My musings on the lack of grammar nazis

[Yadda]

I read a lot of content from ESL members of my department. Most of the time I tend to interpret intent to save time asking question. I don't have that issue here.  An overwhelming majority of the time I don't have to worry about intent or content because it is crystal clear.

[redmond]

Remember too that the US, Canada and the English are three peoples separated by a common language. Sometimes we can barely understand each other, much less our many regional dialects.

Y'all, or more properly: All y'all be doin' just fine. Don't sweat the small stuff. eh?

 

[Poncho65]

Ya'll are lucky I don't type as badly as I speak Most of you wouldn't get my dialect of Southern US  I try and type as well as I can but I always find spelling errors when I post early in the morning I generally forget that English is for the most part a second language for quite a few of you It amazes me how well you peeps command the English language Even those that don't, I can always understand the point they are trying to get across

[El Corkscrew]

Spannend is definitely German.  Maybe Dutch too?

[El Corkscrew]

Or did you just mean that the Dutch are exciting people, cuz from what I can tell around here, they awl are. 

[redmond]

Speaking of spannend, if you want a "spirited" response, tell a Kiwi that he/she has a cute Aussie accent. 

Been there, done that, and the bruises haven't quite healed yet. 
 

[Mechanickal]

Speaking of spannend, if you want a "spirited" response, tell a Kiwi that he/she has a cute Aussie accent. 

Been there, done that, and the bruises haven't quite healed yet. 

??

Or

??

[moonweasel]

Speaking of spannend, if you want a "spirited" response, tell a Kiwi that he/she has a cute Aussie accent. 

Been there, done that, and the bruises haven't quite healed yet. 

??
(Image removed from quote.)
Or
(Image removed from quote.)


??

Kiwi Fruit,
Kiwi

Kiwi also

One thing I have noticed is the (usually) American thing of confusing 'then' and 'than', creeping into a few of the non native speakers posts.

[AlephZero]

Agreeing to pretty much everything posted above, I have to note: After spending 10+ years on Second Life, I've seen so mangled English from native speakers that I'm certain I need not to worry about any small grammar mistakes I may make.

No grammar nazism needed, methinks!
 

[Blackbeard]

Too and to too...

Sent on my SM-G930F with Tapatalk

you forgot two.

Honestly I'm amazed at some people who can readily understand a second language...I have always done poorly in Spanish classes in high school and college, conjugating verbs(In English we dont really conjugate) or just seeing a short word like "us" is "nosotros" in Spanish? and even watching narcos on netflix which is 70% Spanish with subtitles I try and keep up with my limited knowledge base, but it still goes too fast to translate on the fly. these were the only classes I ever took where if I didnt make a tiny cheat sheet I would have failed miserably.

At times I feel really dumb, especially back in school(math or spanish), maybe I had a attention deficit disorder..but other times I feel very smart, can complete most New York Times Crosswords and destroy almost every opponent in words with friends, but I do admire you guys who can work 2 or more languages

[Dutch_Tooler]

Or did you just mean that the Dutch are exciting people, cuz from what I can tell around here, they awl are. 

Both of course - but anyway the spelling and meaning of 'spannend' is indeed identical in German and Dutch.

Let us not forget the aspect, prevalent in traditional immigration countries, of recent immigration and the need to learn a sometimes drastically different language than one's mother tongue, or conversely, bringing in a quite different accent of the same language...

Another known factor in determining how good citizens are at speaking foreign is the size of a country and/or population speaking a particular language. I comfort myself in believing this is why most Dutchmen tend to be quite proficient in English... or maybe it's down to "who wants to learn Dutch anyway"

And then, to make it more complicated, some members, in the more SAK oriented threads, like to throw in the occasional sentence in Middle English

I generally go by the formula "if you can understand it, don't bother to correct". I agree this may be less educational... but for one I am not a native English speaker, hence I don't want to be perceived as overly arrogant and pedantic, and for the other this is not a language forum.

Sent on my SM-G930F with Tapatalk

[Ron Who]

.

[El Corkscrew]

When I was living over there, I did notice that German people seem to prefer to speak German and the Dutch a little bit more flexible...

For instance, there were more programs in English with Dutch subtitles, a departure from the all-German TV I had been used to.

I know that one of the big reasons that I have made so many mistakes in my posts is that I'm using a mobile, and often use talk to text. So spelling and punctuation kind of get thrown out the window.

But I honestly don't mind grammar sticklers, as long as they are correct in their corrections

[gregozedobe]

But I honestly don't mind grammar sticklers, as long as they are correct in their corrections

I'm usually pretty flexible, so long as I can discern the meaning. 

I have been known to point out errors in a corrector's post, just to make the point that no one is perfect.  But there is always a danger that I might make an error myself, thus leaving myself open to someone else pointing out MY mistake.   

[Don Pablo]

But I honestly don't mind grammar sticklers, as long as they are correct in their corrections

I'm usually pretty flexible, so long as I can discern the meaning. 

I have been known to point out errors in a corrector's post, just to make the point that no one is perfect.  But there is always a danger that I might make an error myself, thus leaving myself open to someone else pointing out MY mistake.   

