Proposals to teach children to spell words wrongly
Discussion
el stovey said:
You're missing the point that language is a fluid constantly evolving thing. New words appear all the time, some from other languages, spellings change over time. Pick up some Shakespeare and have a read. Let's not end up like the French with stuffy organisations trying to stop evolution of language.
Exactly. Let's not forget the primary function of language is for communication. Anything which helps to make the language better in this regard should be embraced.We shouldn't be precious about a language just for the sake of it.
Moonhawk said:
el stovey said:
You're missing the point that language is a fluid constantly evolving thing. New words appear all the time, some from other languages, spellings change over time. Pick up some Shakespeare and have a read. Let's not end up like the French with stuffy organisations trying to stop evolution of language.
Exactly. Let's not forget the primary function of language is for communication. Anything which helps to make the language better in this regard should be embraced.We shouldn't be precious about a language just for the sake of it.
marshalla said:
And sometimes, the past needs to communicate with now or the future.
From an academic perspective it makes sense to keep records of past languages so that old manuscripts can be translated. However that shouldn't stifle language that is currently in use.Modern English is a relatively new language - only taking its current form around the 15th century.
torqueofthedevil said:
Anyone seen this on BBC Breakfast?
Some nutter from the English Spelling Society and obviously other people, politians etc are complaining that UK children take 2 years longer to learn our language than their European counterparts....and this is due to silent letters and double consonants.
So proposals are being put forward for children to be taught to spell words incorrectly...I.e without the silent letters and double consonants!!!!
It's worrying that somebody has become the head of a group called the English Spelling Society (or something like that) and has views like that! He said that its the only language where it is not obvious from the spelling how to pronounce, or from hearing it, is not easy to write. Well I can think of plenty of foreign words that are like that!!! Especially French!
Where do people get these ideas and do they really think this is a good idea?? Unbelievable!
Any link?Some nutter from the English Spelling Society and obviously other people, politians etc are complaining that UK children take 2 years longer to learn our language than their European counterparts....and this is due to silent letters and double consonants.
So proposals are being put forward for children to be taught to spell words incorrectly...I.e without the silent letters and double consonants!!!!
It's worrying that somebody has become the head of a group called the English Spelling Society (or something like that) and has views like that! He said that its the only language where it is not obvious from the spelling how to pronounce, or from hearing it, is not easy to write. Well I can think of plenty of foreign words that are like that!!! Especially French!
Where do people get these ideas and do they really think this is a good idea?? Unbelievable!
You are dissing ( 2 esses and a silent P ) that nobody else has heard to try and stoke up ire.
That's stoke, as in prodding a fire and not the popular Midlands town.
Pints said:
davepoth said:
greygoose said:
HTP99 said:
My wife is an assistant manager for a nursery, her spelling is fine, however her puntuation is awful, I usually go through the newsletters correcting it.
You should have asked her how to spell punctuation.My wife is an assistant manager for a nursery; her spelling is fine, however her punctuation is awful. I usually go through the newsletters correcting it.
Semi-colons FTW.
el stovey said:
torqueofthedevil said:
Exactly - never been an issue before. Just people meddling and also probably a large part of falling standards will be due to parents generally reading to children less, children reading less, daft changes to teaching curriculums etc.
Yes out language is considered very complex but for this reason it is also one of the most colourful and descriptive. It's strange nuances and words which sound similar but give different meanings allows the use of puns and witty use of language, along with better literature and poetry.
You're missing the point that language is a fluid constantly evolving thing. New words appear all the time, some from other languages, spellings change over time. Pick up some Shakespeare and have a read. Let's not end up like the French with stuffy organisations trying to stop evolution of language. Yes out language is considered very complex but for this reason it is also one of the most colourful and descriptive. It's strange nuances and words which sound similar but give different meanings allows the use of puns and witty use of language, along with better literature and poetry.
Somebody made a very good point about how this would be impossible anyway now because we don't control the language - it is spoken by too many people and with the Internet etc. the scheme could just not take hold. As I said above, slow organic changes would be taken up, not a shift like this though. All this would do is confuse kids and make spelling / readin / writing even more confusing for them.
Moonhawk said:
el stovey said:
You're missing the point that language is a fluid constantly evolving thing. New words appear all the time, some from other languages, spellings change over time. Pick up some Shakespeare and have a read. Let's not end up like the French with stuffy organisations trying to stop evolution of language.
Exactly. Let's not forget the primary function of language is for communication. Anything which helps to make the language better in this regard should be embraced.We shouldn't be precious about a language just for the sake of it.
Lets let the language evolve as per usage. Which is what got us to where we are now. The most widely used language in the world. Renowned for its subtlety, nuances and breadth.
I'd say evolution has done pretty well up to now. I doubt a committee would do better, so best leave it as it is.
HTP99 said:
Many eastern European words look like a bunch of random letters just thrown together.
It is odd how people come up with these ideas, it has never been seen to be a problem in the past so why the hell should it suddenly be now?
English is supposed to be be one of the hardest languages to learn, to both speak and write though.
Being TEFL Qualified, I concur, English IS indeed one of the most difficult languages to learn. I have to invent many games to show examples of a rule and then exceptions to the rule (of which there are many). I remember when I was learning Dutch.....and I had many, many WTF moments and Dutch has only about a third of the number of words that the English language has...... Language and all it's intricacies and peculiarities must be preserved.It is odd how people come up with these ideas, it has never been seen to be a problem in the past so why the hell should it suddenly be now?
English is supposed to be be one of the hardest languages to learn, to both speak and write though.
dudleybloke said:
If kids are struggling to read I blame the parents.
If a child starts school without knowing the alphabet and numbers the parents should have child benefit taken away.
Too many idiots leave it to the teachers.
Why? And what do you mean by knowing "numbers". Kids do learn to read at school - they are not meant to be able to read or do sums when they enter reception. If a child starts school without knowing the alphabet and numbers the parents should have child benefit taken away.
Too many idiots leave it to the teachers.
Amateurish said:
dudleybloke said:
If kids are struggling to read I blame the parents.
If a child starts school without knowing the alphabet and numbers the parents should have child benefit taken away.
Too many idiots leave it to the teachers.
Why? And what do you mean by knowing "numbers". Kids do learn to read at school - they are not meant to be able to read or do sums when they enter reception. If a child starts school without knowing the alphabet and numbers the parents should have child benefit taken away.
Too many idiots leave it to the teachers.
I don't agree with dudleybloke that child benefit should be taken away, but I do agree that too many idiots expect teachers to do everything.
xjsdriver said:
Being TEFL Qualified, I concur, English IS indeed one of the most difficult languages to learn. I have to invent many games to show examples of a rule and then exceptions to the rule (of which there are many). I remember when I was learning Dutch.....and I had many, many WTF moments and Dutch has only about a third of the number of words that the English language has...... Language and all it's intricacies and peculiarities must be preserved.
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