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Why Are Indian Kids So Good At Spelling?

Posted by StoneLion on from the i-n-t-e-l-l-i-g-e-n-t dept.

theodp writes "Slate's Ben Paynter looks into why Indian kids dominate the Scripps National Spelling Bee, and concludes it's because they have their own minor-league spelling bee circuit (having the discipline to spell 7,000 to 8,000 words a day probably helps too!). Indian-Americans make up about 1% of the US population, notes Paynter, but this year an estimated 11% of the competitors at Scripps will hail from regional contests run by the North South Foundation. The NSF competitions function as a kind of nerd Olympiad for Indian-Americans — there are separate divisions for math, science, vocabulary, geography, essay writing, and even public speaking — and a way to raise money for college scholarships for underprivileged students in India. BTW, Strollerderby has the scoop on Whatever Happened to the Spellbound Kids? (RIP, Ted Brigham)."

5 of 534 comments (clear)

  1. Re:According to the latest article in "Duh" Magazi by MrNaz · · Score: 5, Funny

    "spell checkers have made spelling obsolete anyway"

    Your mistaken if you think that kid's spelling can be improved using there computers alone.

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    I hate printers.
  2. Seems obvious to me by willith · · Score: 5, Funny

    Why is it so surprising that kids from a culture that produces names like "Sivasubramaniam Raveendranath" and "Elamkulam Manakkal Sankaran Namboodiripad" are good at spelling?

  3. Re:According to the latest article in "Duh" Magazi by $RANDOMLUSER · · Score: 4, Funny

    No, actually pretty everyone in the world is better than native english speakers at spelling, because they learn English mostly by reading it, instead of learning it by listening and speaking it...

    You could of given us some examples there.

    --
    No folly is more costly than the folly of intolerant idealism. - Winston Churchill
  4. Have you seen the names of these kids? by NotQuiteReal · · Score: 5, Funny

    If they can spell their own names, of course they will be a whiz at regular words. "Bill", "Joe", and "Mary" haven't a chance against "Dhananjay" "Jagannatha" or "Chandrakanta".

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    This issue is a bit more complicated than you think.
  5. Re:According to the latest article in "Duh" Magazi by severoon · · Score: 4, Funny

    If you depend on a spell checker, you'll rape what you sew.

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    but have you considered the following argument: shut up.