Is spelling a lost art?

[FergieTCat]

I've seen spelling errors in the crawls of the cable news networks.

Spelling might be a lost art, but it shouldn't be.

 

[Sparx]

I spell pretty well. But I have lots of typos. I "trained' myself to "auto-correct" as I go along, but sometimes I miss my typos. There are words that I'm a bit...puzzled on their spelling and will sometimes change how I say it if I can.

There was one word that I got mocked on (here) for the longest time. I cannot remember what it was. My "homeschooling" skills were even questioned. In any case, I never spell that word wrong anymore.

But mocking people or discrediting their opinion due to a grammar or spelling issue--unless the post is so out of whack incomprehensible...just look past it and move on. It's a discussion board and not a dissertation. IRL--people aren't checking my spelling when I am talking and this is just a replacement for talking IMHO.

As for it being a lost art--I have a theory aka an opinion that it is related to reading programs. Especially those programs that don't utilize phonics to teach reading. If one doesn't know how to decode words--then spelling a word they have never had to memorize for a spelling test is going to be wrong more often than not. (anyway--just a theory, no links for proof)

My DH is constantly asking me to spell words. I don't know if it is the "engineer" in him or what. He was a pretty average student until high school, he says.

I am picking up "text-ese", but I do not really care for it.

I sort of agree with this. As a child, I was a terrible speller. I was never any good at phonics in school, and to this day I cannot "sound out" a word I don't know. I learned spelling via memorization instead of learning the phonetical rules. I remember having had problems where I have read a word and I know what it means, but I've never said it out loud and never actually know how to say it.

 

[Christine]

I've seen spelling errors in the crawls of the cable news networks.

Spelling might be a lost art, but it shouldn't be.

It bugs me the most when I see spelling errors on TV or in the paper. Don't they pay to have editors? Of course they do. The editors are getting worse.

I don't consider spelling an "art." It's something you need to know just like having some sort of capability in math. Some people do each better than the other, but neither one are "arts."

 

[WeLoveLilo05]

I think I am terrible at spelling, but usually its with words that I don't use everyday, and sadly I went to college to be a teacher lol.
One thing that does gripe me is when people don't know how to properly use their they're and there lol
I think b/c my 4th grade teacher DRILLED it into our heads.

 

[Claire&TheBoys]

There have always been terrible spellers. Maybe it's just more noticeable on message boards because everything is typed vs having a spoken conversation. I've been teaching for 18 years and I don't think the kids or parents spell any worse now than they did 18 years ago. It's never been great.

Yesterday my assistant was grading the spelling tests. She said, "Everyone did great!" After the kids left, I looked over their papers. Almost every paper had spelling errors on it that my assistant didn't catch. On one paper there were four words wrong that my assistant thought were correct. These were words mostly at 2nd and 3rd grade levels (there were at least 3 lists of words based on the reading levels of the students). She was in a hurry to grade the papers, so some of the grading errors occurred for that reason. But there were also some words like "shriek" that she didn't know how to spell.

I've learned by studying orthography in school that good spellers are naturally good spellers and bad spellers and not because they studied their spelling words. Most people who are good spellers are so because their brain remembers word spellings just by reading those words in a book. The brain takes a mental image of the word. Other brains don't work that way. Take for example a word that most people have read, but have never written themselves. A word they've seen in print like a well-known person's name, but with an uncommon spelling. When asked to write that person's name, the good spellers were able to spell the name, even though there was no phonetic basis to the spelling and even though they had never ever written the word before (but had seen it in print several times). The people who were not considered good spellers, had a more difficult time with spelling the name and were not able to spell it correctly because their brain had not taken a mental image of of the word.

I remember learning this sometime during the Gulf War. The name with the unusual spelling that the teachers were asked to write was "Norman Schwarzkopf." His name had been seen in the newspapers over and over again, but no one in the room had ever written his last name and had never been asked to write it. The good spellers in the room were able to spell it correctly, while the poor spellers weren't even close.

