Dear Headmistress of Boo's school,
I was HORRIFIED to see that this weeks newsletter includes a poem which includes the word "brung". I have fought, and won, the battle over the use of that word in my home, and am disappointed that the school published it in a way that gives it authority in my children's eyes.
I do not think that it was included humorously. It certainly isn't funny to me.
I understand that some slang is now considered acceptable, but I draw the line at "brung" as it has a perfectly acceptable alternative of "brought". If "brought" doesn't fit the rhyme, then re-write the poem.
Sorry to jump on you about this, but I really am extremely disappointed. I would feel as strongly about the use of the word "youse", by the way.
Kind regards,
Fe
EDITED TO INCLUDE FOLLOWING CORRESPONDENCE...
Dear Fe,
Thank you for your email.
You do not need to be horrified by the use of the word "brung" in this context. Poetry is a literary device which can have different rules and conventions. It does not always need to conform to the usual rules of traditional grammar.
Our children are taught and generally understand this distinction , however, you can be assured that I will ask all the teachers to discuss this with the classes to reiterate that "brung" is not acceptable in speech or writing.
Regards,
Dear Headmistress of Boo's school (So sorry about mis-spelling your name)...
I wonder whether primary school children have the capacity to really grasp that concept. Still, as long as the distinction is made very clear within the classroom, and is followed up by the teachers, I will get down from my "horrified" horse and return to my stable.
Kind regards,
Fe
Thursday, May 28, 2009
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18 comments:
lol......... I understand your concern. I have to go through all new words because I spend lot of time with teenagers.....
Visit my blog sometime on http://chaptersfrommylife.blogspot.com/
Like, youse ain't seen nuttin' 'til y'all been hangin' wit teenagers for some spin time, yo?. Thems guys'll learn ya a whole new language. Like, I gotsta git me a new slang dictionary every week, yo? Cuz the one I brung last week ain't no good no more. Werd. LOL OMG WTF
I chuckled, although I can fully relate to your being concerned. I have long since given up the hope that the children will be learning the correct grammar etc at school.My particular thing is the pronunciation of the letter aitch as "haitch". I pretend that I can't understand what the children are talking about if they use it.
Funny, Fe.
On a related note, what really bugs me is deliberate mispelling in advertising. Words like "nite", "kwik", "daze" or "kidz" drives me nuts. If children are being taught to spell these words correctly and then they go out into the world and see these deliberate misspellings used on signs by businesses, it is very confusing.
Good for you for writing to the school. I'm glad they gave you an answer, of sorts. It would be better if they had discussed the issue of "brung" with the author before the writing was published and let the child decide if he still wanted to use that word. Then there would have been a choice to use literary license.
LOL! thanks everone.
Farida... I will check out your blog when I have a bit more time... there is a LOT to read there and I'm looking forward to it.
Jeff.. Y'o bra. Y'o no y'o owne sef plural bra. Coo'l.
Ali... Oh I'm with you on the "haitch" thing. It's always bugged me, but they seem to teach it in Catholic schools, and now that Toto is in a Catholic school.... well let's just say that he knows that he can't use it at home!
Joanie... another Aussie may correct me here, but I don't think we have too much mis-spelling in advertising here... yet. It would certainly drive me crazy.
I wasn't buying the headmistress's answer at all. Poetic licence has never included making up words (or using totally incorrect ones) in my experience. I should have asked her for some examples, but we have another 10 months at that school! And I completely mis-spelled her first AND last names on the email so didn't want to piss her off even more!
And you're right... they should have explained it to the child and given HER the final say.
M? Are you out there? Did it drive you nuts or are you fine with it?
Ooops I meant another 18 months at that school.
ooh, that would annoy me too! Good on you for writing to her. :)
Oh exactly - isn't it brang?
Oh - and you said "Poetic licence has never included making up words (or using totally incorrect ones) in my experience" - actually, it has for many centuries. Sorry. Where do you think all the cool words came from?
Language is a very funny thing, and it does die if you don't play with it. My mother absolutely detests the word "bum", my husband cannot see anything wrong with it - but they grew up in different English-speaking cultures and the word mutated in very different ways.
Perhaps it is a chance to talk to you kids (sorry, children) about the fluidity of language, and just because something appears in art does not mean it is good grammar.
Off my soapbox.
`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
Made up words are apparently ok in poetry. One of the reasons I avoid it like swine flu.
The other reason is that it's irritating. But that is a whole 'nother comment.
Good on you for writing to the school, it's shocking to think that kids are getting in to high school that still can't read. And don't get me started on grammar!
So on the one hand, I enjoy flexibility of language (it's fully, fully sick), but I think it's super important to understand the rules before you break them.
It's a fundamental tenet of civilisation.
As is writing notes to the school ;)
Thanks Guera... It's the first letter of complaint I've sent to that school in the 6 years that we've been there!
Well... you're right, Jeanie. But I also agree with Lara that the children need to understand the rules before they can break them, and I'm not sure that age 10 is old enough to really understand the rules.
I could be completely wrong. It's really just one of my pet peeves. I fully admit to being overly sensitive to the use of the word "toilet" instead of "lavatory" or "loo" (in UK/Australian usage) and the Americanisation of the pronunciation of words like "schedule" and "aluminium". None of them hurt or damage anyone, but they strike my sensitive ear and ring a loud and uncomfortable bell.
Lara... made up words don't worry me as much as INCORRECT ones that are in common usage. Again, just my own opinion.
Oh... and it was the only poem published in the newsletter... which highlighted it as the poetic achievement of the week.
Few things horrify me more than brung. I'm yet to get off my horse.
hee hee fe - you fight the good fight girlfriend .. I am with you - I don't buy the heads response either - sounds contrived .... le
ps I am having a bad run with school at present ... xoxo
Oooh, didn't catch that one. Must go back and read the newsletter carefully now.
In the meantime I hope 'brung' was used in its correct way:
A smoothly bent rectangle of metal, usually bent hamburger-style. It commonly has holes in it where screws would go.
eg.I used the brung to fix the gate.
Found this online, perhaps you could point this out to Mrs Principal.
You might be interested to know that I was very strict with my staff over the years about spelling "moult" correctly and not using the Americanized spelling of "molt". Unlike "color", this is a very recent usage and not used in any of the ornithological tomes.
As you know, I try to blend and use the terms and pronunciations of the country I visit. I do believe that I must learn to pronounce "Coolangatta" before I can live there. I will need more lessons upon my return to Oz.
I'm glad you brung it to her attention.
And yes, I do believe you need to know the rules before breaking them ( and Jabberwocky is so so so one of my fave poems :)
P.S. - I would like to read the poem in full though ... and the age of the child ?
Do you think he/she knew the difference ? Was it a clever poem .. or just a badly written one ( IYO, of course ! )
xx
Dear Lord!
No wonder in Secondary school we have all of these problems.
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