Why Reform?

English stands as a testament to the complex evolution of language. 
From the moment St. Augustine introduced the Latin alphabet in 597 AD, a significant shift began, 
transitioning English from Germanic runes to Latin letters and weaving in Christian metaphors. 
The Norman Conquest in 1066 further deepened this transformation, 
blending English with Norman influences to create a language that embodied both the broad scope of European tradition and the intimate nuances of local vernaculars.
This period marked a closer alignment between English pronunciation and the Latin alphabet, 
a commonality shared with many European languages of the time.

However, The Great Vowel Shift, occurring from the 15th to 18th centuries, dramatically changed the way people spoke without updating how they wrote. 
This divorce of sound from letter created a persistent mismatch between how words are spelled and pronounced.
This legacy of phonetic inconsistency underscores the disconnect between English spelling and pronunciation to this day.

As the global lingua franca/anglica, English has seamlessly integrated words from myriad languages, 
often without adapting their spellings to fit conventional English pronunciation patterns. 
This practice, endorsed by leading dictionaries, compounds complexity upon complexity. 
While such historical fidelity enriches English with an etymological depth, it complicates language learning. 
Learners frequently find themselves dependent on rote memorization due to the unpredictable relationship between spelling and pronunciation
—a challenge that underscores the need for orthographic reform.

Such a task requires a nuanced approach, respecting the etymological history of words while also considering their contemporary sounds. 
Hence, my advocacy for spelling reform is rooted in the need to balance historical richness with practicality, 
aiming to ease the learning process and enhance the accessibility of the English language for all.

The Midwestern Accent of the U.S., known for its clarity, sets the standard in national broadcasting and shapes linguistic norms. 
This accent underpins my reform efforts due to its clear pronunciation and national influence, 
making it an ideal model for orthographic reform. My project specifically targets the mismatch between spoken and written forms of vowel sounds, 
a discrepancy largely stemming from the Great Vowel Shift. By adopting the Midwestern dialect's clarity, I aim to address these orthographic inconsistencies.

To tackle said discrepancies, I draw inspiration from French, Spanish, and Portuguese orthography. 
As the children of the dialects of Latin, they have experienced shifts in both pronunciation and spelling. 
They also represent major languages of the Americas, regions where English continues to be both influenced and of influence. 
Aligning English spelling more closely with these languages holds substantial merit, primarily in its potential to streamline the complexities inherent in English orthography.

A more phonologically consistent spelling facilitates a smoother acquisition process for learners, 
particularly those with Romance language backgrounds, but also potentially aids in addressing the challenges faced by native speakers.
This innovative approach to orthography reform reflects a scholarly commitment to fostering a more accessible communication bridge for speakers across our communities, 
easing the learning curve and enhancing mutual understanding.