[OT] command of English by non-native speakers

[Christopher Chan]

Chris Rees wrote:
> 2009/12/9 Ian L. Target <ian69 at comcast.net>:
>> <snipped>
>>> I don't know what the situation is on your side of the Atlantic, but
>>> here in the UK the focus is now mostly on skills for learning,
>>> enjoyment of learning and effective learning. I don't think the
>>> old-fashioned methods for teaching made people enjoy learning, they
>>> were just beaten and bullied into reciting facts and figures.
>>>
>>> The modern world is moving at such a pace that although older
>>> generations could leave school knowing most things needed, today the
>>> opposite is true. We can't afford to teach knowledge, because in ten
>>> years' time a huge portion of it will become irrelevant.
>> I could be wrong, but I do not predict that basic spelling and grammar
>> skills and knowledge of simple mathematics will be obsolete in ten years.
>>
> 
> That's why I said a large amount of KNOWLEDGE will become irrelevant.
> Spelling and grammar SKILLS and simple mathematical SKILLS are what
> gets taught!
> 

Where? Where? We have way longer school hours and zero grammar being 
taught as far as I can tell. Even spelling is a bit of a joke with spell 
checkers being available on computers.