To: gobucks
Spelling bees just show how much we need a spelling reform to the English language. Spanish speakers would laugh at the notion of a spelling bee since almost every word in Spanish can be written out based on how it is pronounced following a couple trivial rules. I think it is silly that we spend so much time teaching students to memorize how to spell all of our archaic words when we could instead be teaching them the meanings. Shin, nation, special, mission, expansion, tissue, machine, sugar, conscience, ocean, schmooze, and crescendo are all valid ways to make the 'sh'(/ʃ/) sound. So, bone, boat, know, soul, foe, brooch, beau, oh, sew, mauve, pharaoh, furlough, yeoman are all valid ways to make the hard 'o'(/o/) sound. This is idiocy.
29 posted on
05/31/2007 8:37:57 PM PDT by
burzum
(None shall see me, though my battlecry may give me away -Minsc)
To: burzum
My favorite is Steven Pinker asking how to pronounce “ghoti”
It’s FISH
gh as in laugh
o as in women
and ti as in nation
As a speech/language pathology major (and an English/Linguistics minor) it is so much fun to mess with my friend’s heads in class *giggles*
To: burzum
Orthography is not my specialization ... but English is an exceptional language.
33 posted on
05/31/2007 8:41:44 PM PDT by
gobucks
(Blissful Marriage: A result of a worldly husband's transformation into the Word's wife.)
To: burzum
Studying for a spelling be is more than just memorizing a bunch of words. You learn the etymology and learn to appreciate the English language. Vocabulary is expanded. English can take words from any language and use them everyday. When learning the origins of the words, you learn aspects of German, French, Japanese, Greek and Latin. Many times you'll pick up some history along the way.
If we were to reform our spelling, we would lose much meaning. How would you differentiate between sight, site, cite, and cyte?
37 posted on
05/31/2007 8:48:30 PM PDT by
Betty Jane
( Osage Orange)
To: burzum
Far from “stupidity” it’s called RICHNESS of the English language. English has borrowed from many languages, that is why it is such a robust language. There are many more nuances and choices to be had in English than in any other language. If the orthography can be difficult, so be it. You’re welcome to Spanish. No thanks. Not now, not ever.
46 posted on
05/31/2007 9:27:02 PM PDT by
gemoftheocean
(...geez, this all seems so straight forward and logical to me...)
To: burzum
I’d be happy if people just learned the difference between your and you’re. ;)
56 posted on
05/31/2007 9:51:47 PM PDT by
sageb1
(This is the Final Crusade. There are only 2 sides. Pick one.)
To: burzum
It is.
Am I ever grateful for spell checker.
77 posted on
06/01/2007 3:49:03 AM PDT by
wintertime
(Good ideas win! Why? Because people are not stupid.)
To: burzum
Not to mention:
Bough
Rough
Through
Cough
101 posted on
06/01/2007 5:38:28 AM PDT by
Cymbaline
(I repeat myself when under stress I repeat myself when under stress I repeat myself when under stres)
To: burzum
Spanish speakers would laugh at the notion of a spelling bee...And I laugh at the notion of things being assigned a male or female identify in the language.
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