Today's most viewed
| NEWS | | |  | | | SPORT | | | | | | INTERVIEWS | | | | FEATURED ARTICLE | | | | COMPETITIONS | | | | | | |
|
|
|
Lecturer: overlook common spelling mistakes
LECTURERS should turn a blind eye to common spelling mistakes, a teacher at Buckinghamshire New University has said.
Twenty of the most common mistakes such as "Febuary", "ignor" and "speach" should be overlooked said Dr Ken Smith of the High Wycombe-based university.
His comments - in the Times Higher Educational Supplement - have sparked a debate in the national media today over literacy.
Dr Smith, a senior lecturer in criminology at Buckinghamshire New University said: "Teaching a large first-year course at a British university, I am fed up with correcting my students' atrocious spelling. Aren't we all?
"But why must we suffer? Instead of complaining about the state of the education system as we correct the same mistakes year after year, I've got a better idea.
"University teachers should simply accept as variant spellings those words our students most commonly misspell."
He said: "Either we go on beating ourselves and our students up over this problem or we simply give everyone a break and accept these variant spellings as such.
"All I am suggesting is that we might well put 20 or so of the most commonly misspelt words in the English language on the same footing as those other words that have a widely accepted variant spelling."
His call was welcomed by The Spelling Society, which calls for simpler spellings based on how words sound.
But John Simpson, the chief editor of the Oxford English Dictionary, told The Times: "There are enormous advantages in having a coherent system of spelling.
"It makes it easier to communicate. Maybe during a learning phase there is some scope for error, but I would hope that by the time people get to university they have learnt to spell."
Dr Smith highlighted examples including:
Arguement for argument
Why drop the "e" in argument (and judgment) but not management?
Ignor for ignore
Ignore comes from the Latin ignorare, meaning "to know", and ignarus, meaning "ignorant". Neither of these words has an "e" after the "r", so why do we?
Occured for occurred
There is no second "r" in the words "occur" or "occurs" and that is why nearly everyone misspells this word
Opertunity for opportunity
In Latin this word refers to the timely arrival at a harbour - Latin portus. But the Latin spelling is obportus, not opportus, so, if we were being consistent, we should spell "opportunity" as "obportunity"
Que for queue, or better yet cue or even kew
Where did we get the second "ue" in the word "queue" and why do we need it?
Speach for speech
We spell "speak" with an "ea". We do not have to but we do. Since we do, let us then spell "speech" with an "a" too
Thier for their
(or better still, why not just drop the word their altogether in favour of there?) It does not make any difference to the meaning of a sentence if you spell "their" as "thier" or "there", so why insist on "their"?
Truely for truly
We don't spell the adverb "surely" as "surly" because this would make another word, so why is the adverb of "true" spelt "truly"?
Twelth as twelfth
Twelf is related to the Frisian tweli, but why should we care? You would not dream of spelling "stealth" or "wealth" with an "f" so why do it in "twelfth"?
9:37am Thursday 7th August 2008
Print 
Email this 
CommentPosted by: smokey, high wycombe on 9:45am Thu 7 Aug 08
So a second class lecturer ( I mean come on, criminology!) from a third class 'university' - and I use the word lightly, tells fellow lecturers not to worry about spelling mistakes.
Unbelievable. I have looked round the so called university - I wouldn't send my cat there let alone my daughter!
I disagree - spelling mistakes in an academic institution should never be tolerated and it could be argued that if a student is intelligent enough to go to university, then they should be able to spell.
Mind you this is Bucks new uni where I understand you can get a degree simply by filling in your name and address on the back of a cornflakes packet ( don't worry about spelling!)
I am sick and tired of mediocre to be honest.
This gentleman should be ashamed of himself!
So a second class lecturer ( I mean come on, criminology!) from a third class 'university' - and I use the word lightly, tells fellow lecturers not to worry about spelling mistakes.
Unbelievable. I have looked round the so called university - I wouldn't send my cat there let alone my daughter!
I disagree - spelling mistakes in an academic institution should never be tolerated and it could be argued that if a student is intelligent enough to go to university, then they should be able to spell.
