Posted: Dec 29, 2010 10:28 am
katja z wrote:The Damned wrote:
It's horrifying to me but then as I said I can't speak English not even remotely and it's my first language, that is my problem.
Put it this way if I turned off my active spell checker you'd all hate me for not making any sense, well even more than you do now.
You are confusing the general ability to use a language and the much narrower skill of using the correct (=agreed-upon) spelling. Your English is fine; your dyslexia just makes spelling it difficult for you (well, more difficult than it is for other people). If it's any help, I know several people with very good verbal skills (poets, translators and the like) who are mildly dyslectic, which has convinced me that dyslexia has about as much to do with linguistic ability as poor eyesight - that is, it can make written communication more difficult, but this is a completely technical problem. A spell checker for you, glasses for me, and we can read and write just like anyone else.
You are quite right katja - language ability is quite distinct from dyslexia. I was once privileged to meet an amazing Dutchman who could write passable poetry in his fourth language (English) and he was very dyslexic. I had to correct his spelling a bit though...