Quote: For most of the history of the language, English speakers took a lackadaisical approach to spelling; the notion that a word should always be spelled the same way is a much more recent invention than the language itself. The standardization of English spelling began in the 16th century, and although it is unclear at exactly what point our spelling became set, what is certain is that ever since it happened, people have complained that the rules of spelling, such as they are, just don’t make sense.
I remember when I was in elementary school, learning how to grammar and spelling got a little difficult. The English language has words that have so many words with multiple meanings and/or spellings. I would hate to be someone from a foreign land trying to learn how to spell English. A lot of people have trouble with how to properly use the "there" varieties. They are all pronounced the same, but spelled different and mean something totally different than what you might be trying to say. Though I don't like the English spelling and grammar system, I think it is necessary to learn how to spell and use the words correctly. In the pictures I have posted below, there are examples of how important it is to learn how to spell. I would hate to be one of the people responsible for one of those mistakes.
Shea, Ammon. "The Keypad Solution." New York Times 01/22/2010. n. pag. Web. 11 Sep. 2011. <http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/24/magazine/24FOB-onlanguage-t.html>
I thought these were really funny and are good examples of why we need to learn how to spell correctly.
It is such a weird concept, to think about how hard it must be learn English from another country. In most countries there is only one way to say things, and in the united states there is 100 ways to get one point across. On the subject, your pictures are hilarious!
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