The End of High-School English

The Atlantic ^ | 12/09/2022 | Daniel Herman

[TexasKamaAina]

The arrival of OpenAI’s ChatGPT, a program that generates sophisticated text in response to any prompt you can imagine, may signal the end of writing assignments altogether—and maybe even the end of writing as a gatekeeper, a metric for intelligence, a teachable skill.

[TexasKamaAina]

I've been seeing references to ChatGPT. This article explains it more fully. If you don't like the source just skip it but I found it informative.

[EinNYC]

More dumbing down of America. Today’s kids can’t even read an analog clock. What’s next? An app to wipe their behinds?

[DPMD]

Begs the question, why offer a college major in English?

[EEGator]

[ClearCase_guy]

I can imagine that children from “good families” may end up going to a new sort of “finishing school”.

Imagine being brought to be well-mannered and well-spoken. To have a sort of grace. To be well dressed, and respectful of others as we respect ourselves.

Technology may make it somewhat easier for any old schmoe to appear intelligent, but in a face-to-face meeting, the character who says: “Ya know, it's, like, and whatever. I mean, the effing guys. They're like effing dogs. YaknowhatImsayin?”

Why hire someone with low cultural values like that? Being able to present yourself well may become the one characteristic that can't be faked.

[JustaTech]

There will be, or probably already are, algorithms which specialize in detecting algorithm-generated text/imagery. In this regard algorithms in the AI category are somewhat similar to firearms, in that if a attacker is using them the defender must do likewise.

[ConservativeInPA]

AI writing is not going to replace people or negate the reasons for people to learn English or any language for that matter. The ability to articulate in a cogent manner is required for human interaction. It is difficult to achieve that if one does not effectively write. Thought, language, reading, writing, speech and expression are interrelated and become organized through the exercise of writing, and practiced writing. Certainly other things play a part, but writing is most effective at organizing complex thoughts for most people.

This isn’t just for professional pursuits. Interesting friendships and romances are enhanced by effective communication. The world is going to be a lonely place if language skills further deteriorate. It’s bad enough that so many have already reduced their communications to the length of a text message or Tweet.

[Scrambler Bob]

What the “h”?

Oh, that’s the end of High School English.

[Honorary Serb]

I took honors English in high school!! We studied great literature, and learned how to write!!

Later, I wrote an undergraduate thesis, and then a PhD thesis, at first-class universities. I needed to know how to write good English in order to do these things!!!!

NO “ap” can replace any of that!!!! PHOOEY to “aps”!!!!

[Jim Noble]

Medical school application 2030:

“Please submit your five most recent Tik Tok videos”.

[seowulf]

According to Washington State Governor Inslee and the Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB), this would be worship of the written word and White supremacist. Just one question: is the AI bot a white supremacist too?

The racist concepts, according to PESB's presentation, included "Perfectionism," "Worship of the written word," "Individualism" and "Objectivity," among multiple others, and the slide listed how those concepts can be replaced with "indigenous relational pedagogy."

[subterfuge]

True. Look at who are in positions of power who have great influence and are called “articulate.” Al Sharpton comes to mind. He couldn’t pass 5th grade English.

[Myrddin]

Testing capability needs to be done in a controlled, proctored exam setting. A writing, math or programming assignment to be completed in the controlled space and evaluated. No assistance from a computer. Pencil, paper and a problem to solve. The existence of resources to "cheat" is reason enough to apply this level of control. When I last took an exam at an FCC office in the 70s, the test administrator checked calculators to ensure no programmable devices were allowed. Any calculator had to be limited to basic arithmetic.

[clee1]

Language, whether written or spoken, is to facilitate communication; understanding of what one person is trying to tell another.

The rapid changes in vocabulary, slang, additions to the dictionary, etc....

What difference does adherence to archaic styles and form do for the flavor, or flavour, of communication?

[Myrddin]

The racist concepts, according to PESB's presentation, included "Perfectionism," "Worship of the written word," "Individualism" and "Objectivity," among multiple others, and the slide listed how those concepts can be replaced with "indigenous relational pedagogy."

People hired under those standards will cripple the hiring school. That leaves the "rejected" candidates available for hire by schools that want to succeed.

[Old Yeller]

High school English is racist.

[Chode]

so it will translate ubonics into English???

[1Old Pro]

Axe me if I care.

[Old Yeller]

Nome sayin?

[Texas resident]

Ebonics and spanish. With all these illegals coming into our school systems, English will be pushed out the door.

My son’s classroom is mostly kids who speak spanish with english as their second language. They don’t speak english at home because most of their parents speak spanish only.

Another piece of the pie in destroying our culture.