To second Gibson's observations I would like to point out that people often write what they *think* they hear as well. This is what has led to the proliferation of incorrect usage of "your" and "you're", "there", "their" and "they're" and something I've started to notice in the last few years that I never saw when I was younger, the misuse of "then" and "than" (as in "I like this one better 'then' that one" which is on blogs worldwide without the writers having a clue how incorrect it is.
Not being able to speak or write correctly *is* an issue because it promotes a lack of self-awareness. Don't hold on to the mindset that people speak one way but know how to be correct and are choosing not to, fully aware of it. If people sound illiterate when they speak it is generally because they are. When they read things that would correct their errors, they don't notice or retain this information. If that were the case then they would never misuse "its" and "it's".

On the other hand ther are also people who try to "amp up" their apparent literacy by "stealing" syllables, as in "irregardless". People like to slip in that extra syllable to make the word seem bigger, but in reality they've only shown their ineptitude and lack of grasp on the language. You see this in the business world daily. I have no idea how many times I hear the word "pareto" misused, the speaker obviously not having a clue as to its derivation or proper definition.

As and architecture student, don't even get me started on the use of "architect" as a verb. Idiots. Even *architects* don't "architect" things... they DESIGN them. Architect is a NOUN. The next time someone says "we architected a solution" in a meeting... punch them... in the throat.

Take some time, become self-aware and better yourself. You better society when you do. If you don't, then you're just part of the problem.

/rant over