Mocking bad spelling/grammar on social media

[someseriouscoffee]

I see this more and more on social media, where people with less than perfect spelling and grammar are mocked for it, usually in public view with their name showing. AIBU to find this behaviour bullying and potentially disablist (as the person could have a learning disability for all we know). Maybe I'm being over sensitive but I really hate this, it's so patronising.

I'm a communications manager which means editing and proofing other people's writing is a big part of my job. I do it in my head automatically. But I think it's the height of rudeness to point out errors unless one's opinion is solicited.

I've noticed that posts (both here and on Facebook groups for example) with poor spelling or grammar tend to be received more harshly. I suspect there's a subconsciously classist element to it.

Correcting someone isn't necessarily judging!
Mocking is wrong though. There as many reasons people can't spell or make mistakes.

@BettyBooHoo Not sure if it's still the case but certainly a few years ago there was a move to stop correcting SPAG in unrelated lessons (i.e. anything other than English) as it knocks the confidence of children who struggle with SPAG for whatever reason. I actually think it's a valid point - providing an answer is intelligible, a few spelling mistakes here and there in a history essay / science paper etc don't impact the quality of the historical / scientific etc knowledge displayed and the marking should reflect the content rather than the style.

As an English teacher I notice that the standard of written English is in decline everywhere. Social media doesn't bother me, as it's mainly people communicating with their peers, not with me. If they can't be bothered to use the language correctly for CVs and the like, then that's their loss. What does bother me is that I see poor English in books, newspapers and magazines, EVERY DAY. These are people who are being paid for their writing!

When I visited a museum last week, one of the exhibits was a cabinet holding different types of English apples - alongside it was a notice saying, 'Pull out the draws to see the different types of apples'...
As this museum is very popular with school parties, I mentioned it to one of the assistants when we were leaving - she sighed deeply and said that they'd had many complaints, but no-one took any notice...!
Is it any wonder that children grow up being unable to use the English language? (I write as someone with a dyslexic DC)

I leave errors to be in informal communications such and MN and FB. It's very easy to make errors while using touch screens/ small screens and auto correct. I've corrected a number of typing errors as I've gone while typing this which I would not have made at a computer or by hand. I'm sure I've missed something, but I'm not going to check umpteen times and print and get someone else to check to be certain

If I find a post unintelligable for its spelling, grammar or structure, I move on.

If writing is intended for a formal audience, it should be proof-read. Errors are increasing in writing such as newspapers, more a symptom of a rushed society not checking rather than a decline of education.

Unsolicited correcting of a dyslexic person is fruitless anyway. Several dyslexic people I know produce great formal writing... after it has been proofread. Some randomer tearing their writing apart is merely demoralising. Similar with people using additional languages.

In school, I'd prioritise the subject specific terminolgy as that is least likely to be corrected elsewhere, then basic errors. Again, correcting everything undermines the understanding displayed and is too overwhelming to serve a purpose.

Correcting someone without responding to their actual issue is just being an arsehole.

It can also be a question of how good your education was which often comes down to money. So i think it is unreasonable to correct people

Peachgreen I really don't agree with that sentiment. It just confuses the child and teaches them it's acceptable to be inconsistent with SPAG.

As for it being discouraging to constantly correct their SPAG, presumably after a couple of corrections they will learn to use the correct form? Then their self esteem will improve from knowing they are getting it right.

This sort of woolly 'musn't damage their self esteem' mantra is why we have such poor levels of SPAG in schools.

I work as an editor and I cringe when people crow over mistakes in social media posts, etc. I don't correct people unless asked and/or paid. On the odd occasion someone has made a very embarrassing mistake, I might send them a quick private message explaining, but not post it in public. A lot of the time, people who enjoy correcting others don't do it out of genuine interest in helping their friends. They do it to embarrass people or display how much they think they know. And don't get me started on people who peddle fake grammar rules about never splitting infinitives. Sometimes they're even worse than the typo-correctors.

A lot of people think they know grammar but are just repeating stuff their teacher told them 30 years ago that is just incorrect. If you're really interested in modern grammar, pick up a book by Oliver Kamm or search for Geoff Pullum online and educate yourself. That's a better use of your time than correcting others who haven't asked for it.

