It’s seems pretty absurd when you think about it that there is such a disconnect between how English words are pronounced and spelled that we have spelling bees. It seems that all of the effort to coordinate a spelling bee on a wide scale could’ve been used to develop and standardize a more phonetic writing system. Instead, we have made a competition out of rote memorization. Those kids should instead be praying for an overhauled writing system where there aren’t superfluous letters and exceptions to every rule so the next generation doesn’t have to struggle as much to learn to read.
Eh, I feel like it teaches etymology, which I think is interesting. It’s cool to know how many loan words we have from other languages, and how other languages shaped our own. It’s kinda weird to turn that knowledge into a competition I suppose, but it’s far from the weirdest thing on ESPN8
Given the number of kids in high school who still can’t read that well and the number of dyslexic people who struggle, I’m not sure preserving the heritage should be the priority. If we thought this way about programming languages, we probably would still be using assembly for everything.
I think it’s closer to learning binary and Boolean logic as the precursor to programming, learning about transistor circuitry as the precursor to that, and learning more fundamental electronic circuitry as the precursor to that.
We use assembly where it’s appropriate, people build digital circuitry where it’s appropriate, people still build more basic/fundamental circuits where it’s appropriate. Learning the etymology of words is interesting and an important part of history and anthropology, as it helps us piece together how people in the past interacted. Again, I agree that it’s kinda weird to make a competition out of spelling. All I’m trying to say is that one of the side effects of spelling bees is that more people learn about the etymology and history of words, which is neat.
It’s seems pretty absurd when you think about it that there is such a disconnect between how English words are pronounced and spelled that we have spelling bees. It seems that all of the effort to coordinate a spelling bee on a wide scale could’ve been used to develop and standardize a more phonetic writing system. Instead, we have made a competition out of rote memorization. Those kids should instead be praying for an overhauled writing system where there aren’t superfluous letters and exceptions to every rule so the next generation doesn’t have to struggle as much to learn to read.
You say that like it hasn’t been tried a bunch
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English-language_spelling_reform
I’ve heard of past efforts along these lines, but good to see a more comprehensive account.
In Turkey they did exactly that and it’s awesome.
I felt this way about language for a long time but I’ve now fully embraced descriptivism over prescriptivism. You literally can’t fight language :P
Eh, I feel like it teaches etymology, which I think is interesting. It’s cool to know how many loan words we have from other languages, and how other languages shaped our own. It’s kinda weird to turn that knowledge into a competition I suppose, but it’s far from the weirdest thing on ESPN8
Given the number of kids in high school who still can’t read that well and the number of dyslexic people who struggle, I’m not sure preserving the heritage should be the priority. If we thought this way about programming languages, we probably would still be using assembly for everything.
I think it’s closer to learning binary and Boolean logic as the precursor to programming, learning about transistor circuitry as the precursor to that, and learning more fundamental electronic circuitry as the precursor to that.
We use assembly where it’s appropriate, people build digital circuitry where it’s appropriate, people still build more basic/fundamental circuits where it’s appropriate. Learning the etymology of words is interesting and an important part of history and anthropology, as it helps us piece together how people in the past interacted. Again, I agree that it’s kinda weird to make a competition out of spelling. All I’m trying to say is that one of the side effects of spelling bees is that more people learn about the etymology and history of words, which is neat.