Street slang dissed - how I feel when I see that "owned/pwn3d/l33t" rubbish

[beet1e]

If being a snob is a corollary of being dismayed by this story, so be it.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/03/11/nslang11.xml&sSheet=/news/2004/03/11/ixhome.html

Terms like "fix up" and "what's gwan" may be popular on the street, but they are costing thousands of youths the chance of a job because they cannot speak English properly, according to education and business leaders.

The proliferation of street slang and text messaging has become so problematic that many youngsters are now "virtually unemployable".

While exam boards are reporting an increase in teenagers writing in "text", the verbal slang, made more popular by the likes of the comedian Ali G and rap artists such as So Solid Crew and 50 Cent, is exasperating businesses.

Nick Seaton, the chairman of the Campaign for Real Education, said oral skills should be given as much emphasis in the classroom as reading and writing. Teachers should be more rigorous in correcting pupils' bad use of speech, he said.

"The key purpose of state education is to provide children of all backgrounds with a basic grasp of written and spoken English," he said. "If that is not happening then the system is failing them."

Business leaders said employing someone who speaks poor English costs firms "time and effort" to bring them up to scratch.

Chris Clifford, a spokesman for the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), said many bosses were having to pay for flaws within the education system. "What happens is employers have to start doing remedial training as a result of this," he said. "They are having to spend time and effort bringing people up to the level they would expect them to be at when they come out of the education system."

Gulfram Khan, the chairman of the Conservative Party in Aston, Birmingham, said the language barrier was costing youths jobs.

"This means that they are either not getting jobs or getting the lowest form of menial work," he said. "A lot of them go to interviews and are completely unable to express themselves in that sort of situation. While they may fit in on the streets, in the workplace they stand out like a sore thumb. If you can't speak good English, how can you expect someone to give you a good job?"

[GtoRA2]

Your title compelled me to take you off ignore lol.

Beetle
 In comparison to some of the jokers on this BBS now you are a saint! lol.


In regards to the Owned pwn3d etc BS, I think all the guys who use it up here only use it as a joke. (I hope)

I find it interesting that this is causing a problem. It is hard to believe that, this stuff gets used every day and the people doing it are incapable of speaking English properly. Scary really.

Gangsta rap and FPS have made a real impact on society! They have made our youth DUMB!

[Mark Luper]

WOW!! I can really agree wholeheartedly with something beet1e has posted!

[FUNKED1]

3@8 5h18 b122@ch35!!!

BTW nothing cracks me up more than the English worrying about bastardization of their language.  You can't bastardize a bastard.

[Dowding]

I think they are more worried about people who can't spell or add up, rather than the Ali G impersonations.

[Maverick]

Beetle has his momnents. for this post!

I have to wholeheartedly agree. This crap about "multiculturalism" and promotion of artificial "diversity" has spawned a severe outbreak of minor "cultures". I say this as I have had educators (of all people) tell me that the use of slang is a "cultural" thing and should be protected.

When I protested and asked what was the cultural basis for those who refer to women as "Biatches and " Ho's", others as the "N" word, hispanics as "greasers, beaners, taco benders", etc. and why it would be something to promote or condone. I was told I was "racist". This was especially funny after I asked where in the "culture" did these terms indicate they came from other than as derogotory insults. I saw no indication of them in the "home" countries of the "cultures" involved.


Frankly I see it as a massive sign of a lack of respect for others.

[jaxxo]

Just the good ole boys.......Can you guys possibly sound any older? Slang has always been around and always will be. It stems mostly from the seperation of classes and races. People try and establish an identity within there culture, usually the one that has oppressed them. Usually being forced to speak in a language other than their native tounge establishes alot of slang, and passes the tradition down as a means of forming some kind of identity to that group. Do you really think rappers dont know how to speak correct english? For shizzle my nizzle?
That actually comes from cleveland area circa 1970s i believe. Street people would use code words to speak to each other without the police knowing what they were talking about. Its 2004 guys..wake up!

[Dowding]

Do you really think rappers dont know how to speak correct english?

Ummm... yes? I heard an interview with 50 cent - he sounded like he had been under sedation for 3 months and had then decided to watch the entire back catalogue of Friends. What a moron. A lucky moron to be sure, but a moron nonetheless. And I love how every single time he makes an appearance, they mention how he 'caught a few shells'. Talk about glamorising the violence.

[jaxxo]

"This crap about "multiculturalism" and promotion of artificial "diversity" has spawned a severe outbreak of minor "cultures".

 I was told I was "racist".


Gee..why would anyone ever say that?....

[gofaster]

Teens are always looking for a way to say something in a different manner than their parents.

Remember when "cool" began meaning something other than a relative temperature?

I grew up in the "totally tubular" 80's with Valley Girls and surfer-dudes.  Like, you know?

[GtoRA2]

Jaxxo
 You are full of ****.

There is nothing racist about expecting people to learn how to speak the language of the land they live in. Most of these dip****s do not even have that excuse since they have been borne and raised here.

And yes I am sure many of the rappers have no idea how to speak proper english.


On top of that they are only hurting themselves... If you can not read and write proper english you going to have hard time finding a job at anywhere but a fast food joint.

[GtoRA2]

gofaster
 There is a difference there. I do not think anyone had trouble understanding what we had to say in the 80s, slang then was minor, a word here and their.

It is worse now I think.

[beet1e]

Jaxxo - slang may well have been around always. But at least back in the day, youth was employable.

[-MZ-]

Originally posted by GtoRA2
There is a difference there. I do not think anyone had trouble understanding what we had to say in the 80s

Well, dude, you know, like, you know, like, no way, like, totally, you know.

[GtoRA2]

MZ
 Not everyone talked like a Valley girl lol.