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Poor Spelling Really Does matter


AlanHo
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Like the links DW. :P

The main problem these days is that spelling is NOT corrected in course work. If a pupil submits work in say History, Geography, etc, spelling mistakes usually remain uncorrected. The theory being that the subject is the most important part. This theory is total rubbish as far as I am concerned, there seems little point in writing about a subject if you cannot spell it correctly.

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Like the links DW. :P

The main problem these days is that spelling is NOT corrected in course work. If a pupil submits work in say History, Geography, etc, spelling mistakes usually remain uncorrected. The theory being that the subject is the most important part. This theory is total rubbish as far as I am concerned, there seems little point in writing about a subject if you cannot spell it correctly.

Quite agree

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I would not be blaming the teachers. The onus is on the kids and their parents. If the parents don't care about their children's education most often the kids will not either.

Point taken, but the main part of that sort of teaching is supposed to be done in school. What chance is there if English is not corrected in Geography and History work etc? (They might as well say that 4X2 =7, or near enough).

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I would not be blaming the teachers. The onus is on the kids and their parents. If the parents don't care about their children's education most often the kids will not either.

The trouble is, the parents don't know how to spell either. The 'new' methods of teaching have been going for years now.

Where I went to school - part of the English lesson was about the spelling. Now, as long as it can be vaguely deciphered, that seems to be good enough. Texting doesn't help either.

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Poor spelling is a particular bête noire of mine - coupled with poor grammar and syntax.

Yes, spelling mistakes happen and are quite forgivable but the modern trend, brought about mainly by "phonetics" (that is English is it is spoke not as it is rit) and the dreadful abomination of "text speak", signals to me such a dreadful drop in standards such that, before long, the standard written word in English will appear as a foreign language and will be taught alongside French and German in educational establishments.

As for grammar, don't get me going on that and syntax is not money collected by the government for performing carnal actions, as I have heard being one persons definition.

It is quite in order to use the argument that English is a live and developing language but what is happening to it at the moment represents nothing more than laxity and slovenliness.

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Does anyone remember when Neil Kinnock, (the Welsh windbag) was leader of the Labour party? His wife Glenys was a school teacher. She subscribed to one of the daftest theories ever about teaching children to read. The theory being that all that was needed was to have loads of interesting books in the classroom, and that the children would pick them up and somehow teach themselves to read. :lol:

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Does anyone remember when Neil Kinnock, (the Welsh windbag) was leader of the Labour party? His wife Glenys was a school teacher. She subscribed to one of the daftest theories ever about teaching children to read. The theory being that all that was needed was to have loads of interesting books in the classroom, and that the children would pick them up and somehow teach themselves to read. :lol:

Why is that daft? if I could have found more interesting books to read when I was at school I'm sure my spelling would be better, instead we were given books that to me were boring and meaningless.

Also should a scientist be penalised for not being able to spell? I'm sure we would miss out alto if this was enforced, an English teacher on the other hand should be.

Thank god (or the person that invented them) for spell checkers, the only problem is they don't let you know if the word is wrong.

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The point that I'm trying to make is that a basic grounding in reading is essential. If you think that her ideas were not daft, I challenge you to pick up a hundred books written in Chinese and learn to read in Chinese. Of course a wide variety of books is needed, but so are lessons in how to read.

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Did you not read Pat Willeners bit.

Yes, but you have taken it too literally. My challenge still stands, use it to teach yourself Chinese. Pat must have had some basic grounding in the English alphabet etc. I doubt whether any Japanese person could pick up an English book and teach themselves to read English never having seen the written language before. No more that you will teach yourself Chinese.

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Also should a scientist be penalised for not being able to spell? I'm sure we would miss out alto if this was enforced, an English teacher on the other hand should be.

Under certain circumstances I could envisage the scientist blowing himself up, (and matybe others with him), if he could not spell. Unless of course he was a wizaed.

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