01 June, 2007

Language Issues in Tennessee

One of the sections of my daughter's recent achievement test was a True/False section on grammar. The instructions said they were going to give her some sentences, and if they were written in "standard English", then she should mark True, and if they weren't in "standard English", then mark False. She looked at me and asked, "Your standard English or Dad's standard English?" I told her to go with Darin's.

At one point during the test she laughed and said, "I think I've heard you say this before, Mom." And then she marked it False.

On a mildly related note, Darin was calling BCBS of Alabama to ask about a claim of mine. It was one of those answering services where you have to talk to the computer. He kept saying "Yes" over and over. The computer just couldn't understand him. After about five times, he said "Ye-es," making it a two-syllable word. That time it understood him. He eventually gave up trying to talk to that computer and kept saying "Customer Service" over and over until he finally got to talk to a real person.

ttfn

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