Why exactly are most Nigerians sensitive when they or someone else is corrected? I know this does not apply to every Nigerian, but even on this site, when a person corrects the grammar of a posts, all hell is let loose. I am beginning to wonder if English is no longer the lingua franca for Nigeria.

OP: are you bored ?

You talk about correcting grammatical errors of others whereas the short post of yours is tainted with incorrect syntaxes and blunders e.g you typed "correcting the grammer of A POSTS". Do you see how you people keep embarassing yourselves with hypocrisy?

@ /1)

riyageh:what makes u think you are different ?

@Harakiri: if you wanted to correct me, you should have done so. Obviously I am not averse to correction. It seems that rather than accept correction when we make mistakes, we get sensitive and start to point out the mistakes of others with the intent to embarrass them. I accept your correction and no I am not embarrassed neither am I a hypocrite. Learning is a continuous process and when we close our mind to learning with arguments like "it's not my father's language" we only hold ourselves back.

harakiri:

You talk about correcting grammatical errors of others whereas the short post of yours is tainted with incorrect syntaxes and blunders e.g you typed "correcting the grammer of A POSTS". Do you see how you people keep embarassing yourselves with hypocrisy?

I have to be truthful and say yes I am. I had some free time and was browsing on nairaland and noticed how difficult it is to correct someone without them biting your head off. A few more days and the boredom will be history.

obowunmi:

OP: are you bored ?

@riyageh, You have just shot yourself by behaving the same way as the people you are accusing. I corrected you and you replied with a negative tone. Who is the accuser and who is the accused? You have failed woefully and you are guilty of both. Make an attempt to reason and think constructively before you open a dumb a$$ thread next time. It's not you know English isn't your language. What a bloody hypocritical dumb a$$! ! ! Good heavens!

I fail to see where I implied I was different or the same. It's an observation, you either give your opinion or move on to another topic. If you make a mistake and someone points it out, what's so hard about accepting it, or better still checking it out and learning. When someone corrects you, it is an opportunity to learn not a battle ground to see who can deliver the most insults. I believe a persons online character is a window of their true self, if this is true then many of us miss out on great learning and teaching opportunities.

sholaeco:

@ /1)

riyageh:what makes u think you are different ?

Look at whose talking. Same person talking is guilty of what he talks about. This forum is crowded with deluded individuals. Utterly pathetic!

@Harakiri: maybe my initial question was not clear enough, I refer to genuine corrections not insult laden attempts at correction that you perpetuate. When you want to correct, you identify the mistake and post the correct version, that's how you teach and share knowledge, and it is this form of correction that I wonder why people get sensitive about. Your way of correcting is a great example of what a molder of young minds should not be because you would first shred the person to bits before giving a half hearted attempt at correcting. It is ineffective at best and damaging at it's worst.

I make no accusation against anybody, just an observation made, and an attempt to understand why.

harakiri:

@riyageh, You have just shot yourself by behaving the same way as the people you are accusing. I corrected you and you replied with a negative tone. Who is the accuser and who is the accused? You have failed woefully and you are guilty of both. Make an attempt to reason and think constructively before you open a dumb a$$ thread next time. It's not you know English isn't your language. What a bloody hypocritical dumb a$$! ! ! Good heavens!

@riyageh, First thing you need to understand is, not everyone is as dumb as you think and a lot of us are very good in analysing the reason behind the post. You didn't open this post to make a difference rather you opened it to run down people who you think you're better than. For you to open such a thread, I would have expected you to have an impeccable command of queen's english but that's not the case here. Any immature mind who reads your post would presume you have been correcting people who commit lingual errors but instead of gratitude, they keep giving you rebuttals. That's the impression you intended to create and unfortunately for you, I happened to be around. Like I said before, make an effort to think your intended topics through before creating a thread. Get it?

I quite agree with you on this one, deluded individuals like you are impossible to have a conversation with.  

harakiri:

Look at whose talking. Same person talking is guilty of what he talks about. This forum is crowded with deluded individuals. Utterly pathetic!

