Secondary school is filled with English teachers who like to think that their assisting you in your understanding of correct English, but instead their different attitudes towards teaching it can make it harder. I recall having to endure several individuals who seemed to only lecture us simply because that was what they were paid to do. Normally it was easy to receive a good percentage in their classes, but their lack of interest in what they were teaching resulted in students also having a lack of interest. We forgot most of the information they taught as and dreaded most of the tests. They defiantly would not have agreed with Simon’s statement: “The person who does not respect words and their proper relationships cannot have much respect for ideas-very possibly cannot have ideas at all” (4). Fortunately, there were a couple teachers who would have agreed with what Simon said who seemed to truly inspire people to read and write. They didn’t just believe in this sentence he wrote: “What’s food English to you that…you should grieve for it?” (1), the breathed it. They seemed to hold a passion for words that the other English teachers lacked, and yet were the opposite of boring at the same time, making them stand out from all the rest “ … in and age in which hardly anyone seems to know, and no one seems to care?” (1) All the students who chose not to listen stayed the close-minded individuals that they were before the class started. It is too bad however that the past impression of words not being very important was not completely erased from those who did listen. Consequently, there are several individuals in the post secondary world now who find it very hard to decide which of the grammatical points of view they experienced is correct. This makes it difficult to write any sort of paper
While some might say that secondary school teachers are responsible for this confusion, the first villains to commit this crime are often first found in elementary school. In the educations beginning, grammar loves to be included in the distortions those handfuls of gullible young children tend to be seduced into believing. I was among the several who without a doubt believed that every year of school would be permeated with the same moments of contentment found in kindergarten. Just as language once amazed Helen Keller: “That living word awakened my soul, gave it light, home, joy, set it free!” (Page 70) language also amazed myself. I even remember the exciting days in class when we had to make everyone in the classroom guess that item we brought for show-and-tell by sounding out whatever letter it began with. Such instances are what once made me find words so interesting, but that interest soon died and in the years to follow was replaced by a loathing for language instead. To this day I still do not understand why my seventh grade teacher punished my fellow students and me if we did not answer his questions with a “Yes” and with a “Yeah” or a “What” instead. Language is sometimes made to appear as a playmate in elementary school, but who wants to learn something that is at other times associated with such fear? With confusion starting out such as this, secondary school is merely a sequel.
Most individuals assume that high school English prepares you for university English, but my skill at writing essay proves that theory to be nothing more than a lie which adolescents are unfortunately led to believe. If I had had only teachers that taught me to love correct use of language than I’d contain much more confidence with grammar than what I currently lack. Perhaps I would have been taught how to properly invent counter-arguments. Instead all of my prior years of education have only resulted in mixed messages about grammar. As a result, much of the good marks my essay writing skills once achieved for me seem to not offer the same benefit in university.
Because, the step from secondary school to university English is currently higher than it ought to be, some things definitely need to be better acquainted with change, whether it is or isn’t the elementary schools who participate. The University of Nebraska, as a matter of fact states that because university teaches slightly differently, “You may need to take a different approach to studying”. Another university student tells CTV: “’High schools don't prepare you very well for lectures 'cause they really spoon feed you'." Why should our education from kindergarten to grade twelve be so different that we have to find it so difficult to adjust when we reach university? Elementary schools definitely have their own sins to repent for, but a big difference would be made if at least the high schools would change.
Some teachers do a pretty good job of forcing into your mind, while other teachers do a fantastic job of engraving their passion for language forever within your soul. If these two viewpoints are put together, they have the tendency to make you both love and despise more and more. Both also cannot be easily forgotten and make it difficult to adapt to the changes of university. Elementary school should change as well, but if secondary schools at least made up for their own mistakes, than neither of these two conflicting perspectives will need to be remembered. I can’t wait for the day when my university writing skills will be better.
Works Cited List
Simon John.” Why Good English is Good for You “Exploring Language Ed. Gary Groshgarian10th ed. New York Pearson Longman, 2004. Pages 555 and 556
Keller Helen. “A Word For Everything” Exploring Language Ed. Gary Goshgarian. 12th ed. New York Pearson Longman, 2010. Page 70
“Students Not Prepared For University, Says Survey”. . Monday Sep. 21, 2009. Web. < .>
“How Will University Classes Differ From High School”. . Web. <http://www.unl.edu/ous/academic_tips/transition.shtml>
