[ RadSafe ] The "Nucular" debate

[neildm at id.doe.gov]

Without specifics, it's hard to be certain, but it sounds like she might
have been a product/victim of the "whole language" experiment in
teaching reading.  Words were taught as gestalts or ideographs without
phonic analysis. Granted, some words have to be approached that way due
to irregular pronunciation. 

I had a friend who progressed to very low level technical books without
hearing some of the words pronounced.  Until then, he thought that
"atom" was pronounced "ay-tom". Given the derivation (Greek for "not
cut"), it probably should be.

Dave Neil

-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl [mailto:radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl] On
Behalf Of Steven Dapra
Sent: Wednesday, April 02, 2008 8:01 PM
To: radsafe at radlab.nl
Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] The "Nucular" debate

April 2

         Incorrect pronunciations are a matter of flat-out laziness.  I
met 
someone once who was too lazy to learn how to pronounce acetominophen,
or 
aminophylline.  Her slurred pronunciation of the former sound something 
like "a-see-min-fen."   I can't remember how she pronounced the second 
one.  Teaching people to read by using phonics would solve a lot of
these 
pronunciation problems.  (Ever heard a parent or teacher say, "Sound it
out"?)

Steven Dapra


At 11:50 AM 4/2/08 -0500, Doug Aitken wrote:
>After my last post, I had a look at the internet and found some
interesting
>comments on this phenomenon:
>http://people.ischool.berkeley.edu/~nunberg/nucular.html
>
>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nucular
>
>of course, if you want a really "in-depth" <G> discussion, try this;
>http://www.languagehat.com/archives/000349.php
>
>now, back to our regularly scheduled programs.....
>;~)
>Doug
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl [mailto:radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl] On
Behalf
>Of Doug Aitken
>Sent: Wednesday, April 02, 2008 10:51 AM
>To: 'J. Marshall Reber'; 'eth_jones'
>Cc: 'Radsafe'
>Subject: RE: [ RadSafe ] The good news about nuclear destruction
>
>I think the fact that the current President is incapable of pronouncing
>"Nuclear" (to the extent that all Washington "flacks" and the
Administration
>in general seem to now say "nucular" so as not to piss him off) says it
>all.......
>
>Regards
>Doug (expat Brit, so not to be taken too seriously <G>)
>^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>Doug Aitken     Cell phone: 713-562-8585
>QHSE Advisor
>D&M Operations Support
>Schlumberger Technology Corporation
>300 Schlumberger Drive
>Sugar Land TX 77030
>
>Home office: 713-797-0919  Home Fax: 713-797-1757


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