Quote
"In fact, he said, with the exception of a few recent coinages like LOL, “virtually all the commonly used ones can be found in English a century ago.” For example, bn (been), btwn (between) and wd (would) can all be found in a 1942 dictionary of abbreviations." (Ammon,2010)
Reaction
While reading this passage I came across many things that I found amazing. But this quote got me the most. I find it hard to believe that many of the words people use today in their text messages was actually once a way the word was actually spelled. These words were found in a 1942 dictionary, and are still commonly used today in a persons text message. But what this article really focused on was reforming the way words are spelled today. This was something else that really blew my mind. To think that we've been spelling these words since were in the 2nd and 3rd grade and now they want to change the way things are spelled! How is a teacher just gonna one day say we've been spelling these words this way for years but now we want to change them?
We mentioned in class that different countries spell some common english words like color in many different ways, and some places like universities will except them, but if your in grade school they won't. How can a teacher tell their students that they way their parents taught them to spell is wrong? If a parent is from that country and thats all they know who is the teacher to mark their paper wrong when they spell it the way they are used to it being spelled. We as teachers need to be understanding of different countries and different cultures and help students to understand that their way is right, but there is also another way.
I think this conversation relates to this passage in many ways. To reform our spelling to maybe how it sounds, or the easiest way to spell it is how many other countries spell their words. But people don't think that we should change the way spelling is.. they understand that today's age with text messaging really is changing the way students write and spell but they don't want it to be changed. Even though thats how these words were once spelled centuries ago.
Related Link
The website I found is called Write101. On this page there is different ways that Australia spells common English words. It shows how both are spelled, and they are both pretty close. It just seems as though Australia picks the way the word sounds. Check it out it's pretty cool!
http://www.write101.com/W.Tips83.htm
References
Ammon, S. (2010, january 22). The keypad solution. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/24/magazine/24FOB-onlanguage-t.html
Stewart, J. (2009). The write way. Retrieved from http://www.write101.com/W.Tips83.htm
I agree with you. I was rather shocked with the article as well. It is hard to think that the test messaging abbreviations we use today were once in dictionaries and still are today. When we mentioned in class that different countries spell some common english words like color in many different ways, and some places like universities will except them, but if your in grade school they won't.- This just blows my mind. If you except a word spelled one way, how is it not exceptable another way. This puzzles me. We need to be diverse in the way others students were raised and taught.We as teachers need to help students understand which way is right.
ReplyDeleteI was surprised to see that some of the abbreviations were in a dictionary. I am however still on he fence about changing the way some words are spelled. There are some students that have a hard time spelling because they want spell the words the way they sound. I just wonder if it would be easier to teach kids to spell the words an easier way. I do understand that people have been spelling words the way they are for some time now and it wouldn't be fair to ask them to change the way they spell.
ReplyDeleteI think that it would be extremely difficult for this country to reform spelling even though it would be beneficial. I think that it is similar to the situation with converting to metrics. Students are learning this new form of measurement, but the country has not accepted it as our standard form of measurement.
ReplyDeleteKeep the spellings the same!!! If we don't then everyone in the whole country will have to learn the new spellings and people that have just learned the English language will have to learn the new spellings again. Just think of the kids that have Learning disabilities.
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