Question for those learning English

[Jotrin]

Since the all the message boards I go to have mix of different nationalities I often see English speakers who are just beginning to learn the ropes of grammar, spelling, punctuation, etc.
I know that learning English is very difficult and probably quite tedious so I am not intending to make fun when I ask this: Why do I so often see new English learners using long strings of commas (,,,,,,,,), periods (.......), or other punctuation marks between thoughts and sentences? I ask this because I want to know if it is somehow related to the writers' native languages.
I've seen it from a variety of people of differing nationalities (Chinese, Turkish, etc.), but I can't recall at the moment if any of those people had a Indo-European language as their native tongue.

[ruisu81]

The periods are meant to conjure up Pac-Man. He appeared once. You won't find people doing this on paper...only in Pac-Man's domain.

True story.......................

[stevie]

I think it's an IME thing but I wouldn't know for sure. I do know it's specifically my Chinese friends (ie the ones living in China and therefore, I assume, using chinese Windows) that do it - I know a bunch of people from all over Asia and it's only the ones from China that hit me with the ,,, ``` thing. I could always ask

I don't know a whole lot about grammar in Chinese yet really but I sure don't see any of that stuff when they are talking to me in their own language. so I don't think it has to do with grammar in their native tongue. couldn't be sure though.

[Jotrin]

I checked around on some of the boards I frequent and you're right about the Chinese being the only ones to do the '''''',,,,, bit, but I still see some non-Chinese people giving long strings of periods.
I'm starting to think that maybe they just haven't learned how to properly transition from one sentence to the next? I noticed that when I see a very long set (...... or longer) it is usually between two very unrelated thoughts/sentences.

[sei]

Or maybe they are just lazy.

I don't know about Chinese people, but every person I know who is learning, or learned English, including myself, don't use a lot of ''''' and ,,,,.

In fact, it's the exact opposite. Most people learning tend to be very careful of how they write. Only those who at least already know the basics and use Internet a lot, start using such things. Besides that, I've never met an English language learner who wasn't careful with their punctuation. At least in the first years of their learning.

[Jotrin]

I suppose it's a possibility, but I try not to assume bad things about people I barely know. :/

[Chris Hart]

Jotrin wrote:
... I noticed that when I see a very long set (...... or longer) it is usually between two very unrelated thoughts/sentences.

Native speakers do this as well. It generally indicates a continuation, along the same lines as the topic already being discussed, although it can indicate any ommision. It is an exagerated ellipsis, which by standard is 3 full stops - "...", or a preformed charecter"…".

[Nya]

I do that because other people do it (the ......, that is). It does not really have much anything to do with my native language, it just communicates a long pause. Hope that helped!