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Subject:Re:The state of State From:"Damien Braniff" <Damien -dot- Braniff -at- asg -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com> Date:Mon, 29 Nov 2004 14:59:45 -0000
Very similar here in the UK - quite a few universities are running
remedial classes in English and Maths for graduates because they don't
have the 'basics' when leaving secondary education. On a radio interview
I heard some science students saying they didn't need good English -
they were chemists etc. One professor pointed out the reality that, when
they started work, they'd reach a point in their career where they'd
have to write reports etc to progress. Even if they remained purely
experimental they'd need to apply for grants etc.
Dumbing down is also a big problem - there's a big difference between
using suitable text for a specific audience and treating them as idiots.
There are a number of children's authors around at the moment who have a
large fan base not only because they write good books but also because
they don't patronize their readers. Too much dumbing down can, I feel,
eventually lead to a 'dumb' audience they think they're writing for.
Damien Braniff | Technical Writer
damienb -at- asg -dot- com
Technical Communications
ASG | asg.com
Waterfront Plaza
8, Lagan Bank Road,
Belfast, N. Ireland BT1 3LR
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