Dangers of Online English Study

Most English educational sites present very poor English

Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death - Albert Einstein

While online language study can be highly convenient and effective (see Learning English Online), far too often the language taught is substandard, colloquial or ungrammatical. Standard English (SE) is the language expected of college students and is generally that which is required in business communication (see English Literacy). One fairly accurate definition of SE is that established by the SAT, the American college entrance examination (see What is Correct English). American secondary schools strive (with mixed results) to teach SE, but a simple tour of online education sites reveals that almost every educational website on the net contains SAT grammar or usage errors, often in profusion, and occasionally in every sentence (see SAT Errors in Educational Websites).

Learning is free and attainable by anyone with the Internet. Recognized degrees, on the other hand, are still controlled and expensive. See Accreditation.

While a well-written educational website is no guarantee of the quality of instruction and resources presented, a poorly written one almost certainly reflects an inability on the part of the educators to correct it or to provide better copy. Unfortunately, most students seeking to improve their English, are unable to distinguish good examples from the many poor ones, and the claim to be a native speaker, or even to possess academic qualifications is often unreliable and misleading.

Why should society feel responsible only for the education of children, and not for the education of all adults of every age? - Erich Fromm

Education is a better safeguard of liberty than a standing army. - Edward Everett