lexical and grammatical poverty of DR

[Lucifer]

I went to public school in Higüey, AND by the end of the 3rd grade, we already knew the differences between grave words and hiato, and when to accentuate an aguda word, as well as all the instances of words containing all the vowels, and a whole lotta of stuff.

So, blaming the government and the teachers does not fly well.

Juancito gets the blame for fighting and/or gettin' drunk, but when will Juancito get blamed for not paying attention in class?

Johnny can dance and johnny can love
Johnny can push and johnny can shove
Johnny can pinball; johnny can talk tough
Johnny can get down and johnny can throw up

Johnny can't read...

 

[the gorgon]

I went to public school in Higüey, AND by the end of the 3rd grade, we already knew the differences between grave words and hiato, and when to accentuate an aguda word, as well as all the instances of words containing all the vowels, and a whole lotta of stuff.

So, blaming the government and the teachers does not fly well.

Juancito gets the blame for fighting and/or gettin' drunk, but when will Juancito get blamed for not paying attention in class?

Johnny can dance and johnny can love
Johnny can push and johnny can shove
Johnny can pinball; johnny can talk tough
Johnny can get down and johnny can throw up

Johnny can't read...

you must have gone to a really superior school, because you have one helluva foundation..

 

[Lucifer]

First and 2nd grades were taught by folks who barely had an 8th-grade education themselves.

They had grown up during Trujillos's time, when all that was necessary to become a teacher was to finish 8th grade: mother, aunt, uncle - all three became maestros de campo after finishing 8th grade. My mother actually taught in Boca de Yuma, and my aunt and uncle taught in other campos.

My grandmother, who at one time helped raise 14 grandchildren simultaneously, only completed 3rd grade, using the "Mantilla" book as reading material. And although she didn't posses high-falulin eloquence, she was extremely proper in speech, correcting us daily:

No. No se dice 'igualito;' se dice 'parecido'.
Joseíto, te he dicho que no se dice 'casimente'.

I'm sure that experts will find fault with her corrections, if I am indeed accurate in my recollection of it, but I credit her for not employing 'casimente' in my speech, unless I'm joking. Well, almostly.

In addition, she was strict with the plural forms, never neglecting the 'S' sound when appropriate.

And some of us worked our homework by candlelight. Yes, the lights did go out even back then. It's not the recent phenomenon commonly mentioned by "old-time" DR visitors: "When I first moved here in 2002, we could drink tap water and we had electricity 24/7."

I'd venture to say that today's generation of students have better material and many more sources from which to learn. What's lacking is the motivation on the part of some students.

 

[Fulano2]

I went to public school in Higüey, AND by the end of the 3rd grade, we already knew the differences between grave words and hiato, and when to accentuate an aguda word, as well as all the instances of words containing all the vowels, and a whole lotta of stuff.

So, blaming the government and the teachers does not fly well.

Juancito gets the blame for fighting and/or gettin' drunk, but when will Juancito get blamed for not paying attention in class?

Johnny can dance and johnny can love
Johnny can push and johnny can shove
Johnny can pinball; johnny can talk tough
Johnny can get down and johnny can throw up

Johnny can't read...

Public school wauw...which one please? Always was my parents dream for us but we are from the poor branch.

 

[dv8]

Public school wauw...which one please? Always was my parents dream for us but we are from the poor branch.

by "public school" he means free government funded establishment.

 

[Fulano2]

Ok sorry... Yes, escuela publica. My fault.

 

[Lucifer]

All these years I thought 'public school' was the term used when referring to schools systems supported by the government. But don't ridicule me for 'inventing' such nonsensical term: in this case, Google is not my friend.

So, in "typical Dominican fashion," it's not my fault.

 

[Fulano2]

I didn't Lucifer! The thing is when we here public school in northern Europe we inmediatly think of fancy private schools.