English is too hard to read for children
- Thread starter Floh
- Start date
From post #1 on this thread.
Looks like the writers of the article are in dire need of a dictionary. :waitasec::laugh:
Looks like the writers of the article are in dire need of a dictionary. :waitasec::laugh:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spelt
Trino
Well-Known Member
Please check an American/British dictionary. Spelt is the British English word for spelled. The story is about British children.
Jeana (DP)
Former Member
Ya'll always need to watch out for Floh!!! She lives in Germany, but she's English!!! I think she likes throwing this stuff in here just to get us confused!!!!
I read the article and I know it's about British children.
(I fail to see why you're reply seems a bit snooty. :innocent
heh, don't cry over spilt milk ;->
I guess part of the problem with english as spoken and written in Europe is that it has so many sources, from Norse, Anglo-Saxon, French-Norman, Anglo-Celt, Greek and Latin & so on.
You also have to remember that there are many different accents in the UK, some very broad and some quite soft so how the words look and how they sounds in each accent will differ.
This really interesting article gives an insight into the Yorkshire dialect and accent and some of it's origins.
Trying to learn the language can be a ghastly experience because we don't read as we speak.
You also have to remember that there are many different accents in the UK, some very broad and some quite soft so how the words look and how they sounds in each accent will differ.
This really interesting article gives an insight into the Yorkshire dialect and accent and some of it's origins.
Trying to learn the language can be a ghastly experience because we don't read as we speak.
Oh and just to show how perverse the english pronunciation system is here are some British surnames with spelling first and pronunciation in brackets, Cholmondley (Chumley), Beauchamp (Beecham). I'm sure there are plenty more out there but those two in particular have always wrecked my head.
SeriouslySearching
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I can't wait to print this off for my 5yo grandson with autism. LOL He reads now on a third grade level. Let's see how well he does with these!
I saw a T-shirt that said, "My child with Autism is smarter than your Honor Student!" Hahahaha~ I need to really buy that shirt.
I saw a T-shirt that said, "My child with Autism is smarter than your Honor Student!" Hahahaha~ I need to really buy that shirt.
SeriouslySearching
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My sister had to learn Hungarian. She called sobbing many times because it is such a difficult language due to it being a bit illogical. The worst to learn was telling time there. It almost drove her mad. LOL She finally started going to movies subtitled in English a lot. She could already speak French and Spanish...so she thought it would be a breeze. Guess not!
angelmom
The love stays...forever in our hearts
Of course I AM proud and think she's brill! But I'm just her mother. What do I know?
Funny...a few minutes ago she came down to show me "exquisite" in the book she is reading. She said, "Mommy, I know this was on that list you showed me, but what does it mean?"
We read the sentence and I tried to explain exactly. It's tough. A word that the context doesn't help much. But I did my best and now she knows a new word. I thought it was so funny that she remembered out of those hundred.
WS is awesome that way.
BTW, she can read "meow" for sure b/c I have seen her write it next to a drawing of a cat. It just looked weird spelled (spelt? LOL!) that way.
I personally don't think this is so much of a problem with the language as our society watching so much TV, the accepted misspellings on the computer and texting, and no one reads real books any more!
I used to have in my head a popular short list of the most commonly misspelled English words, compiled long ago. I can't remember them all but here's a start:
iridescent
rarefy
kimono
...plus 2 others
I just *know* I have a text file of the complete list, somewhere around here... ;-)
I also used to keep a running text file of the most commonly misspelled words I saw on the computer (way before the www).
Checkout this hit list if you are interested in exploring further.
English IS too hard but it's not going away, so...
iridescent
rarefy
kimono
...plus 2 others
I just *know* I have a text file of the complete list, somewhere around here... ;-)
I also used to keep a running text file of the most commonly misspelled words I saw on the computer (way before the www).
Checkout this hit list if you are interested in exploring further.
English IS too hard but it's not going away, so...
:blowkiss: bahaaaaaa I love you.
English is hard, but I don't think you can blame its complexity on the reason literacy levels are falling. I mean, English is no harder now than it was when literacy levels weren't falling, right?
Literacy levels are falling because people don't read anymore, in my opinion. I have nothing to base this on, just my own observations.
Literacy levels are falling because people don't read anymore, in my opinion. I have nothing to base this on, just my own observations.