Speling
Sat, 2008-09-06 15:57
#1
ElizaQ
Speling
Sat, 2008-09-06 15:57
#2
ElizaQ
I wrote this out and was going to post it in the actual thread and then realized that that it might be better as a reaction because well...it's my reaction and I didn't want to derail. [img]smile.gif" border="0[/img]
edited to add link where this came up for me:
[url=http://www.rabble.ca/babble/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic&f=1&t=007491]ht...
quote:
Originally posted by Michelle:
[b]That's okay, Brian, you don't have to be a perfect speller to post on babble. I really enjoy your posts. I changed the thread title for you. Hope that's okay.[/b]
Michelle I'm really glad you said something. I'm a bad speller and was debating about saying something because the comment about it actually caused a bit of a reaction. I guess in a form of defense for the some of us bid spelers out there. In my early years I struggled a lot with spelling and no amount of practice, hours sometimes, made it much better. Spent a long time thinking and being told that there was something wrong with me. Actually had a teacher say that she didn't get how my reading comprehension could be so high and seemingly be so intelligent on that end. and not be able to spell properly. I was made made fun of for being dumb when it came to spelling which equated to some as being dumb overall or less than. I know my experience isn't atypical.
Yes overtly bad spelling can be equated with a lack of edjumacation and sometimes it's just people be lazy and not caring. I have to say though what a total and absolute relief it was to learn in later years that no, bad spelling doesn't equal lack of intelligence but can be connected by the way people process information and the type of learners they are. It also, which I was told likely is my case can occur because minor form of dyslexia. They didn't go so far as diagnosing me with dyslexia but explained that the processing issues are connected.
As a bad speller I had to learn different tricks to work at getting better and be extra careful in school on things like reports and check and double check again.
With my issue I can literally spell out a word over and over one hundred times and couple of days later it's gone. Is it 'ent' or 'ant'? Those can be the worst.
At one time just writing out a letter where I didn't have the opportunity to do a redo if necessary was really stressful. Timed essay exams in University could be a nightmare. I'd do things like avoid using words that I just couldn't get right and actually change the content of my prose to get around it. Sometimes using a phrase where one word would do or forgoing the point altogether. This until I learned to talk to teachers about it before hand. For me in some cases it meant the difference between being A exam or a B and sometimes even the C range. In one English class I was actually given extra time to go over my exams because in English spelling does matter.
Spell check on computers was and was amazing and made life a shyteload easier.
While I totally understand the need for good writing and good spelling in certain situations places like this aren't the same as say an academic situation or an officially published bit of prose.
While I don't know whether the comment was meant as a bit of fun or good natured jesting or something more on along the lines just making fun because there's no way to get tone from text my immediate reaction was that it was making fun in the 'ha ha your dumb sort of way' My next thought was 'oh no there are people here judging. I guess I can't relax as much. Realistically I know or at least hope that isn't the case but it still pops up as a reaction because of past experiences.
I just hope that people realize that for people that who do have issues with spelling that this sort of thing can really put blocks up against people communicating and actually cause fear in participating in forums like this because they might be made fun of or that the stress of making sure that it's all perfect all of the time just isn't worth it. Intended that way or not it can be a sensitive issue because more then likely that person has gotten a 'ha ha you're dumb' type comments before from people who really meant it that way.
I'm okay though as I long ago just generally got over it and if I spell the odd word wrong and don't spell check properly or if I'm involved in a heated or fast conversation or am a bit tired and lose the being 'uber careful going over everything fine tooth comb mode' then so be it. I'm not going for a Pulitzer. It still sucks though.
So yeah this is my defense for all of us bad spellers out there who aren't lazy and don't care or wouldn't come close to falling into some sort of uneducated category. For whatever reason, some more then valid imo, we just can't spell very well all of the time and sometimes our brains just don't even recognize bad spelling when we see a word because of the way we're wired. For instance I didn't even notice the 'dieing' vs 'dying' until it was pointed out. [img]smile.gif" border="0[/img]
[ 06 September 2008: Message edited by: ElizaQ ]
Sat, 2008-09-06 17:27
#3
RevolutionPlease
Wow??? Not even like the typo lost any context.
I guess that's what some people do when they don't like threads. [img]frown.gif" border="0[/img]
Sat, 2008-09-06 17:51
#4
Great thread. I too have struggled with bad spelling all my life. I can spell a word a hundred times and get it wrong every time even when I am thinking about it. Spell check was a godsend to me. I was taken out of class for remedial work in elementary school and nothing ever changed. I worked and worked at it, and I have taught myself some tricks too, but really spelling, vocabulary and intelligence have nothing to do with each other.
