Comments on Along The Way: Dialects, Accents, Spelling Confusion

In September1994,I started tutoring in an ESL clas...

2008-08-14T20:24:00.000-07:00

In September1994,I started tutoring in an ESL class. It was something new to me. The experience has brought me to love our English language in a way that was and is fresh and exciting. I'm always amazed how people from other lands learn this so difficult and complex language. Your idioms links clearly demonstrates the complexity of English.

As usual this post is another one of high

This is a copy of an original comment made here an...

2008-08-12T10:32:00.000-07:00

This is a copy of an original comment made here and removed in error.

"Anonymous

"I enjoyed your Along the Way site, as well as your post on Elderstory, and wish to invite you to post a story on Red Writer, which, like Elderstory, invites stories for posting. Red Writer is at www.xmarxthe.blogspot.com. I'm trying to build traffic to the site, and Ronni Bennett has been very

Kenju: I considered mentioning the spelling errors...

2008-08-11T22:02:00.000-07:00

Kenju: I considered mentioning the spelling errors when the cashier finally made it to the register, but thought I'd let others enjoy the sign, too. (She was having to serve double duty hosting and seating, too.) I just didn't want to get into a discussion with the long line behind me waiting to leave.

Kay: Yeah, that's one of the many universals that apply to speech and language

Roberta: Here in the U.S. there's quite an attract...

2008-08-11T21:23:00.000-07:00

Roberta: Here in the U.S. there's quite an attraction for the lilt of the well-spoken English accent of many who live across the Pond. I'm not talking Cockney, here, which has it own uniqueness. Your experience is interesting 'cause you live in Canada, I believe.

I included the following example of regional names...

2008-08-06T09:53:00.000-07:00

I included the following example of regional names and the confusion they can cause in a story I wrote. However, they are relevant so I will recap them.

We moved from Arizona to Massachusetts when my son was a teenager and the kids kept asking him if he wanted a tonic. He thought they meant tonic water used in cocktails and turned them down for months before finding out they were the

Read this yesterday but no time to comment until t...

2008-08-06T03:45:00.000-07:00

Read this yesterday but no time to comment until today. When my children were in elementary school I was frustrated by the school's policy to use Whole Language rather than Phonics. I felt this made poor spellers and Texas was one of the last bastions to revert back to teaching phonics. The teachers then told me that with computers and spell check, it wouldn't make a difference.

I've

Hi joared. I read this with interest and remember...

2008-08-06T01:34:00.000-07:00

Hi joared. I read this with interest and remembered in my younger days how I longed for an English lilt. Every office I worked in the best jobs were held by gals with an English Accent. I settled for several secretarial courses but I think I would have done better by skipping those classes and pubbing with the English gals. Those who spoke with such clear diction the soft sounds the rest of

I find my own accent changes depending on where I ...

2008-08-05T20:14:00.000-07:00

I find my own accent changes depending on where I am living and who I am hanging out with...

Dialects and accents are universal in all language...

2008-08-05T17:18:00.000-07:00

Dialects and accents are universal in all languages. In my work I have to speak Spanish and Guatemalans speak it differently than Mexicans who speak it differently than Cubans who speak it differently than Venezuelans who speak it differently than Spaniards and so it goes. With some I have to listen harder than others.

I would have been compelled to point it out! I did...

2008-08-05T04:45:00.000-07:00

I would have been compelled to point it out! I did so several years ago, when the flower shop I was doing some contract work for put a sign out front announcing the holiday specials. There were two words spelled incorrectly and I simply could not let it pass without correcting them.

The first year I was in college (in WV), my school had an influx of students from NYC and also a few from