Unless you are a mind reader, I don't know how you can discern my motive for my post. Having an impeccable command of the English language does not mean a person cannot make mistakes. I lay no claim to either, just had a thought. My dear I don't need nairaland to make myself feel good. I see people I am better than daily, and see those who are better than me also. As someone else astutely identified, I was bored hence my post since this topic is not one of great importance even to me, but you wow, it seems the only life you have is nairaland where you spew stupidity as wisdom for the immature minds you seem to be so worried about. I am yet to see you answer any question objectively on this forum. Your job description on nairaland is to be a spoiler. Maybe if you had an actual occupation you wouldn't be such a divisive influence here, and the greater part of your life won't be spent being foolish for the whole world to see.

harakiri:

@riyageh, First thing you need to understand is, not everyone is as dumb as you think and a lot of us are very good in analysing the reason behind the post. You didn't open this post to make a difference rather you opened it to run down people who you think you're better than. For you to open such a thread, I would have expected you to have an impeccable command of queen's english but that's not the case here. Any immature mind who reads your post would presume you have been correcting people who commit lingual errors but instead of gratitude, they keep giving you rebuttals. That's the impression you intended to create and unfortunately for you, I happened to be around. Like I said before, make an effort to think your intended topics through before creating a thread. Get it?

Am definitely not taking sides in this brawl, but must remark op's observation is actually fairly correct. Nigerians, and people on here, dont like to be correct'd. I think it stems from our relatively ignorant/closed nature compared to other peoples. I know of nigerians who'd immediately talk you down when you attempt to correct them. And yes, i know of many NLnders.
However, one must also point out that these errors, or blunders if you like, make real humor. That's something NL is not lacking and that's why many can't help but come back again and again!

what did you gain from correcting grammar? na your mother language? or briticos dey vex sey you speak well?

I am enjoying everything here.

The point is,its very wrong to correct blunders of other people.

For just an observation see the kinda attacks launched at the poster


There is nothing wrong in correcting people of their mistakes, either in spellings or sentence construct but however it depends on her you paint it to them.

If you are very smart and diplomatic on how your correct people without them feeling humiliated then you'll certainly get a positive response.

hallmark77:

The point is,its very wrong to correct blunders of other people.

Its not wrong, Its never!!!

They might never know it or take the time to know it until their attention is drawn to it; besides people correcting you doesn't mean you are an illiterate .

For me most times I multi task to reply posts on NL which i make alotta mistakes in doing so, but that doesn't make me dumb. And if im corrected in the right manner ill take it in high favour

riyageh:

Why exactly are most Nigerians sensitive when they or someone else is corrected? I know this does not apply to every Nigerian, but even on this site, when a person corrects the grammar of a posts, all hell is let loose. I am beginning to wonder if English is no longer the lingua franca for Nigeria.

well, i dont know how vast your knowledge of the internet and worldwide web is but it has always been considered rude to correct other people's grammar if it is posted in cyberspace. a few other ethical rules are do not type in upper case, do not type in bold or red font

i noticed your location says US, if you get on a public blog and start correcting people's grammar on a US website, you will get the same response so the reactions you have received has nothing to do with Nigerians

The poster is right. Many Nigerians think you hate them when you correct or criticise them. I criticise people based on principles and not sentiments. However in a sentimental society like ours, such behaviour is frowned-upon. You hear things like: "Even if he did wrong, you don't have to criticise him like that; he is your brother."

maclatunji:

The poster is right. Many Nigerians think you hate them when you correct or criticise them. I criticise people based on principles and not sentiments. However in a sentimental society like ours, such behaviour is frowned-upon. You hear things like: "Even if he did wrong, you don't have to criticise him like that; he is your brother."

True but however if you need to correct someone and you don't want to embarrass them then you'll need to tell them in a matured way

harakiri:

You talk about correcting grammatical errors of others whereas the short post of yours is tainted with incorrect syntaxes and blunders e.g you typed "correcting the grammer of A POSTS". Do you see how you people keep embarassing yourselves with hypocrisy?

God of mercy. What again wil i not read in this forum?

sholaeco:

@ /1)

riyageh:what makes u think you are different ?

sholaeco:

@ /1)

riyageh:what makes u think you are different ?

Typical Nigerianess.
@op, the 2 abov posts shows that ur hypothesis is on track

pinkrex:

True but however if you need to correct someone and you don't want to embarrass them then you'll need to tell them in a matured way

True, but sometimes you have to call a spade a spade and not- big scoop.

pinkrex:

Its not wrong, Its never!!!

They might never know it or take the time to know it until their attention is drawn to it; besides people correcting you doesn't mean you are an illiterate .

For me most times I multi task to reply posts on NL which i make alotta mistakes in doing so, but that doesn't make me dumb. And if im corrected in the right manner ill take it in high favour

Most people also multi-task, because they are either replying to post/s at work. The primary issue on their minds is to post their opinions and not how grammatically correct their opinion is but getting the message across.

agitator:

Most people also multi-task, because they are either replying to post/s at work. The primary issue on their minds is to post their opinions and not how grammatically correct their opinion is but getting the message across.