I see the same thing going on with one of my children. And have been re-educating her teacher. [img]wink.gif" border="0[/img]
Sat, 2008-09-06 18:04
#5
ElizaQ
quote:
Originally posted by Bookish Agrarian:
[b]Great thread. I too have struggled with bad spelling all my life. I can spell a word a hundred times and get it wrong every time even when I am thinking about it. Spell check was a godsend to me. I was taken out of class for remedial work in elementary school and nothing ever changed. I worked and worked at it, and I have taught myself some tricks too, but really spelling, vocabulary and intelligence have nothing to do with each other.I see the same thing going on with one of my children. And have been re-educating her teacher. [img]wink.gif" border="0[/img] [/b]
You know whats interesting is that there may be some sort of genetic component to it. My siblings are the same and my Dad said he struggled with it when he was younger. He said it's always something he has to be acutely aware of. Whether nature or nurture who knows but if it has something to do with brain processes genetics do make some sense.
Sat, 2008-09-06 18:12
#6
N.Beltov
From a very early age I was encouraged and expected to become friends with the dictionary. That was bound to help my spelling.
It has been a very beneficial friendship and, if truth be told, I probably have 10 dictionaries of one sort or another (regular, rhyming, french-english, philosophical, zen, political economy, ...) in my library.
However, spelling zealotry is out of place on babble, and rightly so. I would just add a caveat that many people get very annoyed if you spell their name incorrectly. I make a special effort in those cases and won't apologize for fastidiousness in that regard.
[ 06 September 2008: Message edited by: N.Beltov ]
Sat, 2008-09-06 18:12
#7
Well I feel even more guilty now. Not only did I pass on my chin to her, she got stuck with my bad spelling. Poor kid!
Sat, 2008-09-06 18:14
#8
I'd rather take responsibility for my mistakes than hide behind spell check. Why surrender your - whats the word in French?- essence of self to become a mundane generic clone?
Sat, 2008-09-06 18:32
#9
ElizaQ
quote:
Originally posted by jester:
[b]I'd rather take responsibility for my mistakes than hide behind spell check. Why surrender your - whats the word in French?- essence of self to become a mundane generic clone?[/b]
Yeah but when you write a post and there's a constant barrage of red lines that follow your cursor it's like big red bleeping and blinking lines that call out, 'help me help me, do something, do something' [img]smile.gif" border="0[/img]
Depending on my mood I will ignore them but the worst is when I don't pay any attention at all or don't do corrections, press save, then read it and say good greif that's artrocious and go back and edit a couple of words, press save again, get conflubled and end up with half a dozen "edited by" lines at the bottom. LOL.
I'm trying the 'essence of self' thing on this post and am ignoring those red lines!
Oh an using google is another trick I've learned to check or if I can't make that red line disappear. Type it in the wrong word and 98% of the time it will figure out for you any links will provide the correct spelling.
I've actually come across some pretty interesting sites that I would likely never search out myself or see because of my bad spelling so hey that's a positive in my books.
Sat, 2008-09-06 18:51
#10
quote:
Originally posted by ElizaQ:
[b]Yeah but when you write a post and there's a constant barrage of red lines that follow your cursor it's like big red bleeping and blinking lines that call out, 'help me help me, do something, do something' [img]smile.gif" border="0[/img]
Depending on my mood I will ignore them but the worst is when I don't pay any attention at all or don't do corrections, press save, then read it and say good greif that's artrocious and go back and edit a couple of words, press save again, get conflubled and end up with half a dozen "edited by" lines at the bottom. LOL.
I'm trying the 'essence of self' thing on this post and am ignoring those red lines!
Oh an using google is another trick I've learned to check or if I can't make that red line disappear. Type it in the wrong word and 98% of the time it will figure out for you any links will provide the correct spelling.
I've actually come across some pretty interesting sites that I would likely never search out myself or see because of my bad spelling so hey that's a positive in my books.[/b]
I get stuck on stupid with grammar and spelling, not because I can't write properly but because I'm in too much of a hurry. I can't type well, even using two fingers. So, my mind composes faster than I type and I end up stuck on stupid on suffixes and such.
Lately, its ally or ly. I could take the time to learn the correct spelling rather than guessing and I should. Using spellcheck instead will only leave me stuck on stupid.
Sun, 2008-09-07 13:47
#11
Yeah, nobody and no thread should dye for spelling mistakes.
Soemtimes the thoughts come rushing out and spellcheck would slow you down so much that it would ruin them. I am sure that is true of most people.
I can slowly read norwegan, dutch, german and even a bit of switzerdeutsch without ever learning any of these languages in school.
One part of reading a language that is similar to english is transposing letters and letter groups as you go. Many words are intelligible at first read if you learn to transpose on the fly.
But it murders your spelling!
Thats one of my excuses. I have more if needed.
Brian
quote:
Originally posted by jester:
[b]I'd rather take responsibility for my mistakes than hide behind spell check. Why surrender your - whats the word in French?- essence of self to become a mundane generic clone?[/b]