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   Last Updated: Thursday, 5 June, 2003, 20:30 GMT 21:30 UK
   E-mail this to a friend Printable version 
   Fight to save English spelling

   A teacher points out the British spelling of defence
   Teachers at Eight Ash Green in Essex insist on proper spelling

   A campaign is being launched to protect English words from being
   replaced by American spellings.

   Colchester MP Bob Russell wants to prevent youngsters from being shown
   words such as "utilize", "color" and "traveling".

   He wants to force computer companies to install spellchecking software
   which offers English instead of American definitions.

   Mr Russell said: "I also want the government to lead by example so all
   our schoolchildren, and the public generally, use the English spelling
   and not the American spelling."

   Many operating systems, such as Microsoft's Windows, already allow
   users to select the language they use on the computer.

   Endangered spelling?

   UK colour vs US color
   UK centre vs US center
   UK travelling vs US traveling
   UK analyse vs US analyze
   UK plough vs US plow

   But often popular web sites utilise American English.

   The primary school at Eight Ash Green in Essex, in Mr Russell's
   constituency, is sticking up for traditional British English.

   Headteacher Nick Rudman told BBC Look East that when pupils there
   leave the "u" out of the word labour, they are soon put right.

   E-mail this to a friend Printable version 
   Essex BBC Essex
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