Careers and literacy service cuts

[Swiss Tony]

That's why I'm Old Labour.

Which are as dead as a dodo,shame.

 

[Cricko]

Bring on the revolution!

 

[Napster]

A friend of mine did their dissertation on the evolvement of language and I recall discussing it over a few pints...

The beauty of English is that it does change over time and even within a generation or so massive changes happen - do you write or speak like your grandparents did?

Interesting you comment on handwriting as one of the other parts of the research focused on how as nearly everything is typed that the need for good handwriting is no longer as an important skill - oh and that MS Word spelling/grammar check is defining more of what is wrong and right more than anything else... and obviously reducing the need to learn to spell correctly!

I blame Brown and Blair just as much for the state of education actually. Not a lot of point at moaning at them at this moment in time, the current government are the only ones who can make changes right now.

Evolvement? Or evolution?

Personally, parents have their role to play as well as the teachers. We encourage reading at home every night.

I did my dissertation on the evolution of the imperfect tense in spontaneous spoken English.

All languages evolve. New words are formed every day. New ways of expressing ourselves are found all the time - see tweeting for example. There is no right or wrong in language, as long as the speaker and listener are understood. Yes you can be a pedant and argue about semantics or lazy grammar, but it's all arrant nonsense at the end of the day.

 

[OldBlueLady]

Personally, parents have their role to play as well as the teachers. We encourage reading at home every night.

That's because you are a conscientious parent, reading every night to an adult is to be encouraged for every child until they are at least a secure level 3, and thereafter at least a couple of times a week. This ensures that the child shows comprehension of what they are reading and aren't just reading books because they happen to be flavour of the month.

 

[Hotman]

Evolvement? Or evolution?

Personally, parents have their role to play as well as the teachers. We encourage reading at home every night.

I did my dissertation on the evolution of the imperfect tense in spontaneous spoken English.

All languages evolve. New words are formed every day. New ways of expressing ourselves are found all the time - see tweeting for example. There is no right or wrong in language, as long as the speaker and listener are understood. Yes you can be a pedant and argue about semantics or lazy grammar, but it's all arrant nonsense at the end of the day.

loving the way you formed a few new words in there I hadn't heard of.

 

[Rob Noxious]

loving the way you formed a few new words in there I hadn't heard of.

Indeed - I wondered if it had been "errant nonsense" (at the end) until your clarification.

 

[Napster]

Indeed - I wondered if it had been "errant nonsense" (at the end) until your clarification.

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/arrant

Sometimes I despair.

 

[Napster]

Any other words people want to know the meaning of? :winking:

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

Which are as dead as a dodo,shame.

Look carefully and you'll see the beast of Bolsover is still on the Labour benches.:smile:

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

The last couple of months of 2011 have so far promoted growth, albeit 0.6%, but growth nonetheless, and probably much to the chagrin of the doomsayers at the BBC.

Merry Christmas to you and yours Phil. :thumbsup:

Harry,
As my copy of today's El Pais predicts, Spain will go into recession early next year and the UK will almost certainly keep it company(my prediction).
Btw did you notice that Brazil overtook the UK today, to become the 6th largest economy in the world?
Thanks for the Xmas greetings.:thumbsup:

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Harry,
As my copy of today's El Pais predicts, Spain will go into recession early next year and the UK will almost certainly keep it company(my prediction).
Btw did you notice that Brazil overtook the UK today, to become the 6th largest economy in the world?
Thanks for the Xmas greetings.:thumbsup:

And?

Why is economics a zero-sum game?

Does this not mean that Brazil are now better placed to buy our luxury goods and services?

 

[Dick Bate's Protege]

Harry,
As my copy of today's El Pais predicts, Spain will go into recession early next year and the UK will almost certainly keep it company(my prediction).
Btw did you notice that Brazil overtook the UK today, to become the 6th largest economy in the world?
Thanks for the Xmas greetings.:thumbsup:

I also noticed that our economy was the size of Spain and Australia combined, or Spain and Iran if you prefer. You could even say it was bigger than Spain, Belgium and Sweden put together. Bottom line, we're still a dog that bites whether you like it or not.

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

And?

Why is economics a zero-sum game?

Does this not mean that Brazil are now better placed to buy our luxury goods and services?

It wasn't my central point but it is a clear sign that the Bric economies are on the move.Europe can't afford to get left to far behind,IMO,while Germany/France are sorting out the Eurozone mess.

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

I also noticed that our economy was the size of Spain and Australia combined, or Spain and Iran if you prefer. You could even say it was bigger than Spain, Belgium and Sweden put together. Bottom line, we're still a dog that bites whether you like it or not.

Please look at the quotations in my signature.I'm well aware of the importance that the UK economy has in Europe(as I'm sure are all the EU political leaders).

 

[Holy Joe]

Harry,
As my copy of today's El Pais predicts, Spain will go into recession early next year and the UK will almost certainly keep it company(my prediction).
Btw did you notice that Brazil overtook the UK today, to become the 6th largest economy in the world?
Thanks for the Xmas greetings.:thumbsup:

Brazil is also the 5th largest country in the world with a population of 192m - its economy should be bigger than ours!

 

[MK Shrimper]

Brazil is also the 5th largest country in the world with a population of 192m - its economy should be bigger than ours!

With how many of it's population living in absolute poverty?

 

[Holy Joe]

With how many of it's population living in absolute poverty?

Quite a few I'd imagine. GDP per capita will be roughly 1/3rd or ours.

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

Brazil is also the 5th largest country in the world with a population of 192m - its economy should be bigger than ours!

It doesn't quite work like that yet I believe.However with China's GDP set to overtake the US sometime in Obama's second term,who knows what the future has to hold for the Bric economies and Europe?:unsure: