Teacher fired for writing about "homophones"

[tres3]

www.pinknews.co.uk/2014/07/31/us-utah-language-school-fires-blogger-for-writing-about-homophones/

US: Utah language school fires blogger for writing about ‘homophones’
1Email
31st July 2014, 12:40 PM
Ashley Chhibber
Tim Torkildson (via Facebook).
Tim Torkildson (via Facebook).

22 reader comments
A social-media strategist at a Utah language learning center claims to have been fired for a blog post about homophones, due to concerns that it would lead the school to be associated with homosexuality.
According to The Salt Lake Tribune, Tim Torkildson was fired from his job at the Nomen Global Language Center in Provo, Utah, for writing a blog post on the Center’s website about homophones.
A cached version of the post, which has now been deleted, starts by explaining: “In English a homophone is a word that has several different meanings and spellings, but always sounds the same.” It then lists a handful of examples starting with the letter A.
Writing in a post on his own blog, Torkildson described the conversation between himself and his former boss, Clarke Woodger, during which he was let go.
According to Torkildson, Woodger told him: “I’m letting you go because I can’t trust you. This blog about homophones was the last straw. Now our school is going to be associated with homosexuality.”
He added: “We don’t teach this kind of advanced stuff to our students, and it’s extremely inappropriate.”
Woodger offered Torkildson “a good reference” for his next job, but reportedly said: “I would advise you to try something clerical, where you’ll be closely supervised and have immediate goals at all times. That’s the only kind of job you’ll ever succeed at.”
According to The Salt Lake Tribune, Woodger claims he fired Torkildson because he would “go off on tangents” in his blog posts.

[meshaliuknits]

OH COME ON!!!

[pixy0stix]

Seriously?

[dottyblue]

This has to be the equivalent of an Onion article... RIGHT!?

[Deleted]

Reading this post gives me that bubbly giddy feeling you get when you've been up for far too long and the whole world stops making sense and you laugh because you're sort of terrified you're losing your mind.

[Velar Fricative]

[IIOY]

This is satire, right?

[picksthemusic]

Seriously?! There's a freaking Veggie Tales song about homophones.

I guess it's the same thing as my old English teacher not wanting me to use the word 'masticate' because it sounds like masturbate.

EYE ROLL.

[ChillyMcFreeze]

Super advanced stuff, those homophones. Can't trust 4th graders with that kind of information.

[pixy0stix]

Huffpo has it: www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/31/blogger-fired-homophones_n_5637873.html

[Miss Phryne Fisher]

Oh, Utah. Don't ever stop being you.

[epphd]

By the way - this was a guy teaching English as a second language - presumably to teenagers and adults.

www.businessinsider.com/social-media-strategist-fired-after-blogging-about-homophones-2014-7

Nomen is Utah’s largest private English as a Second Language school and caters mostly to foreign students seeking admission to U.S. colleges and universities. Woodger says his school has taught 6,500 students from 58 countries during the past 15 years. Most of them, he says, are at basic levels of English and are not ready for the more complicated concepts such as homophones.

But homophones are part of our fucking language!!! Aren't the words TWO, TO and TOO not integral basic parts of English? What the fuuuuuck!

[Velar Fricative]

Jul 31, 2014 12:43:45 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

Huffpo has it: www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/31/blogger-fired-homophones_n_5637873.html

I don't know, man...this just sounds way too crazy to me. Yes, people surprise me all the time but this has got to be one of the dumbest things I've ever heard.

[gpw]

[ChillyMcFreeze]

Jul 31, 2014 12:45:48 GMT -5 epphd said:

By the way - this was a guy teaching English as a second language - presumably to teenagers and adults.

www.businessinsider.com/social-media-strategist-fired-after-blogging-about-homophones-2014-7

Nomen is Utah’s largest private English as a Second Language school and caters mostly to foreign students seeking admission to U.S. colleges and universities. Woodger says his school has taught 6,500 students from 58 countries during the past 15 years. Most of them, he says, are at basic levels of English and are not ready for the more complicated concepts such as homophones.

But homophones are part of our fucking language!!! Aren't the words TWO, TO and TOO not integral basic parts of English? What the fuuuuuck!

There just trying to make sure theirs no one who gets confused about they're sexuality!

[eddy]

I don't know why but I keep thinking of this.

[msmerymac]

Not talking about homophones will only further exacerbate our there/their/they're problem. THIS IS SERIOUS BUSINESS.

[smock]

It's a big gay grammar conspiracy!!!

[ttt]

Jul 31, 2014 12:55:26 GMT -5 ChillyMcFreeze said:

Jul 31, 2014 12:45:48 GMT -5 epphd said:

By the way - this was a guy teaching English as a second language - presumably to teenagers and adults.

www.businessinsider.com/social-media-strategist-fired-after-blogging-about-homophones-2014-7


But homophones are part of our fucking language!!! Aren't the words TWO, TO and TOO not integral basic parts of English? What the fuuuuuck!

There just trying to make sure theirs no one who gets confused about they're sexuality!

(heart)

[thejackpot]

Come on folks, those homophones should not be taught without parental approval and we all know that.

[omgzombies]

Using homophones is a lifestyle choice. I'm sure they could pray it away if they worked hard enough.

I will never ceased to be amazed at the collective stupidity of the human race.

[marina007]

OMFG.

*Rage*

What a total asshat.

Preeeetty sure homophone is a Word in ooooodles of languages too. You know, because latin. Gahhh. The idiocy!

(In Norwegian, homophone is homofon)

I vote teacher blogs about homogenism, Homo sapiens and HOMOPHOBIA.

[omgzombies]

Better not let them know that every one is a homo sapien, or about the existence of homo erectus.

[NewOrleans]

THIS IS NOT REAL LIFE. I WILL NOT ACCEPT THIS.

[gpw]

Maybe I should be getting all pissed about this....I just can't because it's just too funny to me. I think most people see how stupid these people look. A SCHOOL fired a TEACHER for teaching English properly.

[blink]

JFC, really? 



But oh to be a fly on the wall when the school finally realizes that homophone isn't what they think it is.

[cattledogkisses]

Jul 31, 2014 13:12:38 GMT -5 marina007 said:

OMFG.

*Rage*

What a total asshat.

Preeeetty sure homophone is a Word in ooooodles of languages too. You know, because latin. Gahhh. The idiocy!

(In Norwegian, homophone is homofon)

I vote teacher blogs about homogenism, Homo sapiens and HOMOPHOBIA.

And homozygotes!  Who knew geneticists were in on the gay agenda? 

[ijack]

Jul 31, 2014 12:45:48 GMT -5 epphd said:

By the way - this was a guy teaching English as a second language - presumably to teenagers and adults.

www.businessinsider.com/social-media-strategist-fired-after-blogging-about-homophones-2014-7

Nomen is Utah’s largest private English as a Second Language school and caters mostly to foreign students seeking admission to U.S. colleges and universities. Woodger says his school has taught 6,500 students from 58 countries during the past 15 years. Most of them, he says, are at basic levels of English and are not ready for the more complicated concepts such as homophones.

But homophones are part of our fucking language!!! Aren't the words TWO, TO and TOO not integral basic parts of English? What the fuuuuuck!

This is why people can't use their homophones correctly. We're going to be seeing things like "your an asshole" for the rest of our lives

[UMaineTeach]

SHIT!
I just wrapped up summer school and I must have said homophone daily for the last 4 weeks. I'm not being asked back to summer school next year am I? I DIDN'T KNOW!

 

[elleblue]

Well I'm sure you all can guess how I feel about this story. *points to siggie*