What Seepersad and Kent experienced upon arriving at UT is not new. Back in Oct. 2011, USA Today College posted the article “Top 5 grammar habits that have to go.” The article detailed such problems as using the word “hash tag” in everyday conversations (a phenomenon brought about with the rise in popularity of Twitter), overusing abbreviations and text lingo, using the word “literally” incorrectly and saying “like” or “um” as fillers while speaking. The last one is what Seepersad and Kent took issue with.
“It was really weird for me,” admitted Seepersad on first experiencing the overuse of fillers by her American peers. “So weird that I started to count how many times. I remember one time I counted how many times a girl said the word ‘like’ in her speech or something, and it was at least above 30 times and it was just shocking.”
“I just see the stereotypical American saying ‘like.’ Every other word would be ‘like,'” said Kent.
Both students revealed that had they talked that way back home in Trinidad, they would be chastised for using fillers like “like,” “um” and “uh.” However, both admitted that they occasionally catch themselves using those fillers since going to UT.
Another USA Today College article from February 2012 discussed the importance of grammar for college students in search of jobs after graduation. However, social media outlets like Facebook and Twitter may have “stigmatized good writing,” according to the article. The article also pointed out that poor grammar usage and speech skills are becoming problematic for American college students which could affect their future opportunities.
“As a teacher of writing, I see sloppy grammar as part of that overall image a student portrays to the world. And, for me, their grammar is not just a reflection of them—it’s a reflection of me as well,” said Aimee Whiteside, assistant professor of English and writing at the University of Tampa. ” Employers think the same way. Our actions and our words reflect on the organization(s) for which we work…”
Although Whiteside has encountered years of poor grammar from her students, she does not see this as anything new.
“I’ve read the growing articles and stats on the decline of grammar and the attributions to technology. Honestly, I don’t see it. I’ve been teaching since 2001, and I don’t see a huge difference in students’ command of grammar; frankly, it’s been consistently pretty bad over time,” said Whiteside, who asserted that technology and social media sites merely act as scapegoats for poor grammar.
Mark Putnam, associate professor of English and writing at the University of Tampa, shared a similar view.
“I think it’s historic. Every generation has thought that the youth has gone to hell for whatever reason. You can trace that all the way back to the Greeks. They always thought the youth would just do things differently and speak differently,” said Putnam.
Poor grammar may not be a recent problem according to Whiteside and Putnam, but for Christopher Gurrie, assistant professor of speech at the University of Tampa, there has been a decline in speech skills.
“I think the bastardization of English has happened over time. I think it could definitely get worse,” said Gurrie.
Gurrie believes that this a modern problem for the American culture that stems from the popularization of reality TV shows and movies like Clueless, resulting in “society reflecting what they see.”
“I think chastising it would definitely at least bring it out,” added Gurrie on a solution to the problem. “If reality TV is accepting it, people in our society with money are accepting it, wealthy people are doing it, young professionals are doing it, what’s left?”
Gurrie went on to say that poor grammar and speech could negatively impact American college students seeking jobs as long as baby boomers remain in charge.
Whether or not speech skills and grammar usage are declining is still up for debate amongst experts, but both have been deemed important for college students seeking a professional future.