terrible spelling

[SlugLobber]

I heard very recently from a very reliable source that A level students who'd sent in papers received grades well below those expected. When the school appealed they were told that the marks were down because they now expected answers in ordinary everyday english, and that students were being marked down for using technical terms. The appeal succeeded and the students were given good grades. POSITIVE DISCRIMINATION METHINKS!!! I'm all for giving everyone a chance to prove themselves, but to be marked down because you can use the English language correctly??????????

Not sure how reliable your source is, RL, or what the subject was? As an A-level Examiner for Biology I can tell you that we are NOT allowed to mark according to spelling or grammar. I've seen some pretty atrocious work from 18yr olds and even argued until I was blue in the face at an examiners' meeting over it, as some Biology answers are in essay format and without punctuation and good spelling, it can be hard to cope with, especially at only £2.15 per script marked! There is one mark in the whole paper that is given for 'QWC' (Quality of Written Communication) and even this HAS to be awarded if the text can be read, even when the spelling and grammar are non-existent. I'm declining the invitation to mark this year, as I've simply had enough. Even the marking is done online, now - another reason I've declined.

I agree, not enough reading is done and it winds me up seeing these 'educational' computer games being marketed at the moment. Haven't they realised the damage that creating a generation of anti-social, telly-glued kids does, yet?!?

I have your trouble, too, Lynda. Words that I used to spell without a thought look 'wrong'. Arrrrghhh!!

[jackie j]

I am hopeless at spelling and I try to read through anything before I submit, it takes me ages sometimes and I even get the dictionary out if i'm really stuck. Sometimes its hard to change the way you have spelt a word if it is how you have always spelt it. I have always read a lot but whwre to put comma's etc I have no idea I didnt listen in class and was afraid to ask. My daughter comes home sometimes and is stuck with her homework because she doesnt know what to do I always tell her to ask but then she gets into trouble. How are the kids supposed to learn if the teacher wont listen to them.
I once asked her teacher why this was the case and she held her hands up and appologised and admitted that when so many of them want help she knows some will be able to cope without her help.
Classes are far too big now.

[beefy]

As just heard on Radio 2's Big Show: "A new survey conducted by grammar software firm All-in-One English Writing and Grammar Software | Advanced Grammar Checker | Innovative Spell Checker | Comprehensive Dictionary and Thesaurus has shown that most British people do not know how to spell basic everyday words. Some 40 per cent failed to correctly spell ‘questionnaire’, 38 per cent were stumped by ‘accommodate’ and 38 per cent were confused by ‘definitely’.

Half of the respondents claimed that their spelling was of a good standard. More than one in 10 said they did not think it was important to be able to spell and were also not bothered by colleagues’ mistakes.

“There is really no excuse nowadays when there are computer programmes to help check grammar, spelling, punctuation and content,” he added. (ANI)

Personally, I think that poor spelling is (usually) down to people not reading - we get information from television and the computer these days, people don't read for pleasure, and are simply not used to seeing different words or bothering to learn the meaning of differently spelt words, ie there/their/they're, prey/pray, advise/advice and weather/whether. They also get extremely defensive when pulled up on their bad spelling! Disclaimer: I am not talking about dyslexics.
Discuss

Seems like a good way of advertising their product.
Cyniciall ? Me ?

[Snadger]

Snadger, I believe you CAN teach a poor speller to spell correctly. There are strategies you can employ. It is, as Two Sheds said, often down to lack of reading experience but you can learn. Many people (sometimes defensively) reckon not to believe it's worth making the effort!

Billocks! l It's in them jeans!

[rustylady]

I still believe the root of the problem is in schools (primary schools) and lack of parental support. We were taught the old-fashioned way, with regular spelling tests, and though there were occasional mistakes most of my contemporaries could write, punctuate and spell well by 11 years old when we left primary school. I do sympathise with teachers, they have too much to do, class sizes are too big, and children often arrive at school at 5 years old not even being able to write their own name or count to ten.

[maytreefrannie]

At my local shopping centre recently, I saw this notice in a hairdressing salon window:

Wanted:
1 resetionist
2 stylists
2 assistant's

You'd think they'd be at least consistent in their use/misuse of apostrophes - and I wondered why they wanted 1 resetionist? To reset something?

[Snadger]

At my local shopping centre recently, I saw this notice in a hairdressing salon window:

Wanted:
1 resetionist
2 stylists
2 assistant's

You'd think they'd be at least consistent in their use/misuse of apostrophes - and I wondered why they wanted 1 resetionist? To reset something?

Resesionisist = Someone who comes back to do a session after they've b*llsed up the first one!

[Two_Sheds]

I still believe the root of the problem is in schools (primary schools) and lack of parental support...children often arrive at school at 5 years old not even being able to write their own name or count to ten.

I work in a class of 7-8 year olds. Very few of them can read & write. A couple of them can't even speak clearly ... one little girl we thought had a speech impediment because she just mumbled incoherently. After spending several weeks with her, and meeting her Mum , we discovered she could speak just fine, but she was not used to talking at home. She was sat in front of the TV and learned English from that, because her parent didn't talk to her apart from "shut up" "go to your room" kind of thing. This isn't foreigners, this is native English people.

We have daily reading in class, but it needs to be done at home as well. The children have a reading record book, and are supposed to "read with Mum" (or Gran, Dad, or anyone) for just 5 mins an evening. Do they bother? Do they heck.

It's not lack of time either - the children are honest little devils, and tell us exactly why they haven't read ... "Dad didn't want to", "Nan was watching telly", even "Mum says it's not her job, she's not a teacher".

* puts head back below parapet

[di]

I agree Two_sheds,I try to go in and help out in DD's class once a week.(6-7yr olds)It is really upsetting how little some of them are able to read or write.There are a few that have reasons(dyslexia,or a parent who themself struggles),but for the rest it seems the same problem as you said~parents don't see it as their job!!I struggle now to extend my point of view,as I am totally baffled as to where they're coming from!!....no it's not their "job"& they're not getting paid to listen to their child read,but...... and
My boy was "diagnosed" with a severe speech delay about a year ago(really should remember to turn the volume up on the telly!!)Yes,I sought help from a speech therapist,who was great,but the responsibility to help him overcome his problem always remained with me!!
I guess we all have different ideas on what being a parent involves!

[SlugLobber]

I read a post about a "millisshus horse" yesterday. The mind boggles! My Mum had me reading basic words from the age of 2 and I could write before I went to nursery. Haven't seen anybody do that in my current circles. Some believe there is no point, after they find others who HAVE taught their own kids get to school and get bored because the others are like 'babies', due to the sytem, not the teachers. I think the way things are going, any kids of mine will be home-schooled and I'll start my own ruddy school!

[Flummery]

Billocks! l It's in them jeans!

No really! Your son taught YOU to spell archaeologist!
I also reckon that with a locked room and a lot of pain I could teach the so called tone deaf to sing in tune!