Mind you this is Bucks new uni where I understand you can get a degree simply by filling in your name and address on the back of a cornflakes packet ( don't worry about spelling!)
I am sick and tired of mediocre to be honest.
This gentleman should be ashamed of himself!
Posted by: paulc, Amersham on 9:56am Thu 7 Aug 08
This guy's gonna get torn apart. (Perhaps not literally)
What an absolute buffoon.
This guy's gonna get torn apart. (Perhaps not literally)
What an absolute buffoon.
Posted by: llcherri, Wycombe on 10:22am Thu 7 Aug 08
Shouldn't we be raising standards in education not dumbing down. Seems this country has last it’s way in regard to striving for excellence make the exams and courses easier so everybody gets high marks.
Shouldn't we be raising standards in education not dumbing down. Seems this country has last it’s way in regard to striving for excellence make the exams and courses easier so everybody gets high marks.
Posted by: Blueberry, S Bucks on 10:24am Thu 7 Aug 08
BFP, if you're going to write an article about spelling, you should be extra careful:
[quote]Twenty of the most common mistakes such as "Febuary", "ignor" and "speech"[/quote] The last of those is [bold]correct[/bold] !
It's a stupid suggestion, especially from a professional educator. Where would you draw the line? Why ignore only the 20 most common errors, why not the top 50, 100, 500?
BFP, if you're going to write an article about spelling, you should be extra careful:
Twenty of the most common mistakes such as "Febuary", "ignor" and "speech"
The last of those is
correct !
It's a stupid suggestion, especially from a professional educator. Where would you draw the line? Why ignore only the 20 most common errors, why not the top 50, 100, 500?
Posted by: Mutley, High Wycombe on 10:27am Thu 7 Aug 08
I'm sure Dr Smith's ideas will be welcomed by the BFP reporters, not known for their spelling or grammatical skills. A review of the difference between "effect" and "affect" would be a good starting point.
I'm sure Dr Smith's ideas will be welcomed by the BFP reporters, not known for their spelling or grammatical skills. A review of the difference between "effect" and "affect" would be a good starting point.
Posted by: Blueberry, S Bucks on 10:43am Thu 7 Aug 08
Maybe I'm being cynical, but perhaps one reason for suggesting lecturers ignor[bold]e[/bold] spelling errors is that some of them are not to[bold]o[/bold] good at spelling themselves?
Maybe I'm being cynical, but perhaps one reason for suggesting lecturers ignor
e spelling errors is that some of them are not to
o good at spelling themselves?
Posted by: slacker, Flackwell on 11:01am Thu 7 Aug 08
Anyone that has ever tried to look back on their ancestry will know that illiteracy in the 19th century on the censuses can lead to dead ends when trying to trace the family. Surnames were spelled differently and illiteracy was so rife that many people just signed with an X or a scrawl.
Literacy has improved 1000% since way back then, do we really want to go back to bad standards for our future generations? People with dyslexia are forgiven as its not their fault, but really in this day and age there is absolutely no excuse to spell ignore "ignor".
*checks post for spelling errors* :-)
Anyone that has ever tried to look back on their ancestry will know that illiteracy in the 19th century on the censuses can lead to dead ends when trying to trace the family. Surnames were spelled differently and illiteracy was so rife that many people just signed with an X or a scrawl.
Literacy has improved 1000% since way back then, do we really want to go back to bad standards for our future generations? People with dyslexia are forgiven as its not their fault, but really in this day and age there is absolutely no excuse to spell ignore "ignor".
*checks post for spelling errors* :-)
Posted by: Blueberry, S Bucks on 11:02am Thu 7 Aug 08
[bold]All but the first four sentences of the article above are lifted, VERBATIM, from the THES article[/bold]. Although the THES is mentioned, I think they should be given explicit credit for writing 95% of the "BFP" article.
Here's the original: http://www.timeshigh
ereducation.co.uk/st
ory.asp?sectioncode=
26&storycode=403092&
c=1
All but the first four sentences of the article above are lifted, VERBATIM, from the THES article. Although the THES is mentioned, I think they should be given explicit credit for writing 95% of the "BFP" article.
