Ooh, linguistic ignorance!

[conuly]

Fun!

I'm going to be sick. There's no more justification for being prejudicided against speakers of a non-Standard dialect than to be prejudiced against practicioners of a minority religion, but here it comes again! And yet, when I point out that it doesn't mean that this woman is retarded, I get yelled at, and words get put in my mouth. Because, of course, it's so much easier to contest what I didn't say than what I actually *did* say.

I need to hie me to Jenn's. I'll talk later. Djusk' a.

Comments

[acaciah.livejournal.com]

*greenface* Yes, I just love it when ignorance prevails over scientific research. [ /sarcasm]

[conuly]

You too?

How many times can you say "people master their grammar by the age of six" without forgetting which word ends in -ar without crying?

[acaciah.livejournal.com]

I had to say something on the thread. OMG, you can't be the only voice of intelligent reason.

[conuly]

I love you. I'm GONE now, so you're all alone. *hugs* I'm so sorry.

If they're still at it when I get on again, I'm posting in linguists or maybe linguaphiles about it.

Or maybe not, that might cause even *more* drama.

[carakarena.livejournal.com]

I cannot believe that the argument is about her use of language and not about the fact that she is sucking poison into her baby's bloodstream.

[conuly]

Yes, well. We all *know* that she's stupid for doing that. We've all talked that subject to the ground. Several times.

[ser-kai.livejournal.com]

It is really hard to give up smoking when you're a heavy smoker that is very addicted, so I can understand if the doctor said to cut them down as much as possible without giving up while being pregnant, especially if she had other complications.

I could never cut down when I was smoking. Kudos to her that she did as much as she did.
It sounds to me like she intends giving up.

I gave up when James was 8 months old(with the aid of the patch) & my kids all think cigarette smoke is gross.

I smoked outside, too. Unfortunately, that didn't stop the kids getting sick on the smoke that lingered on me.

[conuly]

Well, the stupid involved is not just for the smoking while pregnant but for the "I'm scared that the jackhammers will affect my baby!!!" comment while smoking.

[ser-kai.livejournal.com]

Yeah I know but I'm just sayin'. ;-)

I thought the perspective of someone thats been there might help, Iunno.

[threnody.livejournal.com]

Well, 'low grade retardation' is a bit much, but I definitely understand the attitude toward that kind of language. It's wrong. End of story. It's not a dialect so much as a horrific abuse of the English language. And in this day and age, when resources are available to *everyone*? There's no excuse for someone to speak like that unless they want to. Libraries are free, and no matter how bad you are with languages - at any age- there is absolutely no excuse for not learning that you can't use double negatives. Or that people might think you sound like an uneducated moron if you continue speaking that way.

I can understand slang, and honestly, no one I know uses 100% proper English all the time (lest they come out sounding like Storm). But if I was speaking to a newspaper/whatever, a public forum, I would sure as hell make sure that my speech fell into the realm of acceptable English language. Knowing the difference between right and wrong and chosing to use the non-standard version is an informed choice. Refusing to learn the difference between right and wrong is just plain stupid.

[conuly]

Why do you think it's wrong, or an abuse of the English language? It's only wrong *to you* because you've been taught that. And it's no doubt wrong in your dialect, but otherwise... why, exactly, do you think it's wrong?

[threnody.livejournal.com]

No, it's not just wrong 'to me'. It's wrong period. Why? Because it's against the rules of English grammar. Everywhere. In every dialect that I know of. There is slang in schools, and words and phrases that are region-specific are used- and that's fine. But I very, very much doubt that you will find *any* school that would say using double negatives is correct.

Standard English is called that because there is a Standard that everyone is held up to. You start messing with that, and all hell breaks loose.

[conuly]

Which rules of English grammar? How do you know that it's not allowable in any dialect? It seems to be allowed in *her* dialect, or else she would not have said it. It certainly used to be part of the standard until maybe 100 years ago.

