Comments on: How to Spell http://www.andrewferrier.com/blog/2007/07/23/how-to-spell/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-to-spell Economics; Travel; Film; and Technology. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 03:31:30 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Martin Packer http://www.andrewferrier.com/blog/2007/07/23/how-to-spell/comment-page-1/#comment-47231 Martin Packer Sun, 28 Oct 2007 10:20:15 +0000 http://www.andrewferrier.com/blog/2007/07/23/how-to-spell/#comment-47231 Andrew, I saw your reference (sic) to "referer" spelling in Wikipedia just now. I'm surprised you didn't mention it here. :-) As it happens I'm playing around with doing stuff with Referer URLs - for Hackday4. See http://www-128.ibm.com/developerworks/blogs/page/MartinPacker?entry=hackday4_and_referer_urls Andrew, I saw your reference (sic) to “referer” spelling in Wikipedia just now. I’m surprised you didn’t mention it here. :-)

As it happens I’m playing around with doing stuff with Referer URLs – for Hackday4. See http://www-128.ibm.com/developerworks/blogs/page/MartinPacker?entry=hackday4_and_referer_urls

]]> By: andrewferrier http://www.andrewferrier.com/blog/2007/07/23/how-to-spell/comment-page-1/#comment-35011 andrewferrier Fri, 10 Aug 2007 11:43:35 +0000 http://www.andrewferrier.com/blog/2007/07/23/how-to-spell/#comment-35011 @Michael, of course. I could weasel out of this and claim I was using the word 'population' to describe the relevant audience, but I won't :) Thanks, that's a good point. @Michael, of course. I could weasel out of this and claim I was using the word ‘population’ to describe the relevant audience, but I won’t :)

Thanks, that’s a good point.

]]> By: Michael Hall http://www.andrewferrier.com/blog/2007/07/23/how-to-spell/comment-page-1/#comment-35010 Michael Hall Fri, 10 Aug 2007 11:37:41 +0000 http://www.andrewferrier.com/blog/2007/07/23/how-to-spell/#comment-35010 I think there is certainly a need for some prescription of language constructions, particularly - as you rightly note - during educational processes. However, it is important to recognise the role that contextual differences play in language development. For example, the definition of "a majority of the population" can take on entirely different meanings, depending on the context. As a former teacher of science, I would teach my science students to write laboratory reports in a certain way, according to the conventions used in the scientific world. In this case, "the population" would refer not to society as a whole, but to the part of society that engages in scientific investigations. Therefore, as opposed to the concept of "correct" English, as a society we would seek to extend understanding of "appropriate" forms of communication, recognising that what is appropriate in one set of circumstances may not be appropriate elsewhere. I think there is certainly a need for some prescription of language constructions, particularly – as you rightly note – during educational processes.

However, it is important to recognise the role that contextual differences play in language development. For example, the definition of “a majority of the population” can take on entirely different meanings, depending on the context. As a former teacher of science, I would teach my science students to write laboratory reports in a certain way, according to the conventions used in the scientific world. In this case, “the population” would refer not to society as a whole, but to the part of society that engages in scientific investigations.

Therefore, as opposed to the concept of “correct” English, as a society we would seek to extend understanding of “appropriate” forms of communication, recognising that what is appropriate in one set of circumstances may not be appropriate elsewhere.

]]> By: andrewferrier http://www.andrewferrier.com/blog/2007/07/23/how-to-spell/comment-page-1/#comment-33043 andrewferrier Wed, 25 Jul 2007 17:56:06 +0000 http://www.andrewferrier.com/blog/2007/07/23/how-to-spell/#comment-33043 No, I didn't, thanks for the link. Her idea sounds appealing-ish, but I don't think it'll ever catch on: language rarely changes that dramatically just by diktat. And I find Chinese interesting too: since I don't stand a chance of acquiring the patience required to learn it, though, I'll have to stick to the one language I do know. No, I didn’t, thanks for the link. Her idea sounds appealing-ish, but I don’t think it’ll ever catch on: language rarely changes that dramatically just by diktat.

And I find Chinese interesting too: since I don’t stand a chance of acquiring the patience required to learn it, though, I’ll have to stick to the one language I do know.

]]> By: James Taylor http://www.andrewferrier.com/blog/2007/07/23/how-to-spell/comment-page-1/#comment-33035 James Taylor Wed, 25 Jul 2007 17:10:10 +0000 http://www.andrewferrier.com/blog/2007/07/23/how-to-spell/#comment-33035 Did you by any chance see the BBC spelling story? http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/6250184.stm I'd certainly prefer the American spelling changes to the English changes being suggested! Still, I find the relationship between written Chinese and the Chinese languages much more interesting than all this English/American/spelling stuff :) Did you by any chance see the BBC spelling story?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/6250184.stm

I’d certainly prefer the American spelling changes to the English changes being suggested!

Still, I find the relationship between written Chinese and the Chinese languages much more interesting than all this English/American/spelling stuff :)

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