To spell or to spel? That is the question (kwestyun).

[blackhalo72]

Bad spelling is a surefire way to make me head the desk. Spelling has always been easy for me and while I can understand how people may find unusual words or those with many silent letters difficult to spell, most of the time poor spelling baffles me.

I've just read this debate on the BBC website between a woman belonging to a society who wants to

Comments

[ext_36027]

Arrgh! *Head Desk*

I'm a sloppy speller, I can't deny it; yet even I think that glossary reads like text speak gone mad.

Regional accents aside, can you imagine the difficulty non-English speakers would have learning the language? (Conversely, how on earth would those taught English in a strictly phonetic manner ever get to grips with the intricacies of a foreign language?)

/grumpy old woman moment. ;)

[mistresscj]

So I take it to mean that words like psychiatrist and psychologist can now drop the "p." It's a ludicrous idea! Are they intending to re-write the Oxford English dictionary?

My son is being taught how to read phonetically and I find it very difficult, but that apparently is how they teach them these days.

You are not alone in this making you cringe. I hope the spelling reform won't go ahead as well. What will all those English professors think?

Instead of a reform more energy needs to be devoted in teaching people to spell correctly.

[blackhalo72]

I guess straight becomes strayt too. Funny though how in the glossary, phonic becomes phonnic, gaining an n but keeping the ph instead of morphing it into a f. I'd also question her spelling of only. She changes it to onely which sounds like wonly to me. Shouldn't it be ownly, following the phonetic rule?

I can only sympathise with you over the way your son is being taught to read. How do you manage to help him if you're spelling correctly and he's being taught phonetically?

I'm absolutely positive that literacy standards can be improved without dumbing down like this.

[mistresscj]

Well to be honest I do find it difficult when my son is reading sometimes. I guess I need to go back to school again to learn reading phonetically! I had a debate about it to the teacher and she reckoned that's the way they teach them to read and spell now!

Damn would drop the n I'm guessing?

I am confused as to why words like phonic ends up with a double n and yet keeps the ph? I'm also confused about only becoming onely - I think whoever thought up this needs to have a careful re-think themselves!

[paintedrainbow]

If that happens, I'll cry. Because, that has to be the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard of.

[blackhalo72]

Amen to that, sister!

I mean, why don't they get rid of punctuation too while they're at it? Just have a complete free for all. *rolls eyes*