I think that is very true. I was an avid reader when I was young and always a good speller (and still am). My oldest son is also an avid reader and excellent speller. His kindergarten teacher was stunned when he spelled "ostrich" correctly.

Some of the most intelligent people I know are not good spellers, or rather, maybe they're just careless: They couldn't care less that they don't spell correctly. My sister and I have tried to convince her 19-yr-old son that he will not always be able to use spell-check!

 

[LilyWDW]

I failed spelling in 5th grade. Not because I didn't study, oh lord did I study every night, but because spelling just did not come easily to me. I read a lot and never had issues with knowing what a word was, but if you then asked me to spell it... well, it didn't work.

I still can not spell that well, but thanks to Google and spell checking on the computer, I can hide that issue a little better!

 

[Christine]

I failed spelling in 5th grade. Not because I didn't study, oh lord did I study every night, but because spelling just did not come easily to me.

For me, I had the same issues with math. It's definitely a "brain" thing.

 

[KimR]

I have this same issue. I definitely know the difference but when I'm typing fast, especially on a message board, it's like there is a disconnect between my brain and fingers. My fingers seem to go opposite of what my head knows is correct. It really bugs me.

I'm the same way. My fingers tend to type the most common letter pattern regardless of whether it is correct spelling or not. For example, the word 'grammar'. I constantly misspell when I am typing (I did it just now, in fact). I know how the word is spelled, but my fingers want to type 'er' after a double consonant rather than the less common 'ar'. Also, I'm a horrible proofreader. My eyes tend to see what my brain knows is correct rather than what's actually there.

Add to that the fact that I'm a terrible writer in general. The thoughts are there in my head, but I simply have a hard time transferring them from my brain to paper. It's almost like a disablity with me. I am reasonably intelligent, but I feel like I come off sounding like an idiot sometimes. It's frustrating, especially when I read posts from people who express themselves so well. Why can't I do that??? I do think I have a reasonably decent grasp of spelling, grammar, and punctuation, so at least my posts are comprehensible (most of the time). Had to go back and fix 'grammar' AGAIN.

 

[tinkerdorabelle]

I've noticed on these boards way more than others, that people get really upset over misspelled (that's correct, I checked the dictionary) words.

Full disclosure: I am a notoriously bad speller.

Nowadays though, is spelling a lost art. I think I'm a fairly intelligent person (Chemist). I have tons of friends who are doctors and make spelling errors. Philadelphia Judge in the family who admits to having horrible spelling (he says he has clerks to write briefs) so spelling is definitely not a dependable indication of intelligence.

Now with spell check and text messaging, where you don't even spell the entire work, is spelling a lost art? and why does it get people so upset? I can't tell you the number of posters who feel the need to go totally OT in order to correct someone's (where does the apostrophe go)spelling.

Maybe it's in the context of the message. For instance, there was one recently which u may be referring to, where a teacher was upset about cuts made, and talks about what teachers should be paid, etc. (I think teachers should be paid more myself personally and are under-valued). Another teacher also responded, and both made spelling errors. Now that was why that was mentioned. Now I am not saying those teachers were not intelligent, I know people that are extremely intelligent and do not spell well, but that is not their vocation. But there are also teachers that are not good teachers in our system and that also needs addressing. I do not know if this was the case or not, as this teacher seemed upset and pointed out that they taught chemistry, not spelling. But 2 teachers responded to the post and made very simple spelling errors. My nephew has a mind like a calculator, he did the Rubix cube (spelling?) in third grade, and I am not exaggerating, and is not that great of a speller, and can figure out the most complex math problems in his head. It just makes it at least stand out more when they are posting, that's all.

 

[a1tinkfans]

On our way home this evening we saw a work/business van that had the company name on it...stopped next to us at a red light.


The side said
"one call dose it all" H E L L O "Does"

I wouldn't hire them.....

 

[cm8]

I think the reason people get upset over spelling errors here is because your writing is all we have. I don't know you. I don't know you're a chemist or a doctor or a veterinarian or a cashier at walmart. All I know is what you provide in your post. I have to form an opinion and a response to you based on all that you give us in a paragraph or two of posting. Grammar is important when the written word is all you have. [/QU

 

[Tess]

I blame my Grandfather for my spelling challenges... British spelling (he learned English from the British) overlaid on French? I didn't stand a chance! LOL.

