to say NO to a work placement because of poor grammar?

[oneofsuesylvesterscheerios]

I work in a school and I oversee trainee teachers and also undergraduates who are looking for work placements in school on a temporary basis.

I am getting increasingly cheesed off with students who are supposedly at degree level emailing me with requests in language that is tantamount to text-speak, in sentences so poorly-constructed that they barely make sense.

The latest was over-familiar ('Hi XXX' - even though she'd never met me before), with lower-case 'I' throughout and the grammar was appalling. I'd never let my own students write to anyone in this way if they were writing to ask for a work placement. What's happened that some folk that this is acceptable?

I've just written back to say 'no' and I've told her why (politely).

[oneofsuesylvesterscheerios]

'What's happened that some folk think that this is acceptable?'

lol

[pointydog]

yanbu. They need to buck their ideas up.

[oneofsuesylvesterscheerios]

and yet I feel like such a granny!

[Skyrg]

YANBU. Those teaching children (and adults, ofc) should have good spelling and grammar. I wouldn't blame them for the 'Hi XXX' though, I always find it impossible to know how to start an E-mail and it's not something you're taught (unlike official letters etc). 'Dear' for some reason looks ridiculous on an E-mail. YANBU about the rest though.

[unfitmother]

YANBU
I hate poor grammar from teachers.

[oneofsuesylvesterscheerios]

do you think? I've never though that about 'Dear' in an email. I don't mind my first name being used (even though they spelt it wrong) but I thought 'Hi' was a bit pally for someone applying for a placement. Maybe it's just me then!

[Goblinchild]

YANBU

[JoanHolloway]

Dear is fine on an email - especially for a first contact

Lower case i on a formal email Not On, along with the rest.

Yanbu

[Tippychoocks]

I start emails with "hello", I feel silly saying "Hi" or "Dear". Or sometimes nothing and just launch into it.
I've never had a placement refused though so I guess I am OK . You're nowhere in Devon are you suesylvester's?

[said]

YANBU

Agree that "Dear" looks odd in emails but she could have, at least, used "Hello". I wouldn't have condemned just on "Hi" but you didn't so yanbu

[Skyrg]

I might be because I'm quite young and my generation tend to be informal with E-mails. In all honesty if I'm writing a covering letter or similar by E-mail I either just launch into it with no 'Dear whoever' (usually if it's just to company@whatever and I have no idea who I'm E-mailing), or possibly just use their full name with no 'Dear' or 'Hi' etc.

E-mails can be tricky because there really is no widely accepted way of doing it and there are hundreds of different variations. Some people put 'from X', some just type their name at the end, some put a more formal 'sincerely' again, I can only speak for myself and I tend to go for 'thanks in advance' or 'looking forward to hearing from you' then my name. I do always proof read them though, I see no reason E-mails should have any more errors than letters.

[pointydog]

I don't feel comofrtable with Dear in an email but I always use Hello if I'm writing a work-related email.

I wouldn't start off with Hi, no.

[Tippychoocks]

I do think Hello is odd too but for a non-business email it's the best I can do. I am careful to keep the grammar and spellchecker busy and to keep the numpty remarks to a minimum.
I hate emails with no proper information in the subject line too. So YANBU.

[scampadoodle]

You A SO ABSOLUTELY NBU!!!

[oneofsuesylvesterscheerios]

I think emails between work colleagues and mates can be fairly informal, and often are, ime. We think nothing of not using cpaitals etc if we're just passing info on or whatever. and yes, I think I'd not have minded 'Hello' so much, but the rest of it was so poor it put my back up to just have 'Hi', as if she knew me.

I think what's irked me so much was the total lack of awareness of different types of register needed for different purposes/audiences. It's something we really try to drum into our GCSE students. It's just quite depressing really.

[JustDoMyLippyThenWeWillGo]

YANBU. I too hate poor grammar and spelling from schools and think that the least someone can do is ensure that what is effectively a job application looks reasonable.

Rightly or wrongly, it would also concern me that she would teach the children in the same way.

I agree that an email can be more informal than a letter, but should still create a good impression and not be overly casual.

[MotherofHobbit]

YADNBU.

[fuschiagroan]

YANBU!

[diddl]

If I was writing a formal email I would start "Dear Mr/Mrs/Ms".

It´s a letter without an envelope.

My 14yr old has been applying for work experience by sending CV & covering letter.

[minibmw2010]

YANBU .. I think any email asking for employment should be started with Dear Sir or Dear Ms. xx, not Dear first name, way too informal.

We often get letters (I work in a law firm) where people are writing in for training contracts and the language and spelling is absolutely terrible. A leter came in once addressed to my boss (who is male) and they had spelled his name in the female form and literally misspelt the name of the firm ... I took it to the HR lady and she actually said she was inclined to offer them an interview. Luckily my boss intervened and said not to even think about it.

[wouldliketoknow]

i don't understant why people think poor grammar and manners are acceptable...


yanbu, i eould do the same, especially if they are going to be teachers

[Tippychoocks]

We had letter-writing lessons in junior school, hours on where to put which address and the differences between "sincerely" and "faithfully". I'm guessing that doen't happen much now?

[Skyrg]

As far as I know, it's still taught, but I don't think E-mail format is taught. Again, this is probably because there isn't an agreed standard.

[Rebeccaruby]

YANBU about grammar. I hate grammatical mistakes. I used to work in recruitment and that was a big incentive to bin a CV. Spelling too. I will never forget the CV that came with the words Curicculum Vitea at the top. I kid you not . Even if it was for a job where literacy wasn't important, I would have a real problem with hiring somebody like that, as I am rather a Lynne Truss on this issue, and it denotes a sloppy attitude. Certainly it would be unsuitable in a teacher.

By the way, I was always careful to check the nationality of the candidate before binning the CV. If it was a job where these qualities weren't important, I wouldn't hold it against, say, a Pole or Ugandan. I know my own language capabilities and I wouldn't want anybody judging my French!