The inability to spell or write correctly can hinder people in their careers.
Any job today requires knowledge of the written language, whether it is in business, engineering, medical or entertainment. For example, people write résumés, reports, prescriptions, scripts and presentations. Writing is a part of almost everyone’s lives, and for some, it poses a problem.
With all the technology available today, the amount of time you spend talking to people face-to-face is decreasing. In most offices, people communicate through e-mail. Most people wouldn’t see a problem with that, seeing as many students today are accustomed to using computers for everyday correspondence. Unfortunately, most students today use a shorthand version of typing. For example, they type “u” instead of “you” and “r” instead of “are.”
Carol Brown-Elston, a career counselor at Cal State Long Beach, said that proper communication is very important and that the abbreviations students use could carry over into their professional fields.
“If you’re not communicating correctly,” Brown-Elston said, “it could hurt.”
According to an article in DiversityInc magazine, people can miss out on promotions and other career opportunities because they can’t spell or write properly.
High schools throughout the state and across the country have different standards for basic writing skills. Some schools focus mainly on writing a good opening sentence as opposed to using proper grammar or spelling.
Some students even start college without being proficient in English. According to a 2006 CSU press release, about 45 percent of students in the CSU system had to take remedial classes when they enrolled.
There are a few ways colleges determine a student’s aptitude for English. In the state’s standardized tests, there are additional, optional questions students may answer to see if they are ready for college level courses. It is called the Early Assessment Program (EAP). According to the CSU EAP results, about half of high school juniors took the EAP last spring. Of those students, just 23 percent were determined to be college-ready.
For whatever reason, high school and college students are lacking basic English skills, which will be detrimental to them in both college and any career they choose. There is no one solution that will make all students better spellers, but each student should make it his or her own personal goal to be a better writer.
