Illiteracy at college level, how can they make it that far?

[Peach Wookiee]

That came from someone who wasn't an ESL student, right?

 

[RoJoHen]

So, I just started marking one of the research papers for my spring-session course, and the first line reads as follows:

Throughout Europe during the nineteenth century revolutionary ideas were on the rise, in pacers such as Great Britain, France, Germany and Russia.

What's a pacer?

 

[JonathonWally]

So, I just started marking one of the research papers for my spring-session course, and the first line reads as follows:

Throughout Europe during the nineteenth century revolutionary ideas were on the rise, in pacers such as Great Britain, France, Germany and Russia.

What's a pacer?

A really ugly car, or Reggie Miller

 

[ed629]

That came from someone who wasn't an ESL student, right?

Correct, English is not a second language to the person who wrote it.

 

[DanCPA]

On the FCAT (the writing test for the State of Florida) the ability to write is not strongly emphasized on the test so it doesn't amaze me one bit that we have illiteracy at the college level.
I know that one of the girls I dated in college couldn't do basic algebra and that's something we learn in middle school or early high school.
And I was an ESL student

 

[scotpens]

I know that one of the girls I dated in college couldn't do basic algebra and that's something we learn in middle school or early high school.

Well, to be fair, I had a year of algebra in high school and could barely remember any of it by the time I got to college. Today, I couldn't solve a quadratic equation to save my ass.

 

[Peach Wookiee]

That came from someone who wasn't an ESL student, right?

Correct, English is not a second language to the person who wrote it.

Oh, lord... that is terrible for an American-born...

 

[Deckerd]

Some British universities use an alpha, beta system of grading, with fine tuning as double plus, plus, minus, double minus.

Never had that at mine, just gave you a mark out of 100 (surprisingly not as a percentage just for example 72), the higher the better obviously.

Obviously not a Russell Group Uni

I think there's a bit of self congratulatory hate in here, people claiming this is illiterate and lauding themselves with the fact that they would never write it that way, for knowing every antiquated literacy rule and that the person who wrote this paragraph doesnt. She's not illiterate, most of of it is ok, a little tweaking and it is perfectly fine.

I think "hate" is hyperbole, stereotypically demonstrated by our cousins in the North Americas. You should perhaps consider expanding your vocabulary to include, condescension, smugness, pomposity and even perhaps a touch of schadenfreude, "Self-congratulatory" is, however, appropriate.

 

[DBR]

I know that one of the girls I dated in college couldn't do basic algebra and that's something we learn in middle school or early high school.

Well, to be fair, I had a year of algebra in high school and could barely remember any of it by the time I got to college. Today, I couldn't solve a quadratic equation to save my ass.

If it makes anyone feel better, I can barely remember how to do long division.

At least I know my multiplication times tables. Except the 7's...and 8's...and forget about double digits...

 

[TheBrew]

Opinion papers, reaction papers, compare and contrast, yes, first person is fine. But in all my college level "pure research" paper it's never been allowed, they're supposed to read like reference books.

That doesn't necessarily preclude the first person, though. For example, I did a paper for an upper-level course I took on immigration, half of which involved doing some kind of original research. I chose to look at how Chinatowns developed in North American cities, and spent a day in Toronto walking through and observing two different Chinese neighborhoods. It's hard to avoid using the first person when you've got 2000 words worth of research you did yourself.

More and more these days, when my students ask if they can use the first person, I ask them: why? Why do you want to use it? Are you the topic of your paper? No? Then why are you writing about yourself, instead of the topic?

I think the first person is okay when are a part of the research, but only in limited use. I still find the use of it jarring and should not be used in pure research papers. It is implied that the author performed the actions described or did the research required and therefore using "I" is superfluous.

 

[DanCPA]

I know that one of the girls I dated in college couldn't do basic algebra and that's something we learn in middle school or early high school.

Well, to be fair, I had a year of algebra in high school and could barely remember any of it by the time I got to college. Today, I couldn't solve a quadratic equation to save my ass.

Oh, believe me, I know that we forget things. She didn't know the stuff at the end of the class!

 

[iguana_tonante]

I think the first person is okay when are a part of the research, but only in limited use. I still find the use of it jarring and should not be used in pure research papers. It is implied that the author performed the actions described or did the research required and therefore using "I" is superfluous.

In papers, I usually employ the pluralis auctoris, the author's "we".

 

[Mary Ann]

I was never allowed to use the first person in any of my papers, except if you were writing post-modernist stuff. One of my profs would deduct marks for poor spelling and grammar; he told us there was no excuse for any of us to drive him to drink due to bad writing since we were all supposedly bright enough to get into uni. A very valid point in my opinion.

I'm all for clamping down on bad writing and, if need be, holding children back in school so that they can catch up and learn to write at a decent level. A bit of ego-bruising is well worth having good literacy and numeracy skills in adulthood. I work with families and the literacy levels of some parents is shockingly bad. If they can barely read or write, how can they teach their kids to do so?

 

[Goliath]

My students drove me to drink--God bless 'em.

 

[MetalPants]

I know I drove one professor to drink. It was great, he'd buy a few rounds, we'd have some good laughs, and then I drove him home.

 

[Holdfast]

So, I just started marking one of the research papers for my spring-session course, and the first line reads as follows:

Throughout Europe during the nineteenth century revolutionary ideas were on the rise, in pacers such as Great Britain, France, Germany and Russia.

I like that sentence so much, I want it to make sense.

 

[RoJoHen]

So, I just started marking one of the research papers for my spring-session course, and the first line reads as follows:

Throughout Europe during the nineteenth century revolutionary ideas were on the rise, in pacers such as Great Britain, France, Germany and Russia.

I like that sentence so much, I want it to make sense.

I feel like it's trying so hard to be about something, but I just can't figure out what.

 

[Goliath]

So, I just started marking one of the research papers for my spring-session course, and the first line reads as follows:

I like that sentence so much, I want it to make sense.

I feel like it's trying so hard to be about something, but I just can't figure out what.

Odd thing about this student--her research paper was pretty dreadful, but her final exam was head and shoulders above the rest.

How does that happen?

 

[RoJoHen]

Maybe she pulled an all-nighter and put the thing together at the last minute. Maybe she was drunk while writing. I did more than my fair share of drunk homework in college.

 

[Holdfast]

So, I just started marking one of the research papers for my spring-session course, and the first line reads as follows:

I like that sentence so much, I want it to make sense.

I feel like it's trying so hard to be about something, but I just can't figure out what.

Exactly.