Sew, the universe of north Carolina (UNC) has decided to change it’s spelling and grammar test for students studying journalism and mass communications. Starting in the fall of 2012 these students are naught going to halve two pass a spelling test on they’re own, using there own no how.
The students—who might bee the professional righters of too morrow--won’t half two show they no how too spell write, with there own a bill a tea. They will bee able two rely on spell cheque on there computers and other devises. And UNC has decided grammar is more important than spelling any ways. That is good too no.
Puzzling
I halve to say eye was perplecksed when I red about this in the Toronto Star (Shauna Rempel, April 4, 2012). Rempel sez the university “introduced the famed spelling test in 1975 and has made it a requirement that students pass the test with a grade of 70 per cent or higher. But in a memo to students…the school explained its decision to drop the spelling portion of the spelling and grammar test.”
On the UNC web cite, Andy Bechtel, an associate professor who teaches courses in copyediting, reportedly “originally suggested the change because he believes memorizing a spelling list isn’t the best measure of competence in communication” (http://www.jomc.unc.edu/homepage-news-slot-23-merged/j-school-spelling-and-grammar-test-revised-to-better-measure-language-expertise).
The Change
According to Rempel, beginning in the fall of 2012 journalism students at UNC will have to complete a ‘word choice’ section on “problems that spell checkers can’t catch such as the proper use of it’s and its, your vs you’re or their/they’re/there” (Toronto Star, April 4, 2012). Rempel ads the ‘word choice’ section of the test “will also test knowledge of commonly confused homonyms: Did she pore or pour over the dictionary when studying?” (Toronto Star, April 4, 2012).
This distinction buy Rempel between the ‘word choice’ and ‘homonyms’ aspects of the test shows she does not no that “the proper use of it’s and its, your vs you’re or their/they’re/there” actually pertains to homonyms; and is not different from homonyms as she implies. Sow, can we assume she studied journalism at UNC and took it’s test four wood-bee reporters and other righters?
In fact, one online definition of ‘homonyms’ states they are “Two or more words that have the same sound or spelling but differ in meaning…Generally, the term homonym refers both to homophones (words that are pronounced the same but have different meanings, such as which and witch) and to homographs (words that are spelled the same but have different meanings, such as "bow your head" and "tied in a bow") (http://grammar.about.com/od/fh/g/homonymterm.htm).
The Rationale
Chris Roush, senior Associate Dean of UNC’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication, suggests the update to the spelling and grammar test is a natural change in this technological day and age. “Word usage is a much more important skill to have given the widespread use of spell check on most computers,” he said. “And the change reflects that we expect our students to know how to spell by the time they get to college.”
Roush seems naïve on too counts—at least inn the comments at tributed two him on UNC’s web cite. First, he seems two believe spell cheque on computers will always provide the write word four student’s all the thyme—weather they use spell Czech won time or fore times. Second, he seems too expect all post-secondary students will no how two spell write just because they are inn college, and will all ways use the rite words in the wright way.
Dreaming
Roush’s ladder point is a nice idea, but is wishful thinking, from my experience. An acquaintance of mine who has been teaching high school for 25 years told me recently students at his school are no longer taught the basics of grammar and spelling in high school. So, when they go to college they are unprepared for even the most basic academic writing. I have scene this many thymes as a college professor who is currently teaching critical thinking-writing-reading.
Some of my first-year students regularly make many astonishing basic spelling and grammatical mistakes in essays. Yet, these students claim they’re high school teachers always told them they where “great” writers and they always got writing marks in the 80s and 90s in high school. If this is rite, these student’s righting skills suddenly got much worser between finishing high school and starting college.
Spelling Important
Call me old-fashioned, but I believe student’s knead to no how to spell write. I think they are wrong to believe they’re computer will think for them, and they are wrong to think there computers spell cheque will all ways spell rite for them. I do not encourage students to use spell cheque because I think its naught RE lie able.
Dr. Rhonda Gibson, associate professor in UNC’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication, seems to disagree with her colleague, Roush, about the reliability of spell cheque on computers. Wear Roush suggests, above, that this popular fee chur on computers can all ways bale out students when they halve spelling problems, Dr. Gibson is quoted on UNC’s web sight as saying “Spell check can tell you whether ‘their’ is spelled correctly but not if it’s the right word.”
On the face of Dr. Gibson’s comment, above, I agree with her intended or unintended implication: student’s RE lying on spell cheque is knot a good idea. In fact I halve learned only two well that many college student’s don’t no how too spell even the most basic words in English; sad but troo.
Four my part, I am glad I usually spell things write. But some thymes I half made spelling misteaks two and then even I mite yews spell cheque…like I did in this peace so I wood no eye got every thing rite.
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