Vastly different levels of literacy in our society Can anything be done?

[GabbyLoggon]

Example.....the Mirror reader is not likely to use words like the Guardian reader does....Ditto SUN and Telegraph readers .....

The difference is no MINOR but very pronounced.

It starts? In the family I suppose because by the time the child does compulsory schooling the die is cast on the way they speak. (school can have an influence.)

DOES IT MATTER? Yes, partly because it is divisive. And it greatly effects job prospects.

It is no good bashing the schools or the parents. Or expecting families to speak in a different way.

PHONICS? Dont make me laugh. But something does need to be done.

Any ideas?

err..you mean "greatly AFFECTS job prospects", surely? sorry to be pedantic but after all the thread is about literacy.

What are you actually asking? are you asking what factors are responsible for poor levels of literacy in certain socio-economic groups? because if you are it's a bit disingenuous to then go on to say schools and parents have no responsibility.

Your point that " it's no good expecting families to speak in a different way"- there is a direct, proven correlation between the way parents and their children speak.

Kids will copy their parents. But does it need adjusting by schools.? It is to some extent.. Children talk differently to their mates than they do to the teacher. The phone voice is commonplace. Whe I went on radio a lot. I talked a bit like an establishment wallah (Which I am not) The Q sticks with cut glass accent. Harry boy and Wills have modified. So has Camerooney and Blair baby. It can be attractive as with Frostrop. Bakewell tart , Gabby Logan is a bit too measured. (not born in Surrey) Old Muggeridge used to make people cringe; but he used the language brilliantly. (lst vol Chronicles of Wasted Time, best use of English ever written in my opinion.

WHATS TO BE DONE ABOUT ILLITERACY? Governemnts have asked that question for 50 years. Most prisoners are illiterate. Worth doing summat abaht
that lads and lasses. Jewellry ,Jewellry....James saville was hard to place linguistically. Pigeon coal miner I suppose/

Lets have fun.....and a few practical solutions. (Send working class 7 year olds to public schools. See what happens)

Sorry GABBYLOGGON but your posts are actually illiterate (oh the irony) so I am bowing out of this thread.

donnie A daily torygraph reader twerp

Lets stick to the subject. Our use of the lingo divides us.

Replace East Enders with a soap set somewhere naice?

there is the class aspect; but its more important than that.

CLASS IS EVERWHERE humans are like that. But we can all be literate.

Gabby Logan talks in a precise posh way. Not learned at mummys knee.

Little Govey ,the Min of Educ has a plan about pushing literacy further

Are you pissed?

Lets have fun.....and a few practical solutions. (Send working class 7 year olds to public schools. See what happens)

I doubt it would be fun or useful. A large number of such children might serve to reduce all to their lower common denominator. Byt 7 its too late. Its starts much earlier than that. As the Jesuits once said " Give me a boy UNTIL he is 7 and I will show you the man" has more than a sprinkling of truth.