Why can't the English teach their children how to speak?

[Kromovaracun]

Why can't the English teach their children how to speak?
Norweigans learn Norweigan, the Greeks have taught their Greek!
In France, every Frenchman knows his language from 'A' to 'Zed'

The French never care what they do, actually, so long as they pronounce it properly.

Arabians learn Arabian with the speed of summer lighting,
The Hebrews learn it backwards which is absolutely frightening!
But use proper English you're regarded as a freak! Oh why can't the English,
Why Can't the English learn to... speak?!

Like anybody with any sanity, I don't mind spelling errors at all, and I can also sympathise with finding 'language police' irritating. However, I know people who seem to be unable to speak or write the language correctly (I think 'text-speak' for example has a visibly negative effect on spelling abilities). What makes you want to tear your hair out is when people positively look down on you for writing things out correctly.

Now, I'm sure plenty of you will have gotten used to me by now and should be aware that I'm never going to sit here and proclaim the end of western civilisation over something like this, but this really, really gets my goat.

Thoughts? Possible solutions? I was also wondering if I was just getting more pedantic or if anyone else has had such experiences.

[if this turns into an immigration debate, I'm going to stamp my feet and scream. Please keep it out of this topic.]

[ladybirder]

I'd be happy if TV presenters and a local BBC Newsreader and others would stop setting a bad example by saying 'Anythink' and 'Nothink'. Gets me everytime and that's a lot.

[smurfchops]

I hate incorrect grammar and spelling, but I think you can either spell, or you can't. If someone asks me to spell something, the word appears in my head and I read it. How does that happen I wonder?

[whiskeryron]

// Now, I'm sure plenty of you will have gotten used to me by now and should be aware that I'm never going to sit here and proclaim the end of western civilisation over something like this, but this really, really gets my goat. //

Kromo, sorry to be pedantic but I think you will find that the word gotten is an American word.

WR.

[Peter Pedant]

La Fraincaise

I did a stint in italy with 'silencio' around the table so we could appreciate Mama's cooking.

All the English at the time 1965 agreed that the idea was to get the children to speak and communicate and didnt enforce it.

[Peter Pedant]

Whiskey ron - Historical lunguistics - you will find that a language mutates slower the further from the centre
which accounts nicely for the profusion of dialects in England and the more uniformity of E abroad
AND the persistence of old forms....

and sorry on enquiry you should find 'gotten' prevalent in E around 1680-1700.

so clearly mutation of languages is nothing to do with DNA as it doesnt show this property. Darwin wrote a lot about languages wh we dont hear about and I think it is because he realised that there were differences which made his theories oopsie so he kept quiet after that. ( Recollect Darwins evolution is somrthing to do with DNA)

[whiskeryron]

I fink a lot of you like dont no ow to speak like it seems to me like no wot I mean.