Another example of the erosion of Canadian English
Instead of just saying no and creating our OWN spelling B, Canada, in it's long tradition of stupidity and laziness, submits to US will:
Less 'u,' more U.S.
CAROLINE ALPHONSO
From Tuesday's Globe and Mail
How important is the letter u?
Classroom textbooks may account for it in the words colourless and savoury. But in a list distributed to students to memorise for a national spelling bee, the “u” has been dropped from these words.
And forget about finding Mountie or Métis among the 4,000 words on the list. Instead, students are studying Jacksonian and Dixiecrat, not to mention a whole slew of Spanish words. Know how to spell sweetheart in Spanish? D-u-l-c-i-n-e-a.
“Oh, no,” said Frank Bruseker, president of the Alberta Teachers' Association. “I'm a little surprised that in a Canadian spelling test we wouldn't have more spellings with the o-u-r ending and more French words like coureur de bois.”
The list of words that students use to prepare for the CanSpell National Spelling Bee, sponsored by CanWest MediaWorks and now in its second year, comes from Scripps, the U.S.-based organiser of the most competitive spelling bee in the world. No modifications are made to Canadianise the list, and students here are encouraged to study the American words for both regional and national spelling bees.
April Andreosso, director of corporate promotions at CanWest MediaWorks in Toronto, said her hands are tied when it comes to changing the words on the list.
“We use that list because we have to go by Scripps's rules and we want our kids to be eligible for [the Scripps] competition. It's the most prestigious bee in the world.”
There's one saving grace for youngsters, though. Primary and middle-school children in participating schools may have to memorise the words on the list, but Ms Andreosso said judges at the Canadian bees have two dictionaries at their desk and acknowledge the Canadian spelling. Students can get away with spelling it colourless or colorless at Canadian spelling bees.
The Scripps spelling bee, held May 31 and June 1 in Washington, D.C., uses only the Webster's Third New International Dictionary. Director Paige Kimble said officials have no plans to modify the words so that Canadian spellings are accepted.
“This is an American dictionary and they know that. They know that o-u-r words would not be permissible as spellings,” she said.
Teachers should be clear about the British and U.S. spellings for the same word, she added.
Mr Bruseker also said he has reservations about the number of American and Spanish words being used.
----------------------------------
You're hands aren't tied, honey: JUST SAY NO!
Less 'u,' more U.S.
CAROLINE ALPHONSO
From Tuesday's Globe and Mail
How important is the letter u?
Classroom textbooks may account for it in the words colourless and savoury. But in a list distributed to students to memorise for a national spelling bee, the “u” has been dropped from these words.
And forget about finding Mountie or Métis among the 4,000 words on the list. Instead, students are studying Jacksonian and Dixiecrat, not to mention a whole slew of Spanish words. Know how to spell sweetheart in Spanish? D-u-l-c-i-n-e-a.
“Oh, no,” said Frank Bruseker, president of the Alberta Teachers' Association. “I'm a little surprised that in a Canadian spelling test we wouldn't have more spellings with the o-u-r ending and more French words like coureur de bois.”
The list of words that students use to prepare for the CanSpell National Spelling Bee, sponsored by CanWest MediaWorks and now in its second year, comes from Scripps, the U.S.-based organiser of the most competitive spelling bee in the world. No modifications are made to Canadianise the list, and students here are encouraged to study the American words for both regional and national spelling bees.
April Andreosso, director of corporate promotions at CanWest MediaWorks in Toronto, said her hands are tied when it comes to changing the words on the list.
“We use that list because we have to go by Scripps's rules and we want our kids to be eligible for [the Scripps] competition. It's the most prestigious bee in the world.”
There's one saving grace for youngsters, though. Primary and middle-school children in participating schools may have to memorise the words on the list, but Ms Andreosso said judges at the Canadian bees have two dictionaries at their desk and acknowledge the Canadian spelling. Students can get away with spelling it colourless or colorless at Canadian spelling bees.
The Scripps spelling bee, held May 31 and June 1 in Washington, D.C., uses only the Webster's Third New International Dictionary. Director Paige Kimble said officials have no plans to modify the words so that Canadian spellings are accepted.
“This is an American dictionary and they know that. They know that o-u-r words would not be permissible as spellings,” she said.
Teachers should be clear about the British and U.S. spellings for the same word, she added.
Mr Bruseker also said he has reservations about the number of American and Spanish words being used.
----------------------------------
You're hands aren't tied, honey: JUST SAY NO!
posted by Canuckfuck at 2:32 p.m.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home