Re: Grammar

[EMAIL PROTECTED] (ivy_mike) wrote:
>Bob LeChevalier <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message news:<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>...
>
>> Passive exposure to language is relatively worthless, though my
>> non-native kids learned their first English from Barney. 
>
>How could you better contradict yourself in one sentence?

The English they learned from Barney was their first English, but what
they learned was indeed relatively useless (unless you think that
going around singing Barney songs is a particularly useful mode of
communication).  They acquired *skill* in English by interacting with
other kids that spoke English.

>> Its the
>> other kids with whom they interact, and their family with whom they
>> interact, that sets the mold.  Unfortunately, low income single parent
>> families tend to have very little such interaction.
>
>You're referring (to a very large extent) to black environments here.

It doesn't matter what color.  Hispanics in particular have the same
problem.

>> Well, I've seen many a programming textbook wherein the authors abided
>> by (or were corrected by a tech editor) to put punctuation inside the
>> quote marks where the quote is surrounding an example text.  The
>> result is that sometimes one does not know whether the punctuation is
>> punctuation, or whether it is part of what must be typed into the
>> computer.
>> 
>> In my case, in addition, I've been writing language instruction
>> material for 16-odd years, and again the inclusion of punctuation
>> inside the quote marks can sometimes lead to ambiguity.
>
>But we are not writing code here.  We are communicating with ordinary
>English.  Are you unable to switch modes when appropriate?

I see no reason to switch modes.  My usage does not create any sort of
ambiguity or misunderstanding.  Silly language rules are made to be
broken.

lojbab
-- 
lojbab                                             [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Bob LeChevalier, Founder, The Logical Language Group
(Opinions are my own; I do not speak for the organization.)
Artificial language Loglan/Lojban:                 http://www.lojban.org