I received an email from a student that was written in such a way that I swear I was not sure if I was reading English. It was written as if she was corresponding with one of her friends rather than her professor. Even Husband had to stop reading around the fourth attempt at a complete sentence. (This is not an ESL problem...trust me.)
I have a statement in my syllabus indicating that email is a professional form of communication and I expect students to use proper English when they send me an email.
I think I am going to send it back to the student stating that I could not understand what she was trying to convey to me and perhaps she should revise and resubmit her request.
I can be such a bitch!
About Me
- Seeking Solace
- I am a college professor who is fumbling through the chaos of academia, rheumatoid arthritis, working on my PhD and just being a 40 something woman. I used to be a lawyer, which made me a snarky little person. I have a wonderful Husband and a German Shepherd named Junior. They help keep me sane.
Paws to Consider
My Sister's Keeper
7 comments:
It IS an ESL problem. Texting is their first language and well...few of them learned actually English. At least that's what I think when I get student e-mails.
Rented Life: That is true. I guess it is just a function of my age!
Ha ha! That's fantastic!
LOL @ rented life
I think that it is perfectly reasonable to require the students to use email in a professional manner. After all, you are teaching them your profession, right? Effective communication is part of what you need to teach them. So, that means that if they send an email that is gibberish, then you have the right to send it back with a requirement that they write it correctly.
Or you could ignore it and when she complains you could say you assumed it was accidently sent to you.
Good for you! Hopefully this will serve as a wake-up call for your student, and she will take heed in future communications with everyone.
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