Comments for Folk-Linguistics, Fringe Linguistics and Real Linguistics: Bringing Skeptically-minded Linguistics and Critical Language Studies into the High School Classroom at http://www.randi.org/site , comment 1 to 4 out of 4 comments http://www.randi.org/site Wed, 22 May 2013 16:16:22 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.3 http://www.randi.org/site/index.php/swift-blog/1835-folk-linguistics-fringe-linguistics-and-real-linguistics-bringing-skeptically-minded-linguistics-and-critical-language-studies-into-the-high-school-classroom.html#comment-25975 It seemed OK to me. I can read long sentences. And I often start sentences with "and". But I try not to end them with "with". ;) - FrankH Fri, 14 Sep 2012 10:52:06 +0100 http://www.randi.org/site/index.php/swift-blog/1835-folk-linguistics-fringe-linguistics-and-real-linguistics-bringing-skeptically-minded-linguistics-and-critical-language-studies-into-the-high-school-classroom.html#comment-25974 I agree with daveg703. The article does need some work. Even if you put aside grammar, it is difficult to read. Professor Newbrook is either trying to cram too much into to little space, or he assumes I know much more linguistics than I actually do. If I sat down and talked with Professor Newbrook I'm sure it would make for an interesting and fascinating conversation, so please don't generalize my criticism beyond this specific article. - grieve Thu, 13 Sep 2012 11:08:19 +0100 http://www.randi.org/site/index.php/swift-blog/1835-folk-linguistics-fringe-linguistics-and-real-linguistics-bringing-skeptically-minded-linguistics-and-critical-language-studies-into-the-high-school-classroom.html#comment-25972 Knowing that any criticism I make of today's contribution by the highly esteemed guest will immediately result in a barrage of down votes by the indignant and easily offended folks, (and thus cause my comment to immediately disappear from view),I will keep this very short. If this piece of writing came across my desk (or my screen) as a submission for any purpose whatsoever, it would be returned with nearly as many red penciled notations as words in the original text. The overly long sentences with questionable punctuation and syntax, plus the persistent use of a capitalized conjunction to begin a new sentence, are but two of the irritating features of this rather uninformative article. In one instance, an already long sentence was followed by another beginning with "And", which was itself followed by yet another, beginning with "But". Such writing from such an extremely well regarded and highly educated person is inexcusable. Doesn't anyone proofread these articles? Okay, I've had my say, or at least a portion of it, and I can see the salvos coming already. ;D - daveg703 Thu, 13 Sep 2012 00:56:26 +0100 http://www.randi.org/site/index.php/swift-blog/1835-folk-linguistics-fringe-linguistics-and-real-linguistics-bringing-skeptically-minded-linguistics-and-critical-language-studies-into-the-high-school-classroom.html#comment-25971 There's a linguistic element to the so-called New Chronology propounded by Russian mathematician A. T. Fomenko (New Chronology seems to be an outgrowth of the Young Earth Creationist ideology because it says that human history is much shorter than historians says it is. Here's a link to a Russian linguist's criticism of the linguistic elements of Fomenko: http://hbar.phys.msu.ru/gorm/fomenko/zaliznk.htm And here's a Wikipedia (in English) link to the New Chronology: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Chronology_(Fomenko) I've translated large sections of it for Mark but have not placed it on a website. I doubt many are that interested, but if someone is, speak up. - garyg Wed, 12 Sep 2012 08:16:15 +0100