But I very, very much doubt that you will find *any* school that would say using double negatives is correct.

Grammar isn't something you learn in a school. In fact, children typically *master* their native grammar before they're old enough for school.

Standard English is called that because there is a Standard that everyone is held up to. You start messing with that, and all hell breaks loose.

How do you know? Please explain this to me. It doesn't make sense to me.

[acaciah.livejournal.com]

*greenface* Yes, I just love it when ignorance prevails over scientific research. [ /sarcasm]

[conuly]

You too?

How many times can you say "people master their grammar by the age of six" without forgetting which word ends in -ar without crying?

[acaciah.livejournal.com]

I had to say something on the thread. OMG, you can't be the only voice of intelligent reason.

[conuly]

I love you. I'm GONE now, so you're all alone. *hugs* I'm so sorry.

If they're still at it when I get on again, I'm posting in linguists or maybe linguaphiles about it.

Or maybe not, that might cause even *more* drama.

[carakarena.livejournal.com]

I cannot believe that the argument is about her use of language and not about the fact that she is sucking poison into her baby's bloodstream.

[conuly]

Yes, well. We all *know* that she's stupid for doing that. We've all talked that subject to the ground. Several times.

[ser-kai.livejournal.com]

It is really hard to give up smoking when you're a heavy smoker that is very addicted, so I can understand if the doctor said to cut them down as much as possible without giving up while being pregnant, especially if she had other complications.

I could never cut down when I was smoking. Kudos to her that she did as much as she did.
It sounds to me like she intends giving up.

I gave up when James was 8 months old(with the aid of the patch) & my kids all think cigarette smoke is gross.

I smoked outside, too. Unfortunately, that didn't stop the kids getting sick on the smoke that lingered on me.

[conuly]

Well, the stupid involved is not just for the smoking while pregnant but for the "I'm scared that the jackhammers will affect my baby!!!" comment while smoking.

[threnody.livejournal.com]

Well, 'low grade retardation' is a bit much, but I definitely understand the attitude toward that kind of language. It's wrong. End of story. It's not a dialect so much as a horrific abuse of the English language. And in this day and age, when resources are available to *everyone*? There's no excuse for someone to speak like that unless they want to. Libraries are free, and no matter how bad you are with languages - at any age- there is absolutely no excuse for not learning that you can't use double negatives. Or that people might think you sound like an uneducated moron if you continue speaking that way.

I can understand slang, and honestly, no one I know uses 100% proper English all the time (lest they come out sounding like Storm). But if I was speaking to a newspaper/whatever, a public forum, I would sure as hell make sure that my speech fell into the realm of acceptable English language. Knowing the difference between right and wrong and chosing to use the non-standard version is an informed choice. Refusing to learn the difference between right and wrong is just plain stupid.

[conuly]

Why do you think it's wrong, or an abuse of the English language? It's only wrong *to you* because you've been taught that. And it's no doubt wrong in your dialect, but otherwise... why, exactly, do you think it's wrong?

[threnody.livejournal.com]

No, it's not just wrong 'to me'. It's wrong period. Why? Because it's against the rules of English grammar. Everywhere. In every dialect that I know of. There is slang in schools, and words and phrases that are region-specific are used- and that's fine. But I very, very much doubt that you will find *any* school that would say using double negatives is correct.

Standard English is called that because there is a Standard that everyone is held up to. You start messing with that, and all hell breaks loose.

[conuly]

Which rules of English grammar? How do you know that it's not allowable in any dialect? It seems to be allowed in *her* dialect, or else she would not have said it. It certainly used to be part of the standard until maybe 100 years ago.

But I very, very much doubt that you will find *any* school that would say using double negatives is correct.

Grammar isn't something you learn in a school. In fact, children typically *master* their native grammar before they're old enough for school.

Standard English is called that because there is a Standard that everyone is held up to. You start messing with that, and all hell breaks loose.

How do you know? Please explain this to me. It doesn't make sense to me.