|
It always amuses me how people with poor English skills get such satisfaction blaming their inability or disability on English teachers.
In the first place, teachers with English degrees are in high school (junior high in a few cases) and colleges. If students haven't learned basic skills in their home language by that time for whatever reason, the majority (1) have one or more learning disabilities but have been socially promoted, (2) are usually lacking in other fine art skills as well, and (3) many by then are too hostile to accept any form of classroom learning.
Secondly, English teachers don't make up the rules; they just try to explain them. Rules of grammar are developed over many, many years by the people speaking the language. Even the "simple" languages mentioned in this post which substitute numbers and letters for sounds develop rules . . . or no one would be able to understand anyone else. But substitutions never simpliy language; they always complicate it, like what happened to the workers on the Tower of Babel.
Another thing: Learning has never been restricted to classrooms. That's a fairly recent phenomenon, and in my view a huge mistake and excuse for the lazy. High schools have become little more than elementary schools that pass students along. Likewise, colleges become what high schools once were. It’s all part of a “dumbing” down process (crab theory) which happens when people whine for big government to take over what communities can do far better. The vast majority of educated people are “self-educated.” They learn by reading and doing, not by sitting around complaining because some teachers were mean to them or didn’t take the added time to “draw them out.” Bah! I was always overworked teaching the majority who wanted to learn.
Finally, education has no formal beginning and never ends. I could read before I started school because no one could stop me. Before I had enough money saved to go to college, I’d already self-educated myself past the basics to be able concentrate on the subjects which were a challenge. And the real challenge was NEVER QUIT, no matter how little money there was and no matter what problems life threw in the way.
Lack of education or a difficulty in learning are not the fault of other people--especially not people who earned a degree or two in English. That’s just whining from people who want instant skills and knowledge without putting in the time and effort required.
|