I did try and was pretty good! Now, without spellcheck I'm hopeless.

One other oddity I've noticed. I know the difference thankyouverymuch between, where and wear and were; there and they're and their; lose and loose; two and to and too; do and dew and due; ect. However, I consistently find myself making errors when posting! S'UP with THAT?

Your fingers are going faster than your brain? I'm not sure, but I find I do the same thing--I blame it on "senior moments".

 

[Poppinsme]

I'm a terrible speller. Always have been. Hooray for ieSpell check.
But to get upset or have spell Nazis? That to me is a little over reacting.
I have a PhD in history but spell like a grade schooler.

And take a look at how the spelling was in other centuries for English.
Maybe WE are spelling words wrong!

 

[MM27]

It's ironic that most people that correct the spelling and grammar of others on these boards usually make some spelling or grammar error in their post. It never fails.

 

[alexandria674]

The little devil in me becomes slightly gleeful when someone critisizes another for their spelling and grammar when their own post is basically unreadable. If you ARE going to critique anyone's spelling, fix your own first.

 

[klacey1]

I'd say I have above average spelling/grammar skills-- I was an English major in college and now work in book publishing. Spelling is sort of my job, literally.
HOWEVER, I would never correct anyone on a message board. I was the butt who corrected teachers in high school (yes, I was THAT one!), but I think it's a bit rude to correct someone on a board. It just seems kind of silly. Plus, my boyfriend (and his sister) are dyslexic. Though he is incredibly intelligent, his spelling/grammar are pretty poor. I would never call anyone out (especially someone I didn't know) on a board because you never know things like that...
Overall, I do think people spell worse than they do now. Grammar tests are a thing of the past-- elementary schools don't have kids diagramming sentences anymore. However, my dad thinks computers have helped his spelling. He pays attention to when spell check corrects a word and tries hard to spell it correctly next time. I guess most people don't really do this, though.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

The little devil in me becomes slightly gleeful when someone critisizes another for their spelling and grammar when their own post is basically unreadable. If you ARE going to critique anyone's spelling, fix your own first.

But those are just typos...perfectly allowed when one knows their grammar and spelling are perfect.

(and sometimes, when folks are being exceptionally persnickety--I rebel, and leave all the typos. )

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Maybe it's in the context of the message. For instance, there was one recently which u may be referring to, where a teacher was upset about cuts made, and talks about what teachers should be paid, etc. (I think teachers should be paid more myself personally and are under-valued). Another teacher also responded, and both made spelling errors. Now that was why that was mentioned. Now I am not saying those teachers were not intelligent, I know people that are extremely intelligent and do not spell well, but that is not their vocation. But there are also teachers that are not good teachers in our system and that also needs addressing. I do not know if this was the case or not, as this teacher seemed upset and pointed out that they taught chemistry, not spelling. But 2 teachers responded to the post and made very simple spelling errors. My nephew has a mind like a calculator, he did the Rubix cube (spelling?) in third grade, and I am not exaggerating, and is not that great of a speller, and can figure out the most complex math problems in his head. It just makes it at least stand out more when they are posting, that's all.

One of the spelling errors was actually a very easy typo.

But the powers that be, decided that two times by ateacher made it a spelling error. It's nitpicky and childish to point out that stuff as when folks resort to that, they've run out of anythign to contribute to teh conversation.


(Typos left intentionally b/c I'm weird like that on spelling threads.)

 

[Muushka]

Yes, it is a lost art. And since computers, I have lost it also.

I hate to misspell words. Thankfully I have Mozilla and it spell checks everything that I type, even on these boards!

 

[kaytieeldr]

On our way home this evening we saw a work/business van that had the company name on it...stopped next to us at a red light.


The side said
"one call dose it all" H E L L O "Does"

I wouldn't hire them.....

I know why I wouldn't hire them; why wouldn't you? Just curious if our reasons match