Angela Philipps, Gleaner Writer

If you met a guy, or girl, who didn't speak properly, would it deter you from going out with him, or her?

What if the person in question talked nicely, but swore a lot? Would that put you off?

Is it fair to judge people by the language or vocabulary that they use, or shouldn't we adhere to the old saying, 'Actions speak louder than words'?

If you meet someone who is incredibly kind, does it matter if he or she uses bad or foul language?

Disappointing use of dialect

I recently received the following email, and was a little disappointed at her use of dialect and with her spelling:

"Hey gurl luv yah work keep it up ... i'm a young gurl jus start'n life ... eye met a guy 2 years ago ... tings ave been on n off but eye managed 2 b strong. Sumting happen 2 us n we separated dis year. We talk about it few times but tings never went bac de way it shud ad ... dis week we spoke n it is ova ... now i'm very scared bcuz weneva we separate eye dont know but eye wont stop hop'n 4 us 2 get bac 2geda ... on de ada hand i'm not sure if eye want 2 go bac wit im cuz h'as been really immature n he's olda dan mi.

"Eye know dat there r n't any ting u can do 2 stop ma feel'ns but can u jus help n advice ... i'm so confuse.

"Ps. If it's not any troble can u say ... mail me a response."

My translation of this:

Hi Angela. I love your work. Keep it up.

I'm a young girl who is just starting life. I met a guy two years ago, things have been on and off, but I have managed to be strong. Something happened to us and we separated this year. We have talked about it a few times but things never went back to the way it should have. We spoke this week and it is over. Now I'm very scared because whenever we separate, I can't stop wishing we'd get back together. On the other hand, I'm not sure if I want to get back with him because he has been really immature and he's older than I am. I know that there isn't anything you can do to stop my feelings but can you just help and advise me? I am so confused.

PS. If it's no trouble, please email me a response.

The way in which this email was written gave me a bad impression, from the outset, of the girl who wrote it. Either she is borderline illiterate, or just stupid for thinking that this sort of slang is cool and clever!

One thing is certain, she did not save time by constructing her letter like this. She used a total of 152 words, and my interpretation of what she wanted to say came to the same number. I wonder if this was one of the problems in her relationship with her ex-boyfriend. She mentions that he is older than her. Did he lose patience and walk away because this is the way she talked all the time? If so, I really can't blame him.

Resorting to such jargon

We all learnt English in school, including the grammar and spelling that come with the subject. Why is it necessary to resort to such jargon, especially in written language? She hasn't even used Jamaica's colloquial patois in truth, so what exactly is she trying to prove? I'm not even the man who she was dating and she has annoyed me to no end! The message it emanates is one of disrespect.

Now, what if you were to see my version, but this time, every sentence contained at least one expletive? Think about this in the context of me being a potential date for you, or anyone else for that matter. Is it sexy to hear four-letter words come out of the mouths of those you fancy? Would it be a deal breaker? Would you date someone with terrible language?

Angelaphilippsja@hotmail.com