Well, someone dint realise that. He criticised me with his eggs open for counter criticism

@Op, Not jxt On here nor is it only on Grammactical correction basis.

Most Nigerians i've met are like 'Come on dont correct me, i know it all'! Forgetting easily that no knowledge is a waste and that 'Perfection' is only of God!

I love my Life for many things which acceptance of corrections happen to be one, since am not English, only had my Education limited to Bachelor Degrees, i thought there was a good reason for me to accept my mistakes both grammatically and whatsoeva.

Nigerians are Jxt inexplicable, Yeah our Colonial masters are the britons but that doesnt entail that we've known all English, that Soyinka bagged in a Prof Degree doesnt mean he wont make a mistake.

El Guapo:

@Op, Not jxt On here nor is it only on Grammactical correction basis.

Most Nigerians i've met are like 'Come on dont correct me, i know it all'! Forgetting easily that no knowledge is a waste and that 'Perfection' is only of God!

I love my Life for many things which acceptance of corrections happen to be one, since am not English, only had my Education limited to Bachelor Degrees, i thought there was a good reason for me to accept my mistakes both grammatically and whatsoeva.

Nigerians are Jxt inexplicable, Yeah our Colonial masters are the britons but that doesnt entail that we've known all English, that Soyinka bagged in a Prof Degree doesnt mean he wont make a mistake.

With the above . . . , . . , you have no option than to accept correction in whatever manner without complaints

@ OP , you are spot on and your immediate adversaries on the thread just proved you right and tried hard to drag you into the pit but you scaled through .   I think it's an issue of  either up-bringing, experience and what we decided to imbibe as as an individual.
We live in a world where the basics of communal living and responsibility is fast eroding and where we  have deranged Pride believe we are alpha and omega     accompanying that is the incorrigible nature.furthermore, we are fast loosing the intangible sense of respect for other poeple. Also I have observed that  we become tend to equate knowledge and eloquence with how much we are good at throwing abuses at each other.

If you are quick to abusing, defaming  and cursing people, you definitely be sensitive to innocuous  statements in the form of corrections and thus irrationally flares  defensively  at any coming in your direction.   .

Let also note that ( in my own view) accepting a correction, is quite different from someone correcting perceived flaws.

KDULAR:

@ OP , you are spot on and your immediate adversaries on the thread just proved you right and tried hard to drag you into the pit but you scaled through .   I think it's an issue of  either up-bringing, experience and what we decided to imbibe as as an individual.
We live in a world where the basics of communal living and responsibility is fast eroding and where we  have deranged Pride believe we are alpha and omega     accompanying that is the incorrigible nature.furthermore, we are fast loosing the intangible sense of respect for other poeple. Also I have observed that  we become tend to equate knowledge and eloquence with how much we are good at throwing abuses at each other.

If you are quick to abusing, defaming  and cursing people, you definitely be sensitive to innocuous  statements in the form of corrections and thus irrationally flares  defensively  at any coming in your direction.   .

Let also note that ( in my own view) accepting a correction, is quite different from someone correcting perceived flaws.

Na English grammar dey cause all this. this woman dey talk of correction generally or she dey after english grammar correction. See china dey progress without English grammar. Abi na because of our English grammar wey no correct that's why we no fit progress?

KDULAR:

@ OP , you are spot on and your immediate adversaries on the thread just proved you right and tried hard to drag you into the pit but you scaled through .   I think it's an issue of  either up-bringing, experience and what we decided to imbibe as as an individual.
We live in a world where the basics of communal living and responsibility is fast eroding and where we  have deranged Pride believe we are alpha and omega     accompanying that is the incorrigible nature.furthermore, we are fast loosing the intangible sense of respect for other poeple. Also I have observed that  we become tend to equate knowledge and eloquence with how much we are good at throwing abuses at each other.

If you are quick to abusing, defaming  and cursing people, you definitely be sensitive to innocuous  statements in the form of corrections and thus irrationally flares  defensively  at any coming in your direction.   .

Let also note that ( in my own view) accepting a correction, is quite different from someone correcting perceived flaws.

I wonder how many people will benefit or understand this your jargon


We are all literates but for the purpose of understanding and bridging the gap between our half baked graduates , you should subscribe to light sentence constructs

pinkrex:

With the above . . . , . . , you have no option than to accept correction in whatever manner without complaints

Lol, Not at all nah

I do ask why am i been corrected, how much knowledge has the Individual correcting me got about what he's saying etc - I actually take time to extract the real words frm the fragamentary ones but then i dont take that as 'complaint' as u around notioned, i call it 'ascertion of self ignorance'!