Writing

Angela Quintanilla

Quote Log

Social Issue: Language and Power

Thesis: Applicants being eliminated from job opportunities due to their lack of grammar skills.

Reasons:

1. Job Requirement: Corporations being understanding that open jobs are not required any or minimal written communication.

2. Education System: The Educational System having a better understanding of the importance of teaching the younger generation on grammar.

3. Nontraditional grammar: Educating Corporations and small business owners that the younger generation don’t see the importance of grammar but instead getting the message across.

Entry #1:

Source: John A Challenger (2012) Consider the Candidate and the Position, PP:3 The New York Times

Quote: “However, there are many positions in which written communication is rare. Yet candidates for these positions are frequently eliminated based on their use of poor or nontraditional grammar.”

Paraphrase: There are plenty of jobs that aren’t required written communication, like working in construction, cashier, and driver. Although these job fields don’t require written communications, applicants automatically get denied due to their lack of grammar skills.

Explanation of quote selection and connection: I selected this quote because it illustrates that’s job fields are not required verbal and written communication. Applicants that don’t have proper grammar in their application and resume get denied without a hesitation, even though the job require little to none written communication. An applicant should not be eliminated because they placed a comma in a spot where isn’t supposed to be.

ENTRY #2

Source: John McWhorter (2012) Good Application with Bad Grammar, PP:6, The New York Times

Quote: “However, if all a new hire is going to write is the occasional memo – or less – I’d rank giving people a leg up overthrowing away their résumé because they write “truely” instead of “truly” and don’t quite know their way around a semicolon.”

Paraphrase: John explains that jobs with new hires writing occasional memos or less should have the opportunity even though they have misspelled words. Corporates should consider that the position that applicants aren’t applying for jobs like journalist or a teacher that requires written communications and teaching how to properly use grammar.

Explanation of quote selection and connection: I choice this quote selection because John demonstrates how an applicant can misspell a simple word and get declined. It shows that a simple mistake should not have his/her resumes place in the no pile because they misspelled a word or don’t have correct punctuation.

Entry #3

Source: John McWhorter (2012) Good Application with Bad Grammar, PP:4, The New York Times

Quote: “Anyone concerned about applicants’ grammar is probably dismayed at the state of public education today and understands that the people most poorly served by this system find it increasingly challenging to find work providing a living wage or upward mobility, much less satisfaction. After we pat ourselves on the back for upholding grammar standards, how many of us can really justify barring someone from a decent job because he or she isn’t always clear on the difference between “your” and “you’re”? Especially when it’s more likely the fault of the individual’s education than laziness?”

Paraphrase: Applicants that come from a public school, were not seeing the importance of making sure commas were placed right or words were spelled correctly, but instead concern of making sure they were able to get a job and help their family with providing dinner at the table. These applicants shouldn’t be judge as being pure lazy but as some who was seeing more importance into get a job to support their family, rather than their education.

Explanation of quote selection and connection: I have selected this quote because it demonstrates that an applicant may not see their education as importance but seeing the importance of joining the work force to help provide for stability. It also demonstrates the public schooling is not properly teaching their students the importance of proper grammar. That cooperates should take consideration or the educational background, that the applicant came from and don’t know or see the importance of punctuation.

Entry #4

Source: Lynne Truss (2012) The Harm When Schools Play Down Grammar, PP: 1, The New York Times

Quote: “Kids at fee-paying schools are likely to be given a pretty good grounding in the mechanics of language, while the others are largely taught that grammar is unimportant compared with “expressing yourself.” This makes me crazy. Imagine it’s the piano we are talking about. Which would be better: a) to express yourself freely on it; or b) first learn to play the thing? Of course, the difference is that people are not judged every day on their ability to play the piano.”

Paraphrase: When it comes to grammar public school downplay with grammar. They don’t see the importance of teaching their students and how it plays a role into their future careers. Lynne compares the importance of grammar like learning to play the piano, you can’t just jump on a piano and just play, you need to learn the basics of the piano.

Explanation of quote selection and connection: I have chosen this quote because it demonstrates the importance of how schools don’t understand the importance of teaching proper grammar. It shows that every day we get judge based on how our application is written and revised. Public schools need to teach proper grammar as someone teaching their student to hit a baseball with a bat or teach a student to play an instrument.

ENTRY #5

Source: John A Challenger (2012) Consider the Candidate and the Position, PP:3 The New York Times

Quote: “It is important to remember that younger generations, particularly the generation entering the work force today, grew up texting, sharing on Facebook and tweeting — using as few words as possible to get their messages across. For younger generations, the content of the message is far more important than the structure. They rely heavily on shortcuts and are quick to abandon the conventional rules of grammar and punctuation.”

Paraphrase: The younger generation that is grew up with social media, finds shortcuts into getting their message out there by cutting corners in grammar. With social media you don’t have to write a novel to get your message across but using slang words (nontraditional grammar). It gave the younger generation a way to express themselves without the use of proper punctuation and grammar.

Explanation of quote selection and connection: I have selected this quote because it shows that the generation joining the work force, this generation shows that getting their message sent is far more important than making proper grammar and punctuation. This younger generation shouldn’t be considered lazy but should be consider a person that has talent, that can be a person who can find different ways to solve a problem.