Native Alaskan languages are not the only Indigenous languages in the United States for competitive spellers. This is the case in Alaska, where spelling bees in Yup’ik and Iñupiaq are helping keep those languages alive.
For languages that have dwindling numbers of speakers, spelling bees can be a fun way to connect the keepers of the language with young learners. That makes them one of many possible avenues to get kids engaged. While spelling bees are not the only way to spur young kids into developing language skills, they will certainly attract the kids with a competitive drive. While they do host English spelling bees, they also have competitions in sign language and local languages, acknowledging the duality students face navigating local culture and global society. Enjuba, an education organization, counts a spelling bee among its efforts to improve literacy and retain students in schools. One notable African country in the world of spelling bees is Uganda. Countries like Benin compete, even though French and Indigenous languages are more commonly spoken there than English. The African Spelling Bee, also in English, currently includes 16 member nations. The MaRRS International Spelling Bee, for example, allows students from Asia to compete at spelling English words. So it makes sense that most spelling bees around the globe are in English. Moreover, English has become something of a lingua franca globally, and young people are encouraged to learn it. English: it’s a true hodge-podge!īecause many other languages have more consistency between sound and spelling, English is arguably the best language for spelling bees. Banjo is borrowed from the Mandinka language spoken in western Africa. Quinoa comes from Quechua, a language spoken primarily in Peru.
In English, a word’s spelling doesn’t always relate to its pronunciation - how fun is it that the three C’s in “Pacific Ocean” are all pronounced differently? Moreover, English has borrowed tons of words from so many other languages. Anyone who has learned English as a new language could tell you that. English is uniquely good for spelling competitions precisely because it’s such a messy language.