Sanctuary update

That's because you have to work twice as hard to learn it. Most people here just pick up the slang from family and never worry about the proper way to speak it, and it's a a shame. I might speak in slang, and take shortcuts, but I made it a point to learn how to speak English properly when it's needed.
 
That's because you have to work twice as hard to learn it. Most people here just pick up the slang from family and never worry about the proper way to speak it, and it's a a shame. I might speak in slang, and take shortcuts, but I made it a point to learn how to speak English properly when it's needed.
Yeah I think that's the reason too - after all, the English we're exposed to is often "correct" English, while we're mostly spared from the more negatively influenced forms of English like, indeed, slang, or text/e-mail language.

Whatever the cause though, it is the reality and it makes the 'foreigners are foreign' comment rather foolish. Especially from people who only know one, maybe two, langauges :)
 
Whether you use slang or speak/write "proper English" is irrelevant. What makes a good speaker of any language is having the ability to utilize that language to effectively articulate their ideas. I've seen many of people with bad grammar who are very effective at expressing themselves and getting ideas across to others.

I've noticed those who are quick to criticize the technicality in how someone expresses their thoughts are people who tend to lack any original or creative thought of their own.
 
Whether you use slang or speak/write "proper English" is irrelevant. What makes a good speaker of any language is having the ability to utilize that language to effectively articulate their ideas.
The 'communicative approach to teaching and learning language', which is what you're advocating here, has some merit, but the main point of criticism the communicative approach gets - rightfully - is that it focuses all its attention to bringing a message across, and no attention to bringing it across correctly, leading to misunderstandings and deterioration of language.

So I see your point, and bringing a message across is indeed that main goal of language, but using your own language correctly does matter.

I've noticed those who are quick to criticize the technicality in how someone expresses their thoughts are people who tend to lack any original or creative thought of their own.
That's lovely, but your statement is anecdotal at best. A sense of criticism does not preclude creativity or originality, rather the inverse.
 
As long as native English speakers continue to write shit like, "I have two computer's", "Let's go over to there house", and "I would of come if I'd had the money", I shall continue to beat them about the head and neck over their atrocious writing. It's one thing to use slang and not 100% grammatically correct English in order to convey your thoughts in a more comprehensible and direct manner, but there is no excuse for the above examples. We're not talking about whether or not to use "ain't" in a sentence. We're talking about knowing and understanding first grade English.

Foreigners who speak English as a second language don't write "I would of eaten the cake", so let's dispense with making excuses for ourselves.
 
It's worthless to waste your own time being frustrated over the stupidity of others. If someone doesn't know proper grammar, that is their problem. Why make it yours too?

Never understood why some people freak out so hard over this kind of shit. Makes me want to use bad grammer intentionally.
 
It's worthless to waste your own time being frustrated over the stupidity of others. If someone doesn't know proper grammar, that is their problem. Why make it yours too?
Yes, and no. It's probably the easiest to shrug and say, "Ah well". But there's nothing wrong with helping someone speak or write his own language properly. Sure, if they act like know-it-alls or start getting petulant, then it's their problem, but I'm sure a lot of people would at least learn something from a correction, even if it makes them angry.

Never understood why some people freak out so hard over this kind of shit. Makes me want to use bad grammer intentionally.
You mean bad spelling.
 
It's worthless to waste your own time being frustrated over the stupidity of others. If someone doesn't know proper grammar, that is their problem. Why make it yours too?

Never understood why some people freak out so hard over this kind of shit. Makes me want to use bad grammer intentionally.

Nay! You are the reason I learned the difference between parenthesis and quotation marks.

I also know I girl I used to give a hard time for her use of "their" "there" and "they're". Years later, she still thanks me for it.

I still put apostrophes where they don't need to be, sometimes. Just out of habit. I need to work on that.
 
She is a very special girl. I'm not in love with her, but she is the only lady I trust. She bought a friend of mine an Enemies of Reality shirt back when they were dating.