullets and arrows to refill the fort’s gun powder supply. Nancy Robins was skilled in bullet making and was courageous in the face of the Indian threat.
Covin 2 Another story that connects me to my ancestors through my grandfathers side is the Westerfield Massacre of 1780. James Westerfield and his family left Virginia in 1870 to reach Kentucky. He and his company of thirty people were attacked during the night by Indians. Only a few survived. James Westerfield and two of his daughters were killed. Only his wife and three young children survived by hiding in a sink hole. The rest of the group were tomahawked and scalped. Deborah Westerfield and her cousin Polley were taken prisoners to Detroit, then sold to the French as servants. They were treated badly and sold to another family where they were later exchanged and finally made it home.
I am a fifteenth generation descendant to the Mayflower. My grandfather is a member of The General Society of Mayflower Descendants. My family tree can be traced back to Priscilla Mullins. Priscilla was born in Dorking in Surrey. She was seventeen years old when she boarded the Mayflower. She lost both her parents and her brother during the first winter in Plymouth. She was the only one in her family to be in the New World. To earn a living she spun wool for the colony, taught children, and helped with the cooking. She later married John Alden and they were likely the third couple to be married in Plymouth colony. John Alden was a fellow colonist. He had been a carpenter on the Mayflower, but was not a passenger. Priscilla and John then had ten children. It is nice to have a connection to these early pilgrims. They obviously had great strength, courage, and faith to make a journey to a new life.
In discovering the stories of my descendants, I have learned a lot about courage and perseverance. Each of these stories have showed how relatives of mine have
Covin 3
fought through hardships. We all face our own battles in life, and how we decide to overcome them is faith. I am proud of who I am and where I came from. Covin 4
Works Cited
“Priscilla Alden Autobiography”
“Family Tree”
“Fort Henry”
“Westerfield”
“WV Culture”
“ Mayflower History”