Can anybody speak English anymore? You probably think that question sounds funny coming from an American. My husband claims I don't "speak English" either. I guess What I really mean is, can anybody SPELL anymore?

I spend a lot of time when I'm bored, or in a cast like I am now...perusing EBay. Not buying things, just looking. EBay is a great source of entertainment if you like to view the English language being massacred. One of the problems , I think , is that the younger people tend to talk in what I call "text speak". For example, a feedback I read for a seller said "dint look like wot the pic did". Or, "ths is gr8". Great huh? Do kids write that way when they do school projects? I hope not, but it seems schools are afraid of the students anymore, so maybe they get away with it?

Another shining example I saw today was this auction heading "sivler errrings with neckless". It continues " have a look at my over items on EBay". There are currently seventy two items for sale under the heading of "Neckless".( I always thought that meant someone with no neck), but I guess it is also the way a lot of people now spell NECKLACE? So, what's going on ? Being that I know little of the education system here in the U.K. I shouldn't be commenting I suppose. It's never been one of my more redeeming qualities though to keep quiet.

There are lots of people in America who can't spell to save their lives either, BUT they do still teach spelling there and you are graded on your ability to spell. Is it the same way here? How can people go through years and years of schooling and end up like this? Is it to do with the way my husband's grandchildren are taught to read? All this phonetic stuff and sounding out words? I had never seen or heard of that until I moved over here seven years ago and wondered at the time how it would affect a child's ability to spell words correctly. I think I just found out.