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October 07, 2004
Mind Your Language
In the past, all written works that get to the masses are done by professionals. However, because of the internet, more and more laypeople get their written work seen by the public. Unlike the pros, we laypeople don't have as wonderful language skills and don't watch our grammar and spelling and punctuations and the likes half the time. Well, at least I don't. Some of us even use a mixture of languages, putting the previously spoken-only Manglish and Singlish into words. Now, what kind of language is one to expect from blogs? Here's my 2 cents' worth...
Do I mind reading blogs written in incorrect English (or any other language that I can understand)? The answer is no. Otherwise, I'll have to stop reading my own blog. Do I expect to find perfect English in the blogs I read? The answer is also no. Should Rantings' readers (yes, all three of you) expect any resemblence of perfect English here? PLEASE DON'T. I try to compose my posts in a way that people can understand but no, I don't want to and don't have the ability to, post in constantly grammatically correct English.
Blogs give everyone a chance to write (well, type) and express themselves in words. Therefore, good or bad language is, I think, secondary. Some students prefer blogging to essay writing because there is no teacher breathing down their necks. Non-students or non-language-students who don't have teachers breathing down their neck anyway enjoy blogging just because. If there is anywhere where anyone can, and have the right to, write in any chapalang language, it is first and foremost, their diaries and blogs.
I don't expect perfect grammar from others' blogs, so I hope you don't expect Queen's english from mine.
Thanks... =D
Posted by yeepei at October 7, 2004 07:03 PM
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Comments
no one's expecting perfect english from you lar sayang... where got peeps so siao wan?
here's a word... kecheedunan... my malay teacher used it...
ke+chee dun+an
(malay prefix on to a cantonese root word, go figure)
this is a blog wat... go read mine lar... melayu+cantonese+english, and a campur of all three oso got... crossbreed language :P
Malaysia Boleh!
ps. next i'll add jap to my blogs i think...
Posted by: CHiQ at October 7, 2004 09:12 PM
I thnk it's just a way to express oneself. I don't really care if it's chapalang, or manglish or cursing in Sikh language. It's what makes Malaysian blogs, Malaysian. :)
Posted by: Papi at October 8, 2004 11:36 AM
eh? did some1 say yr England not gud enuf? u know y? tat coz u no use SMS eng, diff 2 undstd lah. ;)
Posted by: Buaya69 at October 8, 2004 12:21 PM
How many of you actually sincerely hope that someone, somewhere, would correct your grammatical mistake in a nicer way? Perhaps privately?
I, for one, welcome Charger to point out my typos via ICQ. I sometimes irritate Mike of his grammar (but unfortunately he is better than me) and I got blasted back.
Take the criticism in good faith. We should better ourselves instead of behaving like a rotten child. Take criticism readily and improve yourselves. Don't stall and expect people to accept your manglish.
Sometimes, I really admire those people educated in English, like Michael. But here I am, ready to translate Mandarin articles for them and hopefully, through blogging and their criticism, my English won't be something for them to laugh at.
And don't compare us to those sycophantic reporters with delusion of grandeur of Queen's English lah...
Posted by: doc at October 9, 2004 01:17 AM
With all due respect, doctor, criticism and how it is passed on belongs to another issue. :) Maybe I should blog about that one of these days. This post is suppose to bring across two messages. The first being that I don't expect perfect English from blogs I read. Secondly, I don't blog in perfect English and appreciate it if readers don't expect it of me.
Doc, one day.. ONE DAY lah... I'll blog in chinese and then let you correct ok ok???
Posted by: YP at October 9, 2004 07:34 AM
One should be free to express themselves without having to worry about their grammar. In fact, most of the time, one actually improves naturally with practice...
Posted by: j e l l i o ' at October 9, 2004 06:40 PM
i complain tat YP's blog is too clean. not a single utter of F**k! hehehe ;)
Posted by: Buaya69 at October 10, 2004 01:01 AM
haha.. atleast u shud compare wz my blog.. yeah i und yr feelin when peeps start trashing you for your language usage... well, keep your cool loh. s long s we know wat u tok about enuf loh.
Posted by: kor at October 10, 2004 03:47 AM
Buaya, I normally dun use vulgarities when I write. Unless I'm super duper upset with someone...
Posted by: YP at October 10, 2004 08:25 AM
That article is so true. I read blogs for fun, so I don't care if the blogger speaks Queen's English or Petalling Street English.
Seriously, my blog needs to have some grammatical error detector soon. I sux at English.
Me bad in English. Anybody help ? Me desperate. Me sad.
Nice blog. Keep it up. :)
Posted by: JxT2J at October 13, 2004 12:11 PM
:) Thanks. You've got a very nice blog as well.
Posted by: YP at October 13, 2004 06:05 PM