The radical 1960s schools experiment that created a whole new alphabet – and left thousands of children unable to spell
I never learned this, I can read all the examples easily though. They remind me a bit of Feersum Endjin by Iain M. Banks, and True History of the Kelly Gang by Peter Carey.
https://www.theguardian.com/education/2025/jul/06/1960s-schools-experiment-created-new-alphabet-thousands-children-unable-to-spellOpen linkView original on sh.itjust.works
A Plan for the Improvement of English Spelling by Mark Twain probably not
For example, in Year 1 that useless letter "c" would be dropped to be replased either by "k" or "s", and likewise "x" would no longer be part of the alphabet. The only kase in which "c" would be retained would be the "ch" formation, which will be dealt with later. Year 2 might reform "w" spelling, so that "which" and "one" would take the same konsonant, wile Year 3 might well abolish "y" replasing it with "i" and Iear 4 might fiks the "g/j" anomali wonse and for all.
Jenerally, then, the improvement would kontinue iear bai iear with Iear 5 doing awai with useless double konsonants, and Iears 6-12 or so modifaiing vowlz and the rimeining voist and unvoist konsonants. Bai Iear 15 or sou, it wud fainali bi posibl tu meik ius ov thi ridandant letez "c", "y" and "x" -- bai now jast a memori in the maindz ov ould doderez -- tu riplais "ch", "sh", and "th" rispektivli.
Fainali, xen, aafte sam 20 iers ov orxogrefkl riform, wi wud hev a lojikl, kohirnt speling in ius xrewawt xe Ingliy-spiking werld.
Found smortys alt account ;-)
Ew.
That just turns into Dutch.
No thanks.
Reading this caused me physical distress
Haha I love this. It breaks my brain, but the end result is so much simpler :D
I swear the final product is like how Spaniard kids that don't know english write it.
Soo... Intuitive for Spaniards I guess? Having coherency in the pronunciation of letters isn't a bad thing per se.
Hey, you said no x's!
You missed the part where they were reintroduced:
Bai Iear 15 or sou, it wud fainali bi posibl tu meik ius ov thi ridandant letez "c", "y" and "x" -- bai now jast a memori in the maindz ov ould doderez -- tu riplais "ch", "sh", and "th" rispektivli.
Well, America has been running another experiment for decades that has left a lot of people unable to spell - or do math, or science or think rationally and critically: the destruction of the education system.
Note that this article is not about the US
Yes, it was a comment on what goes on in another country, for comparison.
If you think of it as a project to destroy teachers' unions who always favor one political party, then it makes more sense.
Here is the title image
::: spoiler Tap for translation If you are able to read these words, you might have been part of a failed English teaching initiative :::
TIL I might have been part of a failed English teaching initiative (despite being born after the 60s and not in England)
It's quite easily readable for me as well.
Yeah, I remember you might have sat next to me.
Is it instantaneous for you, or do you have to think about it at all?
The only part I stumbled on briefly was faulld
Inglish was the only thing to trip me up
Hilarious that they misspelled "failed" anyway.
ow, my wernicke's area
See also New Math from about the same era.
I always think of another New Math.
Ur spelleeng it rong!
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