As a rule, I am not phased by poor spelling and grammar on social media. Most of it is just chit chat.

I do hate it when I see it in online debates, though. On our local page, someone was spouting off all kinds of racist crap and he had misspelt virtually every single word and I am afraid he did lose all credibility for most of us at that point

Fazed even oops

I must admit I do point it out when I see someone moaning about foreigners and how none of our doctors and nurses can speak English these days. Funnily enough it’s always the people with the least mastery over their native language that feel compelled to complain about foreign doctors.

I have a dyslexic child and I think you can easily tell the difference between dyslexia and lazy/ ignorant spelling.

Show by example in your written word, if they want to learn they will, if they don't they won't.

I never comment on people's spelling and grammar these days (unless they are actual SPAG students of mine!). Aside from the fact that autocorrect etc leads even those people with excellent SPAG skills to publish errors that they didn't spot quickly, I once had a really embarrassing experience at work.

A fellow manager once draughted a document for us to hand out to our teams - he'd made a typo which conveyed a very different instruction and mental picture, which I assumed was just there because he'd rushed it out and failed to spot the error. It was funny, so I 'replied all' saying 'Think you meant to say do XX? I now have a very funny picture of everyone doing YY instead hahahaha'. Got a very polite 'reply all' back, thanking me so politely for pointing the error out. Saying how tricky it was for him as he was diagnosed with Dyslexia at age 6, and despite having years of X therapy and Y training, his specialise spelling/grammar software (installed by the company as he is covered against any discriminations by section xx of the DDA) mistakes do sometimes slip through unspotted by him or his computer. But thank you SO much, he would now correct it and send out an amended copy.

I was so mortified. He'd very politely (and very correctly) made me look like a prize dick for laughing at his spelling. I have never made that error again! Though should/would of/have still makes my teeth itch.

presumably after a couple of corrections they will learn to use the correct form? Then their self esteem will improve from knowing they are getting it right

This approach does not work with many people who have dyslexia. My DD has spent all her school years having her self confidence crushed because she is unable to get it right after a couple of corrections. She probably never will get it right. And it doesn't matter.

I can forgive mistakes.
What I can't forgive is" tlkng txt spk cos like u wotever u brought it"

The people who talk like that on social media and forums are usually the ones who decided an education was beneath them, rail at the schools for expecting their kids to behave, let little chardonnay run wild and then complain they can't get a job.

So yes, I do look down on them.

Usually people who are unable to tackle the central point

It’s called playing the man not the ball

So somone challenge you to debate and then you basically say ner ner ner you can’t spell
It’s really says more about the person the the poster and the most funny ones is were they correct the grammer thinking their a smart arse then somone has to correct them

woolythoughts

Wow you get all that from how somone spells

You should become a suthsayer

Roomba

You have no idea peoples level of education

Or if they have a disability and tbh why should they have to announce it

I once had somone told me on here I wouldn’t be able to secure employment because of my spelling

I have a diploma and have worked since I was 15 and own my own my home thank you very much and my son is a areonatual engineer

A girl who had self-published her book asked me to take a look at the cover to see if I could tell her why it wasn't selling.

She had three spelling mistakes, one grammatical error (quite a biggie too), apart from the fact that her 'blurb' read as though it had been written by a twelve year old.

She had asked me. So tried, tactfully to suggest that she might want to have someone proofread her work because I had noticed one or two errors.

She came back instantly with 'my mum's read it and she's an English teacher and she says it's fine.'

I was out at that point.

Very different form giving un solicited advice

Especially when most people who aren’t good at spelling no it

Grammar is the difference between knowing your shit and knowing you're shit :-)

I make some mistakes so i'm reluctant to criticise too much. Manners are there to make people feel at ease, and picking at people grammar, like picking apart people's manners is well, bad manners.

That being said, loose/lose, where/were/we're, to/two/too, by/buy, bought/brought etc. are not long division!

But it does show the attitude - there's no point in correcting anyone's spelling or grammar, because, even if they've asked you to they won't take any notice if they already think it's right!

That being said, loose/lose, where/were/we're, to/two/too, by/buy, bought/brought etc. are not long division!
given your education and level of parenting you have received but everyone is not the same doesn’t have the same background of up bringing do they otherwise grammer schools wouldn’t be an issue