Here's the original: http://www.timeshigh
ereducation.co.uk/st
ory.asp?sectioncode=
26&storycode=403092&
c=1
Posted by: Plus ça change..., Wcymoeb on 11:04am Thu 7 Aug 08
Obviously some irony in the [italic]Bcuks Fere Perss[/italic] oops [italic]Bukcs Reef Sreps[/italic] oops [italic]uBcks Feer Erpss[/italic] oops reporting this!
I think the man should stick to 'kriminollogi'...
His fave TV prog?
ICS...?
Obviously some irony in the
Bcuks Fere Perss oops
Bukcs Reef Sreps oops
uBcks Feer Erpss oops reporting this!
I think the man should stick to 'kriminollogi'...
His fave TV prog?
ICS...?
Posted by: Blueberry, S Bucks on 11:16am Thu 7 Aug 08
Well someone at BFP reads these comments, which is good.
They've corrected the error I quoted above, where they gave "speech" as an example of incorrect spelling.
Well done!
Well someone at BFP reads these comments, which is good.
They've corrected the error I quoted above, where they gave "speech" as an example of incorrect spelling.
Well done!
Posted by: Merge in Turn on 12:22pm Thu 7 Aug 08
I blame the education system for abolishing competitiveness in the classroom. Whatever happened to the Sponsored Spelling test? Gone are the days of have 100 difficult words to learn – pneumonia, Mississippi, grammar, separate, immediate. I had hours of fun trying to do better than my peers. Praise the Lord for spell checkers now though.
I blame the education system for abolishing competitiveness in the classroom. Whatever happened to the Sponsored Spelling test? Gone are the days of have 100 difficult words to learn – pneumonia, Mississippi, grammar, separate, immediate. I had hours of fun trying to do better than my peers. Praise the Lord for spell checkers now though.
Posted by: Plus ça change..., Skoolcombe on 12:50pm Thu 7 Aug 08
Correction:
[quote]kriminollogi[/quote]
Oops. Sorry. How embarassing.
'Chrymmyknolloji' apparently - the 'k' is silent!
But there again it doesn't matter, does it...
Correction:
kriminollogi
Oops. Sorry. How embarassing.
'Chrymmyknolloji' apparently - the 'k' is silent!
But there again it doesn't matter, does it...
Posted by: Plus ça change..., Backfired on 12:52pm Thu 7 Aug 08
'embarrassing'... ha
No-one's perfect!
'embarrassing'... ha
No-one's perfect!
Posted by: Merge in Turn on 12:54pm Thu 7 Aug 08
[quote][bold]Plus ça change...[/bold] wrote:
Correction: [quote]kriminollogi[/quote] Oops. Sorry. How embarassing. 'Chrymmyknolloji' apparently - the 'k' is silent! But there again it doesn't matter, does it...[/quote] Silent "k"'s! Are they the same as a silent "P" in the bath?
Plus ça change... wrote:
Correction: kriminollogi
Oops. Sorry. How embarassing. 'Chrymmyknolloji' apparently - the 'k' is silent! But there again it doesn't matter, does it...
Silent "k"'s! Are they the same as a silent "P" in the bath?
Posted by: Tharus Bond, Wycombe on 1:07pm Thu 7 Aug 08
colour, honour! they both have U in them! The way we spell things is what seperates us from the americans across the atlantic! I do make mistakes I have trouble with the word necessary! but I always check with a dictionary a word that i have trouble to spell!
colour, honour! they both have U in them! The way we spell things is what seperates us from the americans across the atlantic! I do make mistakes I have trouble with the word necessary! but I always check with a dictionary a word that i have trouble to spell!
Posted by: Icarvs, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on 1:10pm Thu 7 Aug 08
[quote]The way we spell things is what seperates us from the americans across the atlantic![/quote]
Like the Google founders, for example...
The way we spell things is what seperates us from the americans across the atlantic!
Like the Google founders, for example...
