Debate: Math People Lag Behind in English?

[Crapbuster]

Is it true that Math people lag behind in English?
Research proves so, and so does my classmate who's an international champion in math but hasn't even mastered his tenses.
Yet another classmate stands as a contradiction. She's good in English, but she's also excellent in Math.
What do you believe?:confused:

[Mortis Anarchy]

Well, I'm crap at math. Okay, not terribly bad, but its not the easiest thing for me. At my highschool they split up the boys and girls in English classes and math classes. According to them, boys do better in english when no girls are around and girls to better in math with no boys around.

Oh, everyone is different.

[Hyacinth42]

I love math, and while I can't write very well, I'm a good "critical reader"... Although there are lots of poems/books I don't get, I can usually make up something that sounds correct/is what the teachers want, even if I don't really believe/like it ;) So it's very frustrating, I'll do well in class discussions and whatnot, and then get C's on my papers... But I'm still good in English (I ended up with an A)

Now, art? or history? (at least the way they teach history in school) Those I'm not good at...

Of course, that's just me, there are some brilliant people in my class that are good at everything (they are so annoying).

[jon1jt]

Is it true that Math people lag behind in English?
Research proves so, and so does my classmate who's an international champion in math but hasn't even mastered his tenses.
Yet another classmate stands as a contradiction. She's good in English, but she's also excellent in Math.
What do you believe?:confused:

i agree. i know both engineers and mathematicians whose grasp of the english language is pretty bad, both orally and written. according to my engineer friend, the emphasis is on problem solving in engineering school, not english and writing. so the correlation makes sense. of course, there are exceptions.

[Mortis Anarchy]

i agree. i know both engineers and mathematicians whose grasp of the english language is pretty bad, both orally and written. according to my engineer friend, the emphasis is on problem solving in engineering school, not english and writing. so the correlation makes sense. of course, there are exceptions.

Don't say that to Virgil!

[kiz_paws]

This is an interesting thread -- I often wondered about those who are bent toward the sciences moreso, and those who are bent to the arts (and then those who are a bit of each, or none of the above)... ha -- it gets complicated.

BUT: Leonardo DaVinci is a classic example of functioning quite well in sciences and arts.

My husband has his Electrical Engineer degree and he said that they offer (at his former workplace) a course called "Technically Write", kind of a guideline for writing with competence, those technical papers. Some technical people need this, but it is not a 'given'.

Another thought -- when my hubby and I shopped for my new piano, when we went to this one place, a man was merrily playing one of Chopin's more complicated works (one that I shan't get to for years, I assure you), the 'Fantasy Impromptu'. I thought that this fellow was either a professional pianist, or something. No, he was a dental surgeon who frequented the shoppe simply because he was a bit eccentric (said the salesman). And I thought to myself that 'hey, another science-minded person is embracing the aesthetics quite nicely'... My bias began to change.

I don't think that it is cut and dry that if someone favour's science, that they cannot be adept in artistic realms. Dang, and I teased my hubby for a few years about that now, too...

[NickAdams]

I use to be great in math, but I was bullied as a child for it.
I can pick it up, but can only get interested in my math class if
I try applying it to literature.

My brother is in highschool and math is his best subject; he recently asked me if I could help him with english.;)

[applepie]

I think that everyone has a subject they are best in. The rest is left up to your natural ability to learn things. Some people are better at learning than others, and they will likely do well in all subjects. I struggled more with english, but only the grammar part. Science and math were a breeze, so I guess I still support this even though I wasn't a dolt when it came to english. You have to assess based on an individual's ability to really see if this is true or not. Some people are good at everything, but by their own standards one subject is more simple than another. Others are unable to learn easily, but there is still one that is a bit easier than the others.

[RoCKiTcZa]

I wouldn't exactly say that I'm horrible in the sciences or anything, yet I'd openly admit that the humanities are my strong point.
However, I suppose it still depends on the person after all. One can be good in English and still good in Math, or the other way around. :)
However, it has been said that math people think in a more technical or linear/systematic manner while lit people envision things in a more creative style.

[Pensive]

I would rather say English people lag behind in math! :p I am considered quite good in English and often get an A-grade in it without any sort of preperation but in math, even if I work hard I usually get to see the evil face of a B-grade. There have been a few joyous times when I got an A in it. Not to mention there have been a few moments moments when I have got Cs, Ds and once U (failure grade) in class tests but in English I always manage to grab some good grades. Especially if it is creative writing.

I have also met people who are neither good in math nor in English or the ones who are good in both subjects.

I think it differs from person to person. You can't really predict that a person who is good in math would certainly prove to be a dumb-brain in English or vice-versa.

