LETTER : English as the PC speaks it

From Ms Eleanor Harris

Sir: Who needs grammar lessons in this day and age ("Let the children sing and squawk", 12 October) when we have spell, thesaurus and grammar checks on our PCs? It is just a shame that they are all in American and that the grammatical suggestions cannot be understood.

Perhaps, with the introduction of Gillian Shephard's "read out loud in your best Queen's English" exam, we will see the introduction of speech CD-Roms we can use to practise face exercises on how to get the best drawl while we reorganise the teaching of the English language.

Languages change constantly. All languages stem from a basic structure which should not be forgotten, but they also move with the times. If teachers had more time to teach smaller classes then we could all learn proper grammar and still be able to enjoy the fun of gaining knowledge of the vast intricacies of the English language.

Yours faithfully,

Eleanor Harris

Dorking,

Surrey

11 October