Saturday, February 16, 2008

Read-write-spil. Sorry! Spell.

The way we read and spell suggests our understanding of the structural behavior of English letters.

How would somebody whose first language is not English would learn speak English?
You learn to memorize the visual files and then attach corresponding sound files with selective attention. There would be myriad of visual folders, and sound files would be there just as the attached files. The sound files, which have been selectively stored, would not necessarily be the right sound files (which you created yourself under the influence of regional understanding and tutorials you followed, and the education system). As everybody from that region grew with a peculiar understanding, almost everybody pronounce words likewise. Most probably mutilated sounds been stored with the visual files. Wrongly attached sound file + the experimental soul (the Little Einstein) + habitual imitation is what the base had been, on which she made her internal speech.
To give you an example:
With the increasing popularity of English, a convent in a region where the first language is not English would have all the subjects taught in English but the regional language. A kid would know how to speak the regional language to soothe her communication needs as she learned enough from her parents. She would see more of English than the regional language in school, as she would have only one subject in that language but would probably choose to speak in her regional language, as everybody around her speaks the regional language more than English; at home, with friends, et.al. Therefore, she would be pretty fluent by the time she would be in her third grade.
To recollect she is in her third grade, speaks the regional language more but sees less of it, and speaks less of English and sees more (books).
The normal course is, every subject teacher would ask the pupils to read from text, and the teacher would explain text. As she practice reading she would unconsciously
memorize the visuals (make visual files and attach sounds). Initially her reading skill would not be that good, but as she would keep on seeing more and more of text, she would not take much time to recollect the sound files and read swiftly.
And if we contrast her regional language reading skills which would probably be not quite promising because she has not been seeing the regional text much and she herself did not pay heed to improve it, as that was the only subject in that language. The result would be more spelling mistakes and more reading difficulties in that subject (regional language). To recollect more of sound files (regional language) less of visual files; God saves her!
As she grows, would learn new words (from the regional language) corresponding visual files not necessarily be there at all. Would start to apply in her daily speech and would strongly insist on the right pronunciation if she happens to listen somebody pronounce them wrong (there is every possibility that she might not be able to spell those word right). She would play more with the sound files of regional language and would probably make it the language of her internal speech (the language of internal speech is the language in which you speak with your inner self).We will discuss it latter.

There are higher possibilities that she would mistakenly pull the close variant sound files.
She would have loads of visual files (English alphabetic script) and corresponding sound files, mutilated though, but she would swiftly pick the sound file when she would read text and there is every possibility that she would insist more on spelling right than saying it right. In addition, she would have problem with new words, she is seeing for the very first time as she would not be sure of the right pronunciation and the spelling would suggest her very different sound than the actual pronunciation.
It is observed that she would read smoothly and fast if she chooses to, if the text has words she recognize well (has seen and read before). Nevertheless, words she is seeing for the first time will give her a tough time. To read those words she would have to apply her knowledge of structural behavior of letters (understanding of the physical representation of sounds and arrangement of letters a particular region has) and that varies drastically from region to region, and there are different regions following same alphabetic script to spell their regional language words.

With time, her vocabulary would grow and probably start applying the vocabulary to design speech; she may also choose to make English the language of her internal speech. However, she would not be aware of the actual sounds and keep on mispronouncing words and one day she would have her moment of truth.

She would realize that the sound file she attached with a visual file is a wrong sound file; and she would have more and more decisive moments, as she will interact with the outer world.
There are two ways she can take it from there, either add the new sound, which is contrary to the sound file corresponding a visual sound or simply ignore it. In addition, if she chooses to add new sound files with the already sound file corresponding visual file, she would have an option to pick sound file by choice. Her speech would be a mish-mash.
How would she get to know the sound file she adding is right or not? Moreover, there is every possibility that she would add another wrong file with an already existing wrong sound file. Then, there would be two or even more wrong files, one of them could be right but how would she know which one is right. She will be confused.
Wrong or right pick would all be her call, which in-turn would be based on influences rather than the exact knowledge of picking the right one. If she happens to listen to the sound files of some popular personality, will precarious try to match (corresponding visual file) with hers, and there is every possibility that thenceforth she would choose to pick that sound file sound, without actually taking the trouble of finding out the right one.
She may choose to look at the respelling help. She would probably choose to keep on picking and dropping sound files and mispronouncing words often or may call it quits one day, saying, “I am better the way I was before”.
To recollect, now she insists on speaking her region language the right way, but has found good enough reasons to mispronounce English words. This is not the only thing she does; she is in a habit of spelling her regional language words with English alphabetic script, which could be Hindi, French, German, Spanish, Latin, ET, al. to the rest of the world. And her this habit does not only damage her regional words which she always insisted to be pronounced right, but also act as a paradigm to further on the damage, which is a disaster.

There is one better option to help her save from that much effort, to save here from reading or writing French, German, Spanish, or Latin, from a pure entrenched English text, to help her save her own language, is to help her follow a paradigm.
What paradigm? **********************************
We need a paradigm that is easy to understand and applicable.
It should be capable of explaining the present spelling system.
Should suggest minimum changes in the spelling system we already in place.
Capable of covering every possible sound, and should have room for every foreign sound & should be receptive to foreign sounds as well, without indicating a total makeover.
A turning point in spelling and sound relationship, so that they can relate better.
The present spelling habit and future needs to help people steer in clear water.
It should be able to demystify the spelling pronunciation confounding with precision; should be able to assimilate sounds (words) from foreign languages without any damage to the original sound.
Easily understandable, so that we can educate every other region using English alphabetic script to spell their own language words (countries like India, china, et. al.).
That can cover every possible sound (word).

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