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 English Spelling design for INTERNATIONAL USE

• The spoken language can be lernt from the written and vice versa

rather than having to lern almost two languages. The written language could be made consistent, predictabl and streamlined and its basic principls require only a dubl page rather than a whole dictionary fleshing out exceptions to hundreds of rules. The English language could become a more practicabl medium for comunication and education in multilingual areas, to make posibl litracy for the masses that also gave access to participate in the commercial, scientific, tecnological, comunications, cultural and educational world of global English.

• There are visible links with international spellings of common vocabulary.

A reformed English spelling with international users in mind would retain and improve visual links with the international vocabulary that has been spred globally by English as an international language and incorporated into every other modern tongue - e.g
TAXI/ TAKOSHI/ TACSI/ TAKSI ;
TELEFON/ TELEFON/ TELEFON (etc) ;
INTERNATIONAL/ INTERNAZIONALE/ INTERNACIONAL/ INTERNASIONL.
This visual similarity also benefits English-speakers reading other languages, including as tourists. Many proposed English spelling reforms would obscure those links.

The classical-origin '-ION' formation is so common internationally that this is a good reason not to respell it with 'shun', and insted to allow natural articulation to make the slur into the everyday pronunciation of such word elements.

• A standardised set of spelling conventions

These are essential to avoid 'many Englishes' such as dialects that are developing now, a retreat to Babel partly caused because present spelling is inadequat to hold the spoken language to a broad global standard.

• Access to present spelling.

Such a reform would also ensure that present spelling remained accessibl world-wide for those who still need it.

• Encouraging, not reducing, multicultural contributions to a diverse world culture.

A global standard in English spelling with a broadband pronunciation would not only promote international comunication in English. It would also still allow peple to celebrate their local linguistic differences thru their written style, specific vocabulary, spoken accents and intonation, while also able to reach an international readership - c/f Lewis Grassic Gibbon who is a writer in Scots dialect widely known beyond Scotland, because he avoided the limitation of 'braid-Scots' spelling to convey it.
He used the more widely used English spelling as a tool for communication, rather than restricting himself to a parochial spelling as if that was a necessary medium for patriotic expression.

• Transfer in learning other languages.

English-speakers lerning a second language find that they transfer easily to consistent differences in spelling systems in languages with regular spelling like German and Italian, because it is their consistency that counts. A consistent English spelling therefor need not change to the Continental vowel system in order to be internationally readabl and pronounceabl, as some have thought.

 

For further notes on spelling:

 1. Introduction
Introduction to spelling improvement. /spockham.htm. Text of a radio broadcast
Rationale. How assumptions and barriers against improving the writing system do not hold. Answering the common objections to spelling improvement. /sration.htm

2 Needs and abilities of users and learners: -

 

i. Needs and abilities of readers /sreadsp.htm
ii. Needs and abilities of writers to spell - /swritsp.htm
iii. Needs and abilities of learners - /slernsp.htm
iv. Needs and abilities of users of international English - /sintrnt.htm
v. Spelling reform for the Internet (an older page) http://home.vicnet.net.au/~ozideas/spinternet.htm

3. The nature and teaching of English spelling

See the online video, http://www.ozreadandspell.com.au
The underlying English spelling system that could be made more consistent - /spelsys.htm
Spelling patterns for the English vowels - /svowchart.htm
The Book of Spells & Misspells - a treasury of spelling for everyone
22 Lessons in reading and spelling - v01acover.htm
The 16 word spelling test for anyone who thinks they can spell - 16sp.htm
Spelling and classroom practices - sclassprac.htm

4 Improving English spelling

 

Spelling improvement. 2002. - /spelimp.html
Seven principles to repair English spelling, 2005 - /sp7princ.htm
Cutting out the surplus letters in words.Streamline - a first step in updating spelling. /ssurplu.htm
Quik gidelines for a next step, with sampl texts, and furthr notes /sfastrs.htm. FASTR Spelling
Cutting out surplus letters. /intspel.htm 2002
Further steps you can try yourself, with f, j, consistent word endings and vowel spellings. /intspel2.htm
Further experiments to spel sensibly - Pronunciation and gramr, and a final solusion? /intspel3.htm 2000
The future of English spelling. What can be done? /sfutspe.htm

 

5. Spelling as an entertainment

Spelling Games - starting with a Spelling ABC - different from a Spelling BEE
16-word Spelling Test of 16 common words that few experts can spell all correctly. /16sp.htm
International English Spelling Day, October 9 /spday.html
How people spelled when they spelled as they liked before the 18th century dictionaries /spfree17c.htm
Don Quixote spells in 'Spelling without traps'. - /spquixote.htm. To come
Twelve Short Short storys about the fùtùr. Can u imagin a mor ùser-frendly speling sistem? Look at every wurd to see if u think its speling is a trap for lerners. ^

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