Problems that Face Research in the Design of Spelling

Abstract

Writing systems are an essential element of modern communications technology, English spelling is therefore a legitimate subject for research and development to improve it. Setting up such research faces problems including: the definition of an ‘optimum’ spelling, issues of models, methodology and experimental design. Barriers include unawareness of the importance of spelling for literacy and ignorance of how improvements have been made in the writing systems of other modern languages. Empirical exploration has been prevented by the historic unquestioned assumptions of spelling reformers and their antagonists, such and that one-to-one sound-symbol correspondence is the only possible alternative and that the preferred method of armchair argument renders research unnecessary. Spelling design remains a field for pioneering research and for re-analysis of existing research which would benefit cognitive and reading and be of practical benefit for theories of international use of the English language. We do not yet have a user-friendly English spelling for experienced readers and writers, learners of English as a second language, the educationally disadvantaged and handicapped and for computer transliteration and cross-lingual communication.