AP: Spelling Bee protesters

[Dennis Baron]

Two old Web of Language posts (from 2007) on the Spelling Bee protests:

Bee Season: The annual Spelling Bee brings out protestors as well as  
nerds:

http://illinois.edu/db/view/25/2052?count=1&ACTION=DIALOG

Spelling counts at the Spelling Bee, but in the age of the Internet,  
should it count anywhere else?

http://illinois.edu/db/view/25/2064?count=1&ACTION=DIALOG


____________________
Dennis Baron
Professor of English and Linguistics
Department of English
University of Illinois
608 S. Wright St.
Urbana, IL 61801

office: 217-244-0568
fax: 217-333-4321

http://www.illinois.edu/goto/debaron

read the Web of Language:
http://www.illinois.edu/goto/weboflanguage








On Jun 4, 2010, at 7:09 PM, RonButters wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header  
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       RonButters <ronbutters at AOL.COM>
> Subject:      Re: AP: Spelling Bee protesters
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> The myth that English spelling is particularly unsystematic (not to  
> say  "hectic"--whatever that means!) is breathlessly repeated over  
> and over by the linguistically naïve. If it were true, there would  
> be no point in trying to teach English reading phonically. True,  
> there is variability, but it is largely rule governed and  
> accomodates many dialects, both archaic and modern. (The belief that  
> It works better for Middle English than Modern Englishes is likewise  
> a myth promulgated by the ignorant.)
> Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Rick Barr <rickbarremail at GMAIL.COM>
> Date:         Fri, 4 Jun 2010 11:15:09
> To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Subject:      Re: [ADS-L] AP: Spelling Bee protesters
>
> There was a piece about English spelling in The Economist a few  
> years ago.
> It may be this one, but its content is blocked so I couldn't double- 
> check:
> http://www.economist.com/research/articlesBySubject/displaystory.cfm?subjectid=922074&story_id=E1_TTJNDRNJ
>
> It did say something relevant to this discussion, and it is that  
> English
> takes longer to read than other European languages, precisely  
> because of its
> hectic spelling. Of course, it is unthinkable to carry through an  
> overhaul
> of English spelling. But the price paid in readability is something  
> to take
> into account.
>
> -- Rick
>
>
> On Fri, Jun 4, 2010 at 10:23 AM, Joel S. Berson <Berson at att.net>  
> wrote:
>
>> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
>> -----------------------
>> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>> Poster:       "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
>> Subject:      Re: AP: Spelling Bee protesters
>>
>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>> At 6/4/2010 04:47 AM, Tom Zurinskas wrote:
>>> In Finland there are no spelling bees.  Finnish spelling is simple,
>>> phonetic.  Simpler is better.
>>
>> But think of the fun they're all missing.
>>
>> Joel
>>
>> ------------------------------------------------------------
>> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org