I don't know where the impetus for re-writing the alphabet or changing the spelling of existing words comes from but it's really not a good thing for kids in my opinion.

Our older kids learned to read/write and spell in the old-fashioned way, whereas our younger ones have learned a method where they purposely spell words wrong, allow the kids to spell any way they want and emphasize starting reading and writing early with no regard for correctness. They even use letters that don't actually exist to represent specific two-letter sounds (the sound for 'oo' for example.)

The older kids now read, write and spell eloquently. The eldest placed in the county spelling bee. My younger kids still read, but less, ('the words are too hard'), they seldom write and they spell horribly. Maybe they'll grow out of it.

If we intended as a nation to simplify the 'real' alphabet we use and the real spellings for words, I might be in agreement with you--but I don't think there's any chance that will ever happen. There's too much inertia.

The impetus for rewriting the alphabet/alfabet is that it impedes learning and reading. How do I know this; well I have been an educator for twenty years. There are no spelling b's in Russia, or in arab speaking countries for a very good reason; they are not needed. Once anyone learns to read the cyrillic (Russian) alphabet at age five or six, that's it you can read anything and never, never misspell (or is it mispell) any word. The same is true of the Arabic alphabet as strange as it looks to us; it is better than our allphabbett. We spend seven more years after the child learns the alphabet (and who knows how much money) to get the student to memorize this interesting, romantic, imbicilic alphabet. There is a great line from the "The little Prince", it says; "The child must show great forbearance to adults". That explains why our progeny must suffer to learn the most used language on this planet. As always the eldest, most powerful people and most selfish people don't want change. They abhor and will fight with all there resources against change. In short they will wage war to stop the changing of their world. But then tradition is such a wonderful thing. Especially when it keeps the rich and powerful in charge. What better way to keep the less than privileged in their place than wasting time and money learning an illogical, tedious and old school alphabet. How much would it hurt our culture to spell it alfabet. Sorry "kids", I tried, maybe your generation can get the "old farts" to think.

fantastic idea. write a book about this. great idea, really. I am in Taiwan, Taiwan students of English would love this too

dannyTufts 1971

What's needed to put this (r something like it) over is to get third-world nations to give us a nudge. If they would set up a simplified spelling committee under UN auspices and start printing their own documents in this form, it would be come PC to do so.

Also, the EU could get on board as well. I'm sure the irrational spelling of English infuriates them too.

There is one thing that must be stated when examining this issue: the English language, as it is written and spoken, makes absolutely no sense. It is the bastard mutt of Roman Latin, Norman French, British Welsh, Scotts Gaelic, and yes, even Russian, Spanish, Dutch, and Arabic! The grammatical system is of Germanic origin, but it's vocabulary is full of words that have no recognizable root with which to conjugate them in that system. Germanic grammar + Romance vocabulary = BIG HORRIBLE MESS. The reason that it is so difficult for our children to care about learning how to speak English correctly is that they no longer need to. English is collapsing under the weight of its own ridiculousness.

Ok, now that I've gotten that off my chest; There is no way to "fix" the English language. It is entirely too broken for any change to be of any real help. Changing the alphabet would be a big setback, as was demonstrated in 2002, when several former soviet satellite countries implemented a plan to "Romanize" there alphabet. They did it in the interest of separating them further from Russia, but, in the end, the result was a country full of seventh grade students reading at a third grade level.

My conclusion is this: The English language is hard. I have never taught professionally, but I have become proficient in several languages including Greek, Russian, Spanish, and French. Also, I have, in the past, worked with disabled children. The key to learning a language (especially pronunciation and intonation) is simply immersion, repetition, and a great deal of time and patience. In Russian schools, students are required to study at least 2 foreign languages, in addition to their native tongues, starting in the second grade. American students are barely even required to learn their own language. I understand the your frustration, and your desire to make language simpler, but the fact is... English is hard. (I am an American, by the way)