Posted on 06/01/2018 7:03:51 AM PDT by BBell
OXON HILL, Md. – The end of the biggest Scripps National Spelling Bee in history came abruptly, and it wasn't the conclusion that many expected. Naysa Modi, a poised and charismatic four-time participant whose long spelling career seemed to be building toward triumph, sat next to a newcomer whom she had already beaten this year — at the county level.
But 12-year-old Naysa blinked immediately, mixing up the single and double "s'' in the German-derived word "Bewusstseinslage" — a state of consciousness or a feeling devoid of sensory components — and 14-year-old Karthik Nemmani seized an opportunity that he wouldn't have had before this year.
"I didn't really think I'd be able to do it," the soft-spoken winner said. "I had confidence that I could do it, but I honestly didn't realistically think it could happen."
Karthik's victory Thursday night put the spotlight back onto the story of this bee week — the new wild-card program that Scripps launched to give a chance to spellers like him, who have to compete against some of the nation's best spellers at the local level. The field was expanded to 515 spellers to accommodate the wild cards — there had never been more than 300 competitors previously — and four of the 16 prime-time finalists got in through the new program, known as "RSVBee."
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
The most proficient English speakers I know are all Indian-Americans. And I love the accent.
Bewusstseinslage - usually followed by too much Jack Daniels...
“Bewusstseinslage”
Oh, c’mon! Can we at least stay in the realm of English here?
When they slow down enough to understand them.
You’re correct.
Africans are the same. Very precise.
I was in the audience at a symposium once where the host, a gentleman from Africa said “We will now tolerate some questions from the audience.”
I thought that was rather arrogant then realized it was a very precise use of the English language.
Arranged marriages helps also.
Exactly my thought as I heard some of the words used in earlier rounds. Need some Scrabble-type rules about words being in English. Of course, English is cobbled together from lots of other linguistic origins...
One doesn't need to think hard about the ethnicity of probably 90% of the contestants. Most are either Indian or Asian.
Or more likely Apflekorn or something like that. JD probably isn't in much demand over there. ;-)
Words that will never be used in conversation or in reports or in letters or in news or in .....
“Words that will never be used in conversation or in reports or in letters or in news or in .....”
CNN just needs “Trump bad.”
Twenty years ago my then eighth-grade son was the FL rep to the National Geo Bee; he had competed for the FL title four years. During those same four years, he came in third every year in the county spelling bee, and he was always the first non-Indian/American. Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose.
Good spelling is a virtue. Spelling arcane words that have no bearing on day-to-day reality, to my mind, is an exercise that distracts from the acquisition of useful knowledge.
Just shows what most know. Some students go to school to actually learn while others are there to be babysat and absorb barely enough education to mutter 'you want fries with that' or struggle to give change even though the computer tells them how much is needed.
Either that or it is parental involvement, or lack thereof.
Certainly proficient, but for me it is the most difficult accent to understand.
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