Then repeat ad nauseam. 

[ThundahBeagle]

As someone else mentioned, this is not a language forum, so I feel no need to correct unless someone is specifically asking for correction.

If I cannot understand a post, I would ask for clarification, and maybe that would be enough.

Older British and US imperialism, and the Cold War being what they were, and NATO and the UN being what they are, I suppose it makes sense that there are people all over the globe who speak English of some variation. Even pilots on international commercial flight are mandated to speak English.

Having said that, I am always interested in where folks on this forum are from, because very often I am bowled over at people's English language skills here. I find myself reading posts, only to check its country of origin and say to myself "wow. I couldn't say all of that in another language."

I took French in grade school and high school. Learned some bits and pieces of other languages from friends. Learned how to count and say "again!" in Toysanese going to school in Chinatown. And learned  Brasilian Portuguese from my previous Mrs., currently "X" Mrs. ThundahBeagle.

And I don't think I could say much of a mouthful in any of those languages compared to what folks from around the world write here in English.

So, kudos, and try, but you shouldn't be overly concerned. Good group of folks we have here

[ThundahBeagle]

I feel that in the US, an immigrant does themself and our society a disservice if they are not learning some English. It happens a lot here that folks are refugees and just don't speak it upon arrival and that's not the group to which I refer. What I mean is that I know folks who had planned to come here, and who have been here for years and I still can't hold a rudimentary conversation with them. Not that someone shouldn't feel free to speak their native tongue...but when living in Rome and trying to communicate at city hall...

Others arrive and try their best to be quick studies. Even just trying makes a huge difference in how one is received and how readily another is willing to help.

Whenever I've been in a different country, I've done my best to learn as much local language as possible. I like to hope that if I moved to, say, Brazil, in a couple year's time, to the casual eye at least, I could be indistinguishable from those born there, linguistically. Maybe I couldn't, who knows.

The thing about a forum like this, is that it is NOT United States oriented. Even coming from Canada, it isn't Canada-oriented either. It is such an international forum that we gain more than just Swiss Army Knife and Leatherman perspectives in different countries. Lingo, slang, colloquialisms, information on law, customs, geography, weather, and food shines through.

There is communication between Russians and Americans. Germans and Israelis and folks from various middle eastern countries. Folks from Southeast and far east Asia, and Europeans. The UN doesn't get along as well as we do. It's better than just tolerance, and it isn't a forced, pandering internationalization either. Because we share a common interest, we just are. And for the most part, all goes well.

[Dutch_Tooler]

Couldn't agree more, Thundah

[Poncho65]

I sometimes forget we are as international as we are because we all get along so well

I was just actually showing my little girl all the flags of the different members here and it is very cool how diverse we are here

Like Thundah said it isn't forced as (well to me) we all seem to get along genuinely Sure we do have a few disagreements sometimes but who doesn't I think I disagree more with people at work and around here than I do with the lot of you

The culture of different countries that I have learned here about many different places is another aspect of MTO that keeps me coming back over and over as well

[El Corkscrew]

I sometimes forget we are as international as we are because we all get along so well

I was just actually showing my little girl all the flags of the different members here and it is very cool how diverse we are here

Like Thundah said it isn't forced as (well to me) we all seem to get along genuinely Sure we do have a few disagreements sometimes but who doesn't I think I disagree more with people at work and around here than I do with the lot of you

The culture of different countries that I have learned here about many different places is another aspect of MTO that keeps me coming back over and over as well

+1 

[kkokkolis]

Io non spreche English bien μα seviyorum быть hier יחד ك.

[Don Pablo]

Io non spreche English bien μα seviyorum быть hier יחד ك.

French, English, Spanish, Greek, Russian and Arabic?

[kkokkolis]

Italian, French, German, English, Spanish, Greek, Turkish, Russian, Dutch, Jewish and Arabic (these two are counted from right to left).


We all love life, SAKs and MTs too. All the rest are secondary matters.

[Mechanickal]

Italian, French, German, English, Spanish, Greek, Turkish, Russian, Dutch, Jewish and Arabic (these two are counted from right to left).


We all love life, SAKs and MTs too. All the rest are secondary matters.

So we could have hosted our shared GAW in Dutch?

[kkokkolis]

Many would be able to understand and participate then. For the rest of us, there’s the Google Translate.

[Etherealicer]

Whenever I see the prizes on MTs here in Switerland, I think "Give me a brake, they cost a fifth in the US".

... that should summon Zoids

[Gerhard Gerber]

So what do the rest of non-native anglophones think of this? Do we hang out in a to nice a place to hone our language skills? 

  

I have a few triggers, top of the list is probably They're/Their/There & such 

 

[Gerhard Gerber]

....and I don't give a smurf what the spell checker says, it's

Favour
Colour
etc etc
 

[zoidberg]

Whenever I see the prizes on MTs here in Switerland, I think "Give me a brake, they cost a fifth in the US".

... that should summon Zoids

 

[kkokkolis]

Whenever I see the prizes on MTs here in Switerland, I think "Give me a brake, they cost a fifth in the US".

... that should summon Zoids

I've never been in Switerland. Is it that much more expensive than Switzerland?