[Annamariah]

I had top grades in Finnish, English AND Math :) (But I had good grades in all the other subjects too, except physical education, so I'm not sure wheter it means anything or not.)

[RobinHood3000]

I'm a math person by nature - I leave judgment of my linguistic skills to you folk. :p

[RoCKiTcZa]

I had top grades in Finnish, English AND Math :) (But I had good grades in all the other subjects too, except physical education, so I'm not sure wheter it means anything or not.)

Here in our school PE is 0.5 units so we all have to do our best in it whether we like it or not...:( I must admit I am not very good in PE either especially when it involves dancing as I can only do a little hip-shaking and nothing more. Modern dances are okay but folk dancing, oh folk dancing! Folk dancing is my waterloo. We just did some earlier ago for our Health subject and by the end of the session my feet were in tangles. To make things worse, I even got paired up to the best male dancer in class! :sick:
So much to this wonderful day! Neither do I feel confident at all in Math.
My friend BEXsezthat is pretty much rounded, though--just like you, Annamariah.;)
Please wish me good luck and hope I won't fail (for the first time--EVER).
*BiTtER ChiLLz* :cold:

[Niamh]

when my nephew was in primary school, he was brilliant at maths. He was told his level of maths was equal to people two classes (grades) higher. But He was (still is) terrible at english. His english was so bad that he had to get extra classes during the the school week, and needed to improve or else he'd be getting kept back from secondary school! He couldnt read properly so his mam sent him to me to get a loan of books that he might enjoy to improve his reading. I'd already been loaning him the harry potter books for years. (took him a year to read goblet of fire-should have known from that!)
So yes i do believe math people lag behind in english.

[Lioness_Heart]

I'm good at maths and english. I'm more of a sciency person, and I'm one of the best in my school at maths. But i love english too, and always come top in that.

So I don't see how it can be true. I think it just depends on the person.

But while on the topic, lots of the skills involved in studying literature (the whole analytical thing really) can be applied to anything, including maths.

[NikolaiI]

I agree with Lioness Heart, I'm the same way although my brother is the good at math, bad at English type. I think generally you can learn math and English, although I guess there are cases with learning disabilities or something which make it hard.

[Virgil]

Is it true that Math people lag behind in English?
Research proves so, and so does my classmate who's an international champion in math but hasn't even mastered his tenses.
Yet another classmate stands as a contradiction. She's good in English, but she's also excellent in Math.
What do you believe?:confused:

Actually I tink it's worse in reverse. English/language people are way worse in math than math people are in english/language. I have floated in both worlds and have seen both ends. At least that's my experience.


Don't say that to Virgil!

:lol: :lol: Thanks Mortis. :D

[kilted exile]

I dont think there is any natural tie in between ability to learn either. I do think though that people quickly choose a favourite between the two (this is virtually encouraged in a lot of schools) after making this decision a few things happen.

1) They spend more time doing the more enjoyable one and neglect the other.

2) They pay far too much attention to the cultural brainwashing that you can either be a sensitive person;enjoy literature & dislike maths OR a robot; be good at maths; but incapable of expressing yourself outside of numbers.

3) The school system shepherds them one way or the other instead of trying to help in the problem areas because it reflects better in school performance reports etc

[NikolaiI]

I think they help each other, like someone said. They both exercise your thinking, logic, memory, pattern recognition, critical thinking, general understanding. Does this make any sense? The brain is like a muscle and to exercise it in two different areas is good. To do so in one only would be neglectful, but when we study it makes us more aware, I think (that mostly comes from chess, but I apply it to other things).

Therefore it does not make sense that they would be inversely proportioned to each other.

[antagonist22]

I dont think there is any natural tie in between ability to learn either. I do think though that people quickly choose a favourite between the two (this is virtually encouraged in a lot of schools) after making this decision a few things happen.

1) They spend more time doing the more enjoyable one and neglect the other.

2) They pay far too much attention to the cultural brainwashing that you can either be a sensitive person;enjoy literature & dislike maths OR a robot; be good at maths; but incapable of expressing yourself outside of numbers.

3) The school system shepherds them one way or the other instead of trying to help in the problem areas because it reflects better in school performance reports etc

I completely agree with kilted exile

[kilted exile]

I completely agree with kilted exile

I find this post to be a wonderful start to your history of posting on this forum:p
If I had my way everyone would have to make at least one similar post every day:thumbs_up

[Bakiryu]

I don't know but I know extremely smart people in both ares. I'm bad at Math and forget what verbs are, my english grade is kept up in the 90s because of my good memory and excellent writting skills (Not boasting!)

Meanwhile my friend D. who's good at math things books make good fire-fuel. So it depends....:)