4 ms·

The English language is also quite irregular both in spelling and grammer[sic]. Maybe we should start with it given that children around the world "spend count

by bgee 7y ago

The English language is also quite irregular both in spelling and grammer[sic]. Maybe we should start with it given that children around the world "spend countless hours learning this complex (and often irrational) writing system". Disclaimer: native Chinese speaker, non-fluent Japanese speaker, English sufferer edit: disclaimer and grammar...

redthrow 7y ago
I'm a native Japanese speaker but as far as the writing system goes, I fully agree with the linguist Geoffrey Pullum's following statement about Chinese characters / kanji: In consequence, this horror-show of a writing system, with its crippling memorization burden for students and malign impediment to progress in science and industry, is the focus of so much intellectual investment and cultural pride that getting rid of it is out of the question. Intolerable though it is, it will continue to be tolerated – leaving English, with a spelling system that positively stinks, smelling almost like a rose. https://www.chronicle.com/blogs/linguafranca/2016/01/20/the-awful-chinese-writing-system/ https://www.chronicle.com/blogs/linguafranca/2016/01/20/the-... Don't get me wrong, I'm generally in favor of made-in-China products, but those characters to me were the worst made-in-China product I wasted so much time on (and unlike video games, I wasn't even having fun with them.)
- bgee 7y ago
  > with its crippling memorization burden for students I always wonder about something that might sound anecdotal: why isn't there any equivalence of "spelling bee" in Hanzi? Or maybe there is? > malign impediment to progress in science and industry What? Do we have any evidence for this?
  - solarmist 7y ago
    There is. Kanji Kentei is what it's called. Knowing the archaic meaning and stroke orders of kanji, etc. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanji_Kentei https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanji_Kentei
Anon1096 7y ago
Difference is your written English can be riddled with errors and people will still get it. As long as you have some knowledge of spoken English you can get your point across fine. The same is not true for character languages like Mandarin or Japanese.
- bgee 7y ago
  Not sure what you mean, both missing strokes or having another character that looks or sounds similar should not impair the meaning of a sentence to most Hanzi user.
- antisemiotic 7y ago
  I can't compare it to Mandarin or Chinese, but as a non-native English speaker, I'd say it depends. Mixing up their/they're, lose/loose, fair/fare, cue/queue, etc, is understandable for me just fine. Having to know that "parody" sometimes means "parity" is when things start getting surreal.
mlinksva 7y ago
I hav to agree, demand https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English-language_spelling_reform https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English-language_spelling_refo...

by bgee 7y ago

redthrow 7y ago

I'm a native Japanese speaker but as far as the writing system goes, I fully agree with the linguist Geoffrey Pullum's following statement about Chinese characters / kanji: In consequence, this horror-show of a writing system, with its crippling memorization burden for students and malign impediment to progress in science and industry, is the focus of so much intellectual investment and cultural pride that getting rid of it is out of the question. Intolerable though it is, it will continue to be tolerated – leaving English, with a spelling system that positively stinks, smelling almost like a rose. https://www.chronicle.com/blogs/linguafranca/2016/01/20/the-awful-chinese-writing-system/ https://www.chronicle.com/blogs/linguafranca/2016/01/20/the-... Don't get me wrong, I'm generally in favor of made-in-China products, but those characters to me were the worst made-in-China product I wasted so much time on (and unlike video games, I wasn't even having fun with them.)

bgee 7y ago
> with its crippling memorization burden for students I always wonder about something that might sound anecdotal: why isn't there any equivalence of "spelling bee" in Hanzi? Or maybe there is? > malign impediment to progress in science and industry What? Do we have any evidence for this?
- solarmist 7y ago
  There is. Kanji Kentei is what it's called. Knowing the archaic meaning and stroke orders of kanji, etc. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanji_Kentei https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanji_Kentei

Anon1096 7y ago

Difference is your written English can be riddled with errors and people will still get it. As long as you have some knowledge of spoken English you can get your point across fine. The same is not true for character languages like Mandarin or Japanese.

bgee 7y ago
Not sure what you mean, both missing strokes or having another character that looks or sounds similar should not impair the meaning of a sentence to most Hanzi user.
antisemiotic 7y ago
I can't compare it to Mandarin or Chinese, but as a non-native English speaker, I'd say it depends. Mixing up their/they're, lose/loose, fair/fare, cue/queue, etc, is understandable for me just fine. Having to know that "parody" sometimes means "parity" is when things start getting surreal.

mlinksva 7y ago

I hav to agree, demand https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English-language_spelling_reform https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English-language_spelling_refo...