suzmccarth wrote:

>
> --- In qalam@yahoogroups.com, "Peter T. Daniels" <grammatim@...>
> wrote:
> > Andrew Dunbar wrote:
> > > I've been under the impression that French spelling
> > > is easy for (native) French speakers and difficult
> >
> > That's certainly not what my French teachers said!
>
> I have trained in a system in Ontario, at the Franco-Ontarian
> Centre, that approaches both lgs *as native languages* and my
> impression, without proof, is that French spelling is at least as
> hard, if not harder, for French children as English spelling is for
> English children. The difficulties are different since French has a
> myriad of rules. But one is mistaken to think that once the rules
> are learned, (I should say, if ever) the task is over.

Don't think that English doesn't have a myriad of rules!

There are two fat books on the regularities of English spelling (Carney
[Brit] and Cummings [US]), and just because the educationalists don't
know about the rules doesn't mean they don't exist!

> Having said that I know children who have lived in France for a year
> and come back with exquisite spelling because of the emphasis on
> that in the French school system. To spell correctly is highly
> valued but that only begs the question - well, it is not a contest -
> but to write well in French is quite a skill.

--
Peter T. Daniels grammatim@...