orthography test in DL today

Marianopolita

Former Spanish forum Mod 2010-2021
Dec 26, 2003
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Easy for us, almost impossible for many, unfortunately.

Sent from my BLN-L24 using Tapatalk

Then who is Diario Libre’s audience? Yes, some words may be tricky for some but let’s say if the average adult or high school student can’t spell those words who is the quiz for then?


-MP.
 

Mauricio

Gold
Nov 18, 2002
5,607
7
38
20/20 but I did not find it that easy, not for many dominicans and definitely not for most foreigners. For the educated native Spanish speakers it should be a piece of cake. 
 

Marianopolita

Former Spanish forum Mod 2010-2021
Dec 26, 2003
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16/20 I'm ashamed to say.


I went back and looked at the test. It is not difficult. Adults read the paper. That is not high level Spanish. I think maybe the challenge is understanding the question that is being asked.


Which four did you get wrong?


-MP.
 

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
31,266
363
0
Then who is Diario Libre’s audience? Yes, some words may be tricky for some but let’s say if the average adult or high school student can’t spell those words who is the quiz for then?
-MP.

if you look at the comments under any article in DL you can see that many if not most of the readers make lots of mistakes. i'm thinking it's probably low middle class or working class people. some who read DL surely follow the lines with their fingers and move their mouths when they read...
 

Marianopolita

Former Spanish forum Mod 2010-2021
Dec 26, 2003
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if you look at the comments under any article in DL you can see that many if not most of the readers make lots of mistakes. i'm thinking it's probably low middle class or working class people. some who read DL surely follow the lines with their fingers and move their mouths when they read...


For this article there are only two comments so far. One person got 19 and the other 18. Those are good scores. Out of the readable Dominican papers which are Diario Libre and L Diario in my opinion, I think they have readers that can read. I have conversations often with longstanding friends of mine in SD and we all agree that Hoy Digital attracts the most semi-literate crowd that you describe.


This is also a generational issue which is clearly getting worse.


-MP.
 
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Chirimoya

Well-known member
Dec 9, 2002
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Two stupid lapses I should have got right -
Rayas
Sin fin

Two words I was not familiar with -
Capcioso
Dadivosa
 

Marianopolita

Former Spanish forum Mod 2010-2021
Dec 26, 2003
4,821
766
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Two stupid lapses I should have got right -
Rayas
Sin fin

Two words I was not familiar with -
Capcioso
Dadivosa


One thing I do on a test like this is I spell the word mentally and just look for that spelling. I don't even look at any of the options.

For the unfamiliar ones I use the rules of grammar. Some of the words can't be spelt the way they are written just based on the phonetic rules of grammar so those get eliminated right away too.



-MP.
 
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cavok

Silver
Jun 16, 2014
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Cabarete
I missed 4. Two of those I never heard the word before and some of the ones I got right only because I knew the other choices shouldn't be spelled that way based spelling rules.

Sad to say, but I know a lot of Dominicans that would be lucky to get 4 right.
 

2dlight

Bronze
Jun 3, 2004
970
36
28
I got 18/20 due to my bad habit of rushing through tests; shouldn't have missed avestruz. Most of the Spanish that I still remember is from my six years of public school in NYC. Looking back, I realize how much those teachers loved what they did and how good they were at it.
 

Lucifer

Silver
Jun 26, 2012
4,809
754
113
Late to the party, as usual... But two takeaways: It's not a creation by Diario Libre, and I failed miserably, as I was easily fooled.

Sí, así es: Me engañaron con una palabra capciosa. Who woulda thunk it?!
 

Marianopolita

Former Spanish forum Mod 2010-2021
Dec 26, 2003
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Late to the party, as usual... But two takeaways: It's not a creation by Diario Libre, and I failed miserably, as I was easily fooled.

Sí, así es: Me engañaron con una palabra capciosa. Who woulda thunk it?!


Below the title of the test it says ‘creado por Diario Libre’. Therefore, it seems like it is their spelling test.


Why do you say you failed miserably because you got one wrong? Hardly. Look at the comments by a few posters in this thread who say most Dominicans would not be able to answer the questions.

My question in this thread still remains and has not been answered. The test is in a Dominican paper therefore, the main readers are the locals. If not for Dominicans then who is the audience?


-MP.
 

Mauricio

Gold
Nov 18, 2002
5,607
7
38
Below the title of the test it says ‘creado por Diario Libre’. Therefore, it seems like it is their spelling test.


Why do you say you failed miserably because you got one wrong? Hardly. Look at the comments by a few posters in this thread who say most Dominicans would not be able to answer the questions.

My question in this thread still remains and has not been answered. The test is in a Dominican paper therefore, the main readers are the locals. If not for Dominicans then who is the audience?


-MP.
I agree it’s for Dominicans and the average literate Dominican should be able to do it without mistakes. But for example from my family in law, all well educated, I expect several to make some mistakes.

The fact that the test is relatively easy and shouldn’t cause a problem if you’re reasonably educated, doesn’t mean that in the Dominican reality of even smart educated people making simple spelling mistakes, a test like this doesn’t add value.

Another phenomen in DR is the rich locals are receiving bilingual education and often extended education abroad, their written Spanish isn’t always that good.
 

Marianopolita

Former Spanish forum Mod 2010-2021
Dec 26, 2003
4,821
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I agree it’s for Dominicans and the average literate Dominican should be able to do it without mistakes. But for example from my family in law, all well educated, I expect several to make some mistakes.

The fact that the test is relatively easy and shouldn’t cause a problem if you’re reasonably educated, doesn’t mean that in the Dominican reality of even smart educated people making simple spelling mistakes, a test like this doesn’t add value.

Another phenomen in DR is the rich locals are receiving bilingual education and often extended education abroad, their written Spanish isn’t always that good.


It is okay to have a few mistakes on a test like this. It really does not mean anything and also one can learn the meaning and how to spell a few words. However, if one gets fifteen wrong on a first attempt it is a red flag. You will be surprised that many would also get a similar result if there were an equivalent English test. I think because Diario Libre is a higher calibre paper than Hoy Digital just as an example the level education of the readers goes hand in hand.

You have given your opinion on several occasions about the ability of Dominicans of all levels of education to speak and write properly and well in Spanish but how about some examples to support what you are saying that show exactly what you mean? Can you provide some examples of what your in laws say that you say is not correct in Spanish as well as examples of what they would not write correctly in Spanish?



-MP.