Pardon me, miss, your degree is showing

[semperfiona]

I just saw this on stlpdheadlines:

Man, 18, shot to death at ESL
club

I've lived in St. Louis since 1990, and my linguistics degree is even
older than that, but I still read this as "English-as-Second-Language".
Took me a while to realize it meant "East St. Louis".

Comments

[reannon.livejournal.com]

I've been in news here long enough to see "East St. Louis" first and "English as a Second Language" second, especially since they don't call it that anymore - it's English Language Learning, or ELL. Don't look at me, I just work here. :) But yeah, I can see how that's confusing. And we shouldn't be putting our shorthand in headlines.

[gasslight.livejournal.com]

I'd still be thinking that would be an odd type of club if you hadn't clarified it.

ESL

[kinzokutaka.livejournal.com]

heh. I read it as "English-as-Second-Language" too, but then again, I don't live in St. Louis. *grin*

[lapis-lazuli615.livejournal.com]

You're not alone. I, too, read it as English as a Second Language. Guess my (elem ed) degree is showing as well...

Laz.

[bbwoof.livejournal.com]

If it's any consolation to you, I also interpreted it as "English as a Second Language Club". Boy, talk about incentives to learn!