In the book Essential Linguistics: What You Need to Know to Teach Reading, ESL, Spelling, Phonics and Grammar by David E. Freeman and Yvonne S. Freeman, it expresses several issues related to the spelling of the English language. Since the
uprising of the English – American language, there have been people who urged
and proposed spelling reforms in this patriotic way of speech. Several times,
people believed that English grammar and punctuations are easy to distinguish,
but when it comes to the spelling it’s quite the contrary. It has been
considered one of the most unorthodox ways of alphabetic systems and there are
people who want it reformed.
Advocates
of the new systematic alphabetic system consider its inconsistency when converting
the grammar of English to spelling inside literature to be quite problematic,
specifically at times when there are exceptions. One of the reforms inside the
book references “eliminating the letter c and using s and k to represent two
sounds.” This change would result in spelling “medisinal” and “medikal” which
would result in a less knotty way of writing.
Conversely, we must remember “written language is designed to convey meaning, not just sounds”. What makes writing hard is also what makes what is written, easy to read. For example, in the book they use “great” and “grate” as an example of words that sound the same but are spelled dissimilar. If both these words were spelled the same, writers wouldn’t have to remember which spelling goes with which, meaning; they would have to use the context clues that were given to them and figure out the writers intended.
In the book, one important problem that the chapter mentions that we would encounter if we decide to change the English indications that reflects its current pronunciation would be with whom would dictate whose pronunciation to follow.
We need to consider both perspectives of the American - English reform in order to fully understand why this system is a good compromise that will ultimately serve both readers and writers. We want our children to have the best opportunity to become excellent readers and writers of the English language, educating ourselves on both sides of the topic can help us get one step closer to this.
Here are a couple of links that can inform you more about the spelling reforms:
http://www.barnsdle.demon.co.uk/spell/
http://itotd.com/articles/523/english-spelling-reform/
Conversely, we must remember “written language is designed to convey meaning, not just sounds”. What makes writing hard is also what makes what is written, easy to read. For example, in the book they use “great” and “grate” as an example of words that sound the same but are spelled dissimilar. If both these words were spelled the same, writers wouldn’t have to remember which spelling goes with which, meaning; they would have to use the context clues that were given to them and figure out the writers intended.
In the book, one important problem that the chapter mentions that we would encounter if we decide to change the English indications that reflects its current pronunciation would be with whom would dictate whose pronunciation to follow.
We need to consider both perspectives of the American - English reform in order to fully understand why this system is a good compromise that will ultimately serve both readers and writers. We want our children to have the best opportunity to become excellent readers and writers of the English language, educating ourselves on both sides of the topic can help us get one step closer to this.
Here are a couple of links that can inform you more about the spelling reforms:
http://www.barnsdle.demon.co.uk/spell/
http://itotd.com/articles/523/english-spelling-reform/
Source: Freeman, D. E. and Freeman, Y. S. (2004). Essential Linguistics: What You Need to Know to Teach. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
-Berenice Hernandez
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