another O/T - spelling

[ifm]

3 innit?

dunno, I'm leaving it to the mrs to sort the school stuff out. how old were they when they could count to 10? just trying to compare my daughter to some clever, obviously well brought up children to see if I need to POOOSH her a bit more

Who said they were well brought up!!
The thing is all kids can do this stuff at this age, barring learning difficulties.
I have 3 daughters, all could do their alphabet, count etc. before school yet only 1 has really showed academic ability since.

[AdamM]

You've certainly hit the nail on the head about application at school but I wish people would let go of the idea that bad spelling is laziness. Many people argue that the rebelious non-conformist kids at school, the 'trouble-makers' are actually the catalyst for most social change. those that buckle down, conform and behave don't drive society forward, they keep it stagnent. miss spelin is the way forword

[AdamM]

hurray, another vote for dynamic

[AdamM]

At the risk of winding myself up, what about handwriting? I distinctly remember at age 11, first week of Grammar school being catagorically told by a history teacher "You'll be a failure your whole life with handwriting like that boy." god I hated that school

I also remember going in 6 years later with a friend to collect our exam certificates (3 between us) wearing Leather Jackets and our hair having proudly grown past collor length for the first time. Head of middle school By the name of Vaughan walks past dragging two first years by their side burns and saying to them, "...and if you don't buck your ideas up you'll end up like them." That one actually tickles me these days. could have thumped him at the time

[AndrewT]

At the risk of winding myself up, what about handwriting? I distinctly remember at age 11, first week of Grammar school being catagorically told by a history teacher "You'll be a failure your whole life with handwriting like that boy." god I hated that school

Handwriting, that takes me back.

Ah, the memories of my youth; fingers going numb after writing out tens sides of A4 essay, a well developed lump on the inside of my middle finger where the pen would rest - what ever happened to handwriting? I do everything now on computers - I can't remember the last time I had to write out anything longer than an address on an envelope.

My handwriting was (and, I assume, still is) dreadful - 'child-like scrawl' doesn't even begin to cover it. Hurrah for keyboards!!

[TightEnd]

I don't mind bad handwriting. Just as well

I'm left handed and it's difficult to use fountain pens etc without smudging.

I write with my writing hand curled round, as if I'm writing upside down as when I was in my private school I HAD to use fountain pens and got marked down if I smudged. Fascists!!!

[Bongo]

My thoughts:

I think that we need to retain rules on spelling and grammar etc. (even though I am really bad at them, i try my best though. Sidenote: my handwriting is awful, I was put in special classes for it at school). My reason is simple, once you staart saying you can spell things how you like then people will and it will make a lot harder (and take more time) to tell what people are saying. Take a look at any forum that is use mainly by teenagers and you'll probably get an example (things like "txtspk").

Also there are lots of tools out there to help people who have difficulties (e.g. spell checkers, grammar checkers, google etc).

I don't think anybody should be looked down on because they have difficulty though.

[AdamM]

but the tenagers and Americans are right, thats the thing. when it's over abbreviated it's hard for me to read but the generation of the future understand it fine.

[Bongo]

No, I'd venture that they just don't care/realise that it is harder for others to read (like people who post in all capitals), but that could just be from my experience.

[matt674]

I don't think anybody should be looked down on because they have difficulty though.

Everyone says this and yet people who have difficulties still are looked down upon. My brother endured 15 years of being called "thick" and "slow" before somebody actually bothered to take the time to look into the problem and found that he was dyslexic. By then my brother had all but given up on school and ended up with about 3 f-grade gcse's.

The problems all started in primary school where he had the misfortune of the teachers always telling him that "you'll never be as good as your brother" as he had the same teachers i did as i am 2 years older. Not only did he resent me but then he began to resent the whole academic establishment. These "teachers" were supposed to be the foundations for his academic upbringing but ended up turning him against it.

[Bongo]

Speaking of teachers, the thing that worries me most is that the friends I know who have become teachers are the ones I would least want to be teaching my kids.

[danmonkey]

"Spelling is Dynamic and should be allowed to evolve"
"spelling is important and should be rigorously taught"

I believe both of these statements are correct and not mutually exclusive.  

It is important that "there", "their" and "they're" are taught and used properly because they all have different meanings!  English is one of the most difficult languages to learn because of the quirks in spelling and grammar, but it doesn't mean we should submit to linguistic anarchy because of the difficulties it causes.  

Use of English language is important because it is a tool for comunication within our society.  

Adam, you are a businessman, I'm sure you endeavour to use correct English on your website or on your t-shirts (perhaps with the exception of "jopke") because this communicates your message clearly; that you are professional and so are your products.   Obviously there are times and places for more or less formal use of English.  Personally I would suggest that a forum like this would be a more relaxed environment.

Just for AndrewT; Robert, its fascist!

[Robert HM]

Just for AndrewT; Robert, its fascist!

Buger!

[AndrewT]

Just for AndrewT; Robert, its fascist!

Thanks, that was one of the itches I was trying not to scratch 

It's not the only one, mind...

[Robert HM]

I'm off before it gets too unbearable for you