I was a teacher for 17 years, but couldn't read or write

#1

Post by ptr2voidStar » Sun, Aug 01, 2021, 1:11 AM UTC

I was a teacher for 17 years, but couldn't read or write
bbc.co.uk

Re: I was a teacher for 17 years, but couldn't read or write

#2

Post by timonoko » Sun, Aug 01, 2021, 5:20 AM UTC

On Google translate you can test new phonetic spelling. "Wii shäl miit tu dei in Nyy Jork" works best in Polish, Icelandic and Finnish. I suggest we just ignore weird sounds like θ and ð and just use "th" as "thö" sounds reasonably good in those languages.

Re: I was a teacher for 17 years, but couldn't read or write

#3

Post by timonoko » Sun, Aug 01, 2021, 5:47 AM UTC

timonoko wrote: post #2

On Google translate you can test new phonetic spelling. "Wii shäl miit tu dei in Nyy Jork" works best in Polish, Icelandic and Finnish. I suggest we just ignore weird sounds like θ and ð and just use "th" as "thö" sounds reasonably good in those languages.

Correction: those languages seem to have already "th" == "θ".

Re: I was a teacher for 17 years, but couldn't read or write

#4

Post by jmercouris » Sun, Aug 01, 2021, 6:11 AM UTC

Incredible, but I still can’t help but feel like he is an idiot.

Noticing an obvious deficiency in your life and doing nothing about it is in fact idiotic.

Re: I was a teacher for 17 years, but couldn't read or write

#5

Post by gnicholas » Sun, Aug 01, 2021, 6:21 AM UTC

(2018)

Re: I was a teacher for 17 years, but couldn't read or write

#6

Post by nayuki » Sun, Aug 01, 2021, 6:35 AM UTC

timonoko wrote: post #2

On Google translate you can test new phonetic spelling. "Wii shäl miit tu dei in Nyy Jork" works best in Polish, Icelandic and Finnish. I suggest we just ignore weird sounds like θ and ð and just use "th" as "thö" sounds reasonably good in those languages.

It would be nice if they used IPA instead of yet another informal nonstandard system.

Re: I was a teacher for 17 years, but couldn't read or write

#7

Post by 1MachineElf » Sun, Aug 01, 2021, 6:48 AM UTC

His says his writing level is roughly 6th grade, and the story reads like it too. I believe it. Illiteracy was the standard for humanity not long ago, and yet there were still teachers.

Re: I was a teacher for 17 years, but couldn't read or write

#8

Post by tuukkah » Sun, Aug 01, 2021, 7:05 AM UTC

timonoko wrote: post #3

timonoko wrote: post #2

On Google translate you can test new phonetic spelling. "Wii shäl miit tu dei in Nyy Jork" works best in Polish, Icelandic and Finnish. I suggest we just ignore weird sounds like θ and ð and just use "th" as "thö" sounds reasonably good in those languages.

Correction: those languages seem to have already "th" == "θ".

That's weird as "th" is pronounced "th" in Finnish and there is no "θ" sound: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finnish_phonology#Consonants

Re: I was a teacher for 17 years, but couldn't read or write

#9

Post by larusso » Sun, Aug 01, 2021, 7:19 AM UTC

First time I read about this (Not from the US). I wonder what‘s with his Highschool/College degree? I mean by his own words he said that he cheated big time.

Re: I was a teacher for 17 years, but couldn't read or write

#10

Post by hliyan » Sun, Aug 01, 2021, 7:26 AM UTC

larusso wrote: post #9

First time I read about this (Not from the US). I wonder what‘s with his Highschool/College degree? I mean by his own words he said that he cheated big time.

Also not from the US, but I think read about him many many years ago in Reader's Digest. It was a long form that had a lot more information. I recognized the story because of this anecdote:

"I passed my blue book out the window to him and he answered the questions for me."

But the Reader's Digest version mentioned that he was dyslexic (which I don't think the BBC article mentions) and that he taught almost exclusively using audio/visual presentations, activity based learning and guest speakers.