Some Words on Literacy

Literacy is a subject that comes up every now and again, especially when educational standards are in the news or if a school is poorly graded. It is clear that levels of literacy vary enormously from one area to another and there are many factors that decide a person's ability to write, spell and express themselves effectively in words.
There is no doubt that instant messaging has encouraged its own diction to develop. There is a new language amongst those who text and use instant messaging frequently. Words are shortened and numbers are used in place of letters. This truncated form of writing has for the most part passed me by. I could never get on with text messaging. On the few occasions I felt it necessary to text, I would write in the same way I would compose an email message. To do otherwise just felt wrong.
I do know people for whom writing is a challenge. They tend not to use long words and punctuation is rarely if ever used. Sentences can be excessively long with no break making the making the process of reading very difficult and uncomfortable.
I do wonder if it is the fault of the individual or the education system. There is certainly evidence to suggest there is less emphasis today on good grammar and diction. Perhaps as teachers become younger and their own skills and knowledge begin to vary, then maybe their own grasp of spelling, punctuation and diction falls below what many would consider an acceptable standard.
I don't consider myself as gifted. I had no special education and paid less and less attention to my studies the nearer I got to being able to leave. I didn't want to further myself, I'd had enough and soon found work at a local supermarket. When I did leave school, I had the skills which enabled me to read and write. I knew the meaning of words and I could write a letter if I needed to. In fact I possessed many of these skills before I entered secondary education. When I try to think why this was the case, I can only really put it down to memories of lessons where we were taught to write. Of all the lessons I can remember, these are the most prominent. In these lessons, I was also taught to punctuate though this was certainly bolstered by certain schools and colleges TV programmes such as 'Look and Read', 'Words and Pictures' and 'Middle English'.
All this combined to give me the skills to write confidently and though I wasn't the world's best at spelling, I would always look up a word if I was unsure.
I those halcyon days, my mother was employed as a secretary at a local electrical contractor and I would like to think she corrected me whenever I went wrong.
I'm inclined to think we live in a world where there is less need for good literacy skills. We write less, emails are sent in preference to a written or typed letter. Messages can be sent instantly and a new type of shorthand has developed as a result. We do indeed live in the age of the instant message and never before has it been easier to communicate and express ourselves. This is of course progress but are we in danger of losing altogether the ability to use fully our wonderful language?

Brushing-up my French

I have been brushing up my French over the last few days. It's actually a language I like very much and studied it at school many years ago. I do with I paid more attention though. It was one of the few subjects I really enjoyed and to this day, I have retained a few words and phrases. The course I am learning with is from Michel Thomas. It is different to other courses as you are actually the third student - there are two others on the CD and they are learning also, making mistakes so you don't feel you're the only one failing. The system actually works and very well. I have already learnt quite a lot and more importantly, I've retained what I've learnt. One day, I'd really like to visit France again (last time was in 1989) and spend some proper time there. I have suggetsed to my wife that we move there when we retire...

I've heard absolutely nothing from Stagecoach despite two letters, one of them to their head office. I'm convinced now that they don't care and my respect for them has all but disappeared.
I haven't completely given up on my wish to have a PCV career but I am being forced to look for IT-related jobs. I was turned down for the job at the local schoool though I notice they haven't found anyone as their vacancy has been extended. I did though find a vacancy at a components company at Wisbech. I had no idea they existed but a little research threw up the fact that they are one of the UK's largest component suppliers. Quite how I hadn't heard of them I don't know. It just goes to show what's on your doorstep sometimes.
So I've applied for the position of IT Technician looking after the computers and network at their offices. I hope to hear something in the enxt few days. Even if it's a polite 'no thank you' then I still have what's needed for my mortgage insurers to pay out.

I've been able to harvest a few tomatoes which I'm quite pleased about. They taste wonderful - sweet and juicy. There are many more still attached waiting to ripen and I hope that they weather allows for them to turn red before the frosts set in. We are forecast cold temperatures, ice and snow in the coming weeks.

I have been self-pollinating my watermelon plant. The female flowers have a round ovary just beneath the flower and I have been pollinating them by removing the male flowers and bringing the stamen into contact with them. If successful then the ovaries should begin to elongate after a week or so and develop into a water melon. Again I'm hoping the weather doesn't turn too cold as this may affect their growth.





My parents are decorating at the moment. They're currently working on the kitchen and have chosen a greeny-blue colour which frankly I think resembles that of a public convenience. But hey ho I don't have to live there. I visited this morning and was relocated to the front dining room, comfortable and with nice views.
They have a friend coming to visit on the 20th from London, a good friend of the family hence the panic to get everything redecorated in time. I know my father would rather be tinkering in his garden. At 72, he's really too old to be painting ceilings and walls. Well that's my view.
While I sat there with my breakfast, I recorded these images for posterity and it made me realise how we take for granted our location and what's around us.

It struck me that I hadn't really noticed how eleborate the fireplace is...

The view as I sat eating my breakfast and the garden still full of colour...

The view from the front looking out on an almost unspoilt view across the fields toward the Wash...

Besides my French language course, I've been listening to a range of different music types. Music for me is very much like sunshine and has similar effects. It is food for the mind and soul and can alter the way I feel or the way I think. So, I've been feeding my ears with the likes of Rick Wakeman's Myths and Legends of King Arthur how I ever missed this I don't know), Eurovision winning ditties, Gheorghe Zamfir, music from the Soong Sisters and anything else that pushes the right button. I've also added to my already immense MP3 audio book collection - lots of new mysteries and ghost stories, perfect as we approach Hallowe'en.
 Which reminds me, I must ask my father to provide a pumpkin for my little man. I've convinced him we need one so we can scarte away the witches...