Posted by: cwpwrdd, High Wycombe on 1:28pm Thu 7 Aug 08
[quote]You would not dream of spelling "stealth" or "wealth" with an "f" so why do it in "twelfth"?[/quote]
...because no such words exist as 'stelve' or 'welve' to apply the same principle to?? I could have almost accepted 'twelvth', as at least that follows the same formula as, say 'ten' to 'tenth'.
You would not dream of spelling "stealth" or "wealth" with an "f" so why do it in "twelfth"?
...because no such words exist as 'stelve' or 'welve' to apply the same principle to?? I could have almost accepted 'twelvth', as at least that follows the same formula as, say 'ten' to 'tenth'.
Posted by: Blueberry, S Bucks on 2:59pm Thu 7 Aug 08
[quote]The way we spell things is what sep[bold]e[/bold] rates us from the [bold]a[/bold] mericans across the [bold]a[/bold] tlantic![/quote]
Surely the [bold]A[/bold] tlantic sep[bold]a[/bold] rates us from the [bold]A[/bold] mericans?
But I take your point. I think it was Churchill and/or Oscar Wilde (and probably many others) who described us as two nations divided by a common tongue.
The way we spell things is what sepe rates us from the a mericans across the a tlantic!
Surely the
A tlantic sep
a rates us from the
A mericans?
But I take your point. I think it was Churchill and/or Oscar Wilde (and probably many others) who described us as two nations divided by a common tongue.
Posted by: Blueberry, S Bucks on 3:00pm Thu 7 Aug 08
(Curses. I tried to delete the spaces after the bold flag, but it didn't work.)
(Curses. I tried to delete the spaces after the bold flag, but it didn't work.)
Posted by: erm, ermsville on 4:31pm Thu 7 Aug 08
what a load of bowlucks
Posted by: Icarvs, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on 6:13pm Thu 7 Aug 08
[quote]what a load of bowlucks[/quote]
Nevermind...
what a load of bowlucks
Nevermind...
Posted by: George - Wycombe on 12:29am Fri 8 Aug 08
Could it be that the lecturer hopes his students could qualify for a job reporting on the Bucks Free Press.
The lecturers comments are CRIMINAL.
Could it be that the lecturer hopes his students could qualify for a job reporting on the Bucks Free Press.
The lecturers comments are CRIMINAL.
Posted by: Blueberry, S Bucks on 9:13am Fri 8 Aug 08
Why, on this topic of all topics, have so many people given up on correct spelling, capital letters and apostrophes?
Why, on this topic of all topics, have so many people given up on correct spelling, capital letters and apostrophes?
Posted by: dave, High Wycombe on 11:05pm Sat 9 Aug 08
I believe Ken Smith has recently published a book. Funny that he should release this highly controversial statement now? Shame he has to sell out his students who probably can spell for a bit of publicity.
I believe Ken Smith has recently published a book. Funny that he should release this highly controversial statement now? Shame he has to sell out his students who probably can spell for a bit of publicity.
Posted by: WinstonSmith, Marlow on 8:24pm Sun 10 Aug 08
[quote][bold]dave[/bold] wrote:
I believe Ken Smith has recently published a book. Funny that he should release this highly controversial statement now? Shame he has to sell out his students who probably can spell for a bit of publicity.[/quote] Do you know the title of the book Dave? I think it might be 'Chavs at university' but not sure
dave wrote:
I believe Ken Smith has recently published a book. Funny that he should release this highly controversial statement now? Shame he has to sell out his students who probably can spell for a bit of publicity.
Do you know the title of the book Dave? I think it might be 'Chavs at university' but not sure
What are these links for?
If you liked this article and would like to share it with others on the web who might be searching for good content we've made it easy for you to do it.
At the bottom of all articles, you'll see links to six sites. These sites - commonly called 'social bookmark' or 'social news' sites - have large communities of web users who share and rate interesting, useful and fun things on the web.
Clicking the links will automatically add the address of the story you are reading to one of these sites, letting you share it with others. Each site will ask you to register to share stories. Registration is free and once a member, you can store, recommend and search for stories that interest you.
More on Digg
More on del.icio.us
More on Furl
More on reddit
More on NowPublic